Recon

This year’s trip to Las Vegas for the ICSC Recon conference is my sixth straight. I have to admit, each year I stop and evaluate the value I get for attending (which is healthy to do) and ultimately decide to go again. I’m never disappointed…

The good news for this year is that attendance is up, “booths” are expanding, and meetings are frenzied. Attendance has been estimated at around 38,000, a few thousand more than last year. I say “booths” in quotes because a booth can be as much as 5,000 square feet with meeting rooms and offices…the bigger the booth, the more deals are happening. One developer team reported nearly 400 meetings scheduled over a 2-1/2 day period.

Recon 2015 Central Hall

The great news is that the forecast looks good for the industry. Retail sales are up and strong across the board, with a few key sectors performing beyond previous highs. Development looks to remain solid over the next couple of years, but we’re not overbuilding. Is there another downturn out there? The laws of economics say yes, but the consensus is that it’s a couple of years out (barring some global change).

ICSC conferences continue to be a great source of connection with current clients, as well as a place to expand my network. I will say this year was another successful trip.

Having just left the ICSC Recon conference in Las Vegas, I have some fresh thoughts on my mind about marketing and business development. Of course, there’s a million ways to go, but I think it’s important to remain focused on what it is I’m hoping to accomplish with my business. It can be distracting to have so many ideas, including some for my competitors to help them succeed…

Everything must run through the filter of core goals for my business. What leads directly down the intended path, what sounds neat…but can find trouble, what may lead me down a path I’ve been down before, and do not wish to follow again?

One of those ideas, although not new to me, is writing. I get so caught up in my world and I forget to reach out to the rest of the planet to let them know what I’m up to…and how I might be able help them. That’s what I’m hoping to do here…give you a window into my world and how I go about conducting my business. Also, and more importantly, to provide insight on how I see things in design and how I evaluate project challenges to find solutions.

Before anything else, and while sitting on my late night flight, I need to rest and let my feet heal from the miles of walking over the last two days…

ICSC Recon 2015

ICSC Recon 2014

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