"The recent crash of many dot com retailers doesn't alter the fact that fundamental changes are occurring in retailing and the ownership and management of retail properties," says John McMahan, executive director for the center, a San Francisco-based non-profit research and training organization focusing on the management of real estate firms and governmental land use organizations. "We want to help managers understand and deal with these changes before they become serious problems."

Topics to be discussed include business fundamentals that can help businesses survive the dot-com washout, evaluating successful "clicks and bricks" retailing strategies and how tenants can use technology to become more competitive.

The $1,400 seminar will also cover the impact of change on various types of retail properties and how to assess problems in a retail real estate portfolio. Instructors also will discuss creative leasing and property management strategies that can help attendees to understand and deal with a new mix of issues in real estate such as leasing terms, point of sale and percentage clauses.