Sheridan: Yes. You don't really finish or get a deal done, per se, at the convention. It's really just about keeping the process moving and keeping the dialogue going. We certainly accomplished that. Another thing we accomplished was trying to educate the retail and restaurant community more and more about the Irvine Co. and the future of our properties. Because we are so geographically focused on Southern California, many people in other parts of the country aren't as familiar with us as we want them to be.

GlobeSt.com: Will you see some new players enter your centers as a result?

Sheridan: One of the goals we had going into the convention was to identify retailers and restaurateurs who are not in Southern California that we think should be and try to get them the opportunities that we have at the Irvine Co. We can really deliver, essentially, the Orange County market. For those retailers and restaurateurs that see the value in that, we have a perfect solution.

GlobeSt.com: Was there any one property in particular you were trying to lease up, or was it portfolio wide?

Sheridan: It really was portfolio wide. Our portfolio is split 50-50 between regional and neighborhood and community centers. We look at the portfolio in those two ways.

GlobeSt.com: The next big conference for you is the ICSC Western Division show in San Diego in September. What are your expectations for that?

Sheridan: I expect the mood to continue to be positive. The Southern California economy is turning around nicely. There is job growth, and home prices are rising. Generally speaking, we have seen retail sales up. I expect the San Diego convention to be very productive. There is a lot of interest from food operators in shopping centers now. We saw that in Las Vegas, and I expect to see it again in San Diego. Restaurants bring more people to a center, and if you get the right mix, everything from fast casual to more fine dining, they increase center visits.