Brad Hutensky of the Hutensky Group

Brad Hutensky, president of the Hutensky Group, a Hartford, CT-based open-air center development firm, is a fixture on panels at ICSC sessions. This year he is moderating a panel, on Tuesday, call “Open-Air Centers 2005: The Game Show” that will deal with the best ways to fill an empty anchor, the future of the supermarket industry, and other issues. Hutensky recently spoke with GSR about his experiences with at the Spring Convention, as well as his sector of the industry in general.

GSR: How important is the Spring Convention to your business?

Hutensky: The Spring Convention is clearly the focal point of our year. Our company is buying shopping centers around the country, and it is a very efficient way to meet the retailers, brokers, lenders and service providers that our business depends on. I think our industry is about relationships, and the Spring Convention is like working the biggest room of the year, and getting to see as many old friends as possible and meet as many new ones.