ICSC Florida Committee Member Oscar Rivera

One of the hottest states for retail real estate development will be hosting its annual International Council of Shopping Centers later this month. The organization’s Florida Conference will take place Aug. 20 to 22 in Kissimmee at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center. ICSC Florida had 4,030 individuals attend last year, and 300 more people are signed up so far for this year. The show will feature sessions on topics ranging from presentations on retailers’ expansion plans to the issues developers face in dealing with smart growth. ICSC Florida will also feature a deal-making exhibition on the last day of the conference. Oscar Rivera, managing partner with law firm Siegfried, Rivera, Lerner, De La Torre & Sobel, was also on the planning committee of this year’s event. He recently spoke to GSR about the coming convention as well as issues facing Florida retail developers.

GSR: How will the ICSC Florida conference be different this year than in the past?

Rivera: I think that the panels this year are fantastically in tune with what’s going on now in the industry. I think it’s going to be a very valuable conference for people to be at.