Opening ICSC RECon reception at XS nightclub at Encore in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS—Welcome to ICSC's RECon 2019 event here in Las Vegas! If you are one of the 40,000 or so individuals here, you might have attended last night's opening reception (as we did) at Encore XS Nightclub (or one of many other parties happening around the strip).
No matter how you spent you first night at RECon, it is clear that deals and networking don't just happen on the show floor, they happen after hours as well. To prepare for the event, we got a few retail thoughts from some of the experts in attendance.
Kevin Zak, principal, Dorsky + Yue International
Kevin Zak, principal, Dorsky + Yue International, says he is there is greater diversity than ever before in the projects and scopes that will be discussed at the big RECon event this year. “Retail's shift to be more inclusive of other program types is leading to interesting conversations that we weren't having in years past. That's very exciting because we have expertise in a wide variety of project types and a great deal of experience successfully mixing those uses in complex projects. We live for the opportunity to bring a deeper level of strategy and creativity to the dialog.”
Zak tells GlobeSt.com that this particular event provides a great opportunity for listening and learning. “When we listen, we have the opportunity to diagnose. Our developer/owner client's pain points and challenges become our opportunities. These conversations inform the strategies and designs that will become the next generation built environments.”
Nick Banks, Avison Young principal and managing director—Gainesville, tells GlobeSt.com that he is expecting to see a lot of excitement at this year's show. “The smaller, regional shows have all been well attended and there are new, exciting projects happening all over the country. I expect to see that momentum on an even larger scale at RECon,” he says. “It's always such a rush with all the meetings and events, but what I look forward to the most are the impromptu meetings with old friends and colleagues I happen to run into while I'm there.”
The scale of the conference with so many attendees is so massive, he adds, “but I'm always surprised at how small our industry feels. The real estate business is all about relationships and there is no better place to connect with new and old relationships than at RECon.”
Steve Wathen, CEO of Columbus, OH-based Equity|ECS
Steve Wathen, CEO of Columbus, OH-based Equity|ECS, agrees, telling GlobeSt.com that the retail landscape has evolved and changed dramatically over the last few years and 2019 is no exception. “We expect a highly productive and fully engaged RECon and are looking forward to telling our stories and getting insights from others.”
His firm brought 20 associates from 10 offices to the event. “We coined the phrase 'healthcare is the new retail.' As both a national healthcare and a retail developer, we will be showcasing those skills as both standalones and integrated uses. We will also be focusing on the rapidly growing entertainment space.”
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Natalie Dolce
Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com, 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.
