When we talked with Randee Stratton, managing director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, out of La Jolla, CA, she said that she expects this to be another great year for retailers and developers at RECon, and the same amount, if not more, attendance as last year.

“My hopes are filled with new prospective clients, continued client relationship building and getting multiple, in-process transactions over the finish line. RECon is bringing an excellent line-up of keynote speakers starting with Serena Williams on Sunday and I am looking forward to that as well,” she tells GlobeSt.com

Robert Cohen, vice chairman of RKF, tells GlobeSt.com that he is looking forward to seeing new concepts that will be introduced during the show. “I also look forward to meeting with landlords who are willing to be creative and flexible with their deal terms, aiming to keep spaces full and bustling.”

Cohen adds that he expects to hear more news and updates on planned live-work-play developments, to learn about what they plan to do to attract retailers, and to offer them the benefit of our experience. “Recently, one of the RKF leasing teams helped a landlord secure Target by guiding the redesign of a new development project's ground floor.”

Last year was a highly successfully convention for Stuart Tanz is President and CEO of Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., a San Diego-based, publicly-traded real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and operates grocery-anchored shopping centers on the West Coast. He recently told sister publication, Real Estate Forum, that he expects this year to be the same.

“The majority of the retailers that we met with last year did not raise issues or concerns, but instead were highly focused on expanding on the West Coast, specifically looking to lease space in grocery-anchored shopping centers in the primary markets. We expect that to be the focus again this year. Our biggest issue is finding space within our portfolio, which over 97% leased, to accommodate the tenant demand.”

And Thomas P. McGuinness, president and CEO of InvenTrust Properties Corp., added that ICSC is a key event for InvenTrust every year. “It allows our leasing, transaction team and senior management to network and meet with our tenants, potential tenants, real estate investors, public and private REIT peers and the media.”

In a retail power panel, held by sister publication, Real Estate Forum, and featured in the upcoming issue, he said that the communication and interaction is valuable to its operations and strategy development every year. “I believe this year, unlike last, the theme will be uncertainty. Uncertainty on what Trump might do. Uncertainty on the direction of the economy and uncertainty on the pricing direction and viability of some “B” & “C” malls and power centers. I think most people agree there is too much retail in the US. How is the removal or revival of these properties going to be resolved? I believe this is all leading to uncertainty, but as other have said, retail continues to evolve and find a way to success and bottom line, if you buy in a good location your center will be prosperous.”

LAS VEGAS—This ICSC RECon feels very different than other years. That is according to Gainesville, FL-based Deborah Butler, president of Butler Enterprises.

Butler, who will be attending the upcoming event in Las Vegas, tells GlobeSt.com that “from our preconvention conversations with retailers to the tenor of the sessions ICSC is providing such as the emphasis on technology as it relates to consumer engagement.”

The seismic change in retail distribution channels, she says, coupled with understanding the changing customer, has necessitated an even greater clarity of purpose for new developments and redevelopments.

As a result, she says that “Butler Town Center development has placed special emphasis on developing a mixed-use experience that isn't available anywhere else in North Central Florida, which means incorporating these evolving trends in technology, as well as placemaking with inspirational entertainment, luxury residential, a chef-curated food hall and new-to-market retail.”

When we talked with Randee Stratton, managing director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, out of La Jolla, CA, she said that she expects this to be another great year for retailers and developers at RECon, and the same amount, if not more, attendance as last year.

“My hopes are filled with new prospective clients, continued client relationship building and getting multiple, in-process transactions over the finish line. RECon is bringing an excellent line-up of keynote speakers starting with Serena Williams on Sunday and I am looking forward to that as well,” she tells GlobeSt.com

Robert Cohen, vice chairman of RKF, tells GlobeSt.com that he is looking forward to seeing new concepts that will be introduced during the show. “I also look forward to meeting with landlords who are willing to be creative and flexible with their deal terms, aiming to keep spaces full and bustling.”

Cohen adds that he expects to hear more news and updates on planned live-work-play developments, to learn about what they plan to do to attract retailers, and to offer them the benefit of our experience. “Recently, one of the RKF leasing teams helped a landlord secure Target by guiding the redesign of a new development project's ground floor.”

Last year was a highly successfully convention for Stuart Tanz is President and CEO of Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., a San Diego-based, publicly-traded real estate investment trust that acquires, owns and operates grocery-anchored shopping centers on the West Coast. He recently told sister publication, Real Estate Forum, that he expects this year to be the same.

“The majority of the retailers that we met with last year did not raise issues or concerns, but instead were highly focused on expanding on the West Coast, specifically looking to lease space in grocery-anchored shopping centers in the primary markets. We expect that to be the focus again this year. Our biggest issue is finding space within our portfolio, which over 97% leased, to accommodate the tenant demand.”

And Thomas P. McGuinness, president and CEO of InvenTrust Properties Corp., added that ICSC is a key event for InvenTrust every year. “It allows our leasing, transaction team and senior management to network and meet with our tenants, potential tenants, real estate investors, public and private REIT peers and the media.”

In a retail power panel, held by sister publication, Real Estate Forum, and featured in the upcoming issue, he said that the communication and interaction is valuable to its operations and strategy development every year. “I believe this year, unlike last, the theme will be uncertainty. Uncertainty on what Trump might do. Uncertainty on the direction of the economy and uncertainty on the pricing direction and viability of some “B” & “C” malls and power centers. I think most people agree there is too much retail in the US. How is the removal or revival of these properties going to be resolved? I believe this is all leading to uncertainty, but as other have said, retail continues to evolve and find a way to success and bottom line, if you buy in a good location your center will be prosperous.”