The International Council of Shopping Centers’ New York National Conference & Deal Making convention will open its doors on Dec. 4 at the Hilton New York in Manhattan. The conference will also kick off ICSC’s 50th anniversary celebration.
After the Las Vegas annual convention, this is ICSC’s most popular meeting of retailers and owners. Hundreds of retailers, ranging from Big Lots and Dress Barn to Sally Beauty and Hannaford Bros., will be exhibiting, along with developers including Simon Property Group, General Growth Properties, Forest City Enterprises and Federal Realty. It is expected to draw 7,000 real estate and retail executives for networking, deal-making and a few choice panels. The conference will also include ICSC’s first “Retail Runway,” which will allow fashion retailers such as Planet Funk, Blue Mercury, Lulu Athletica and Limited Too to exhibit their business and expansion plans in a new runway format. Grocer Wild Oats and restaurants Dunkin’ Donuts and P.F. Changs also will exhibit in the Retail Runway.
Several notable executives will speak at the panels:
- “Mixed-Use Development” will examine whether this development concept has longevity or if it is a passing trend in retail. Speakers include Barry Dinerstein, the deputy director of housing, economic development and infrastructure planning for the city of New York; Christopher Pine, the vice president of real estate for Whole Foods Market, and Charles Tomb, senior vice president of development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
- At “Wall Street on Retail,” experts from the major brokerage houses will evaluate year-end projections and industry trends. Speakers include retail analysts from Bear Stearns, HSBC and Morgan Stanley.