LAS VEGAS—In preparation for ICSC's RECon event next week here in Las Vegas, we asked four Stan Johnson Co. executives what their goals and expectations were for the conference, which is anticipated to have nearly 40,000 attendees.
Brad Pepin, senior director in the firm's Tulsa, OK office, says that the conference has traditionally been a very effective venue for Stan Johnson Co., as well as anyone else in the retail CRE industry. “No other event during the year provides you with the opportunity to meet with existing clients throughout the US, and the ability to efficiently acquire new clients that need advisory and brokerage services. We expect this year's RECon event to be more successful than last year, and we'll continue to expand our presence as the dominant net lease brokerage firm in the country.”
For Gill Warner, a senior director also located in the firm's Tulsa office, his goal is to meet with as many buyers and sellers of net leased properties as possible—both new and existing clients. “The face time is really important because a lot of what we do is done over the phone.”
Los Angeles-based Sam Alison, west region director, tells GlobeSt.com that his goal is to talk to people from around the world about developing and investing in the west. “Currently, the Western US offers some of the greatest real estate opportunities of the past 25 years. In my opinion, the best development and investment opportunities arise in areas where current unemployment levels are substantially higher than historical levels, but trending down,” he explains. “Surprisingly, there are areas in the West, including the California Central Valley, where unemployment remains over 10%. Employment growth is inevitable in the Western US based on historical trends; therefore, these markets offer the best development and investment opportunities.”
Alison continues that “job growth leads to more disposable income, greater retail sale volumes, increasing tenant demand, and decreasing supply, which drive rents higher and stimulates development. In the West, we are in the second inning of a nine inning game with high probability of extra innings. There are opportunities for people looking for an early entry into the game.”
The firm's Ken Hedrick, senior director, also based in Tulsa, OK, expects this year to be a record setting year for attendance. “RECon is great way to meet with existing clients and schedule meetings with new prospects. This is one of the best conferences we attend and it consistently pays off with new business every year.”
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.
