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SPRING CONVENTION 2006 SHAPING UP TO BE RECORDBREAKER

By Fred W. Wright Jr.

The ICSC Spring Convention, to be held May 20-24 in Las Vegas, is on track to be bigger than ever this year, with exhibition and trade show space filled to capacity and preregistration figures running ahead of last year’s.

Some 17,400 people have registered to date, surpassing the numbers at this same time last year by more than 11 percent.

One attendee in particular is likely to draw plenty of attention, and you may have heard of him. Sunday’s keynote speaker at the 1:30 p.m. opening session will be William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States. Other headline speakers in the course of the conference will include TV host and comedian Jay Leno on Sunday evening; casino and resort developer Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts, on Monday at 1 p.m.; and NFL star quarterback and TV sportscaster Phil Sims on Tuesday morning.

Under the conference theme “Breaking New Ground,” the Las Vegas Convention Center will once again be packed, with all 675,000 square feet of Leasing Mall & Trade Expo floor space taken up by the exhibitors. As usual, there are companies on a long waiting list, according to Phyllis Peterson, ICSC’s director of leasing and deal making.

Companies will also occupy 133 leasing suites this year, nearly double last year’s number, Peterson says. The extra suites became available through the relocation of registration from the mezzanine level to rooms N-101 through N-120 on the Convention Center’s lobby level.

Many of the convention’s perennially popular elements remain intact, however, including the Sunday morning 10:15 welcome and orientation for first-time participants, followed by a Networking Brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Monday morning starts with the Women in Real Estate Breakfast (8-9:30 a.m.), followed by two traditional events — the Meet the Mayors session, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and the Behind the Headlines in Washington, D.C. session, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

As always, there will be concurrent sessions each day, offering workshops and seminars on a variety of issues and challenges facing the shopping center and retail industry. Topics include “Lifestyle Centers: Is New Urbanism the Next Wave?” on Monday morning and “Micropolitan Statistical Areas: Redefining the Market” on Tuesday afternoon.

Eight workshops are scheduled for Wednesday morning. In between workshops and seminars, attendees will have a chance to interact with about 325 exhibitors in the Trade Expo hall, according to Greg Jira, who is in charge of the event. Once again, it will be a tight squeeze in the Trade Expo hall, despite its approximately 60,000 square feet of space. “We’re kind of shoehorned into doing what we’ve been able to do,” he said, with some “pretty tight aisles.”

The Trade Expo will open Sunday afternoon following Bill Clinton’s speech. It includes a complimentary reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The Leasing Mall opens Monday morning. For more information, visit www.icsc.org.