Forty Years of ICSC: What Has Changed—and What Still Matters
My relationship with ICSC began shortly after I entered the commercial real estate industry in 1975. Early in my career, I attended its events as an assistant mall manager with the DeBartolo Companies. At the time, I was just beginning to understand the shopping center business—and the extraordinary importance of relationships within it.
Over nearly four decades of attending ICSC conventions, I have watched both the organization and the commercial real estate industry undergo remarkable changes. In those early days, there were no cell phones, emails, social media platforms, QR codes or digital property presentations. Computers, at least as we know and use them today, were essentially nonexistent in our daily business lives.
Face-to-face contact was how business got done. Who you knew—and the reputation you built—could be critical to your success. Deals often began with a personal introduction, developed through repeated conversations and grew stronger over lunches, dinners, convention meetings and handshakes.
ICSC created the environment where those relationships could begin and grow. It brought mall owners, developers, retailers, brokers, lenders, architects and other industry professionals together under one roof. For a young professional, simply walking the convention floor, listening to experienced people and observing how they conducted business offered an education that could never have been gained from a textbook.
Technology Has Transformed the Convention Experience
Advances in technology have made attending ICSC a far more productive and efficient experience. QR codes, digital contact-sharing platforms such as Popl, and direct communication through texting have become game-changing tools on the convention floor.
Today, we can exchange complete contact information in seconds, send property materials immediately, confirm meetings while walking between booths and follow up on opportunities before the convention has even ended. Technology has made communication faster, property information more accessible and the entire convention experience more productive.
However, the handshake, the smile and the story about your children—or even your dog—still bring genuine value to a relationship. Technology can make an introduction easier, but personal connections create the trust that ultimately leads to successful negotiations.
There is nothing quite like calling someone about an opportunity after you have recently met, spoken with or spent time with that person on the ICSC convention floor. The conversation is no longer a cold call. There is already a connection, a shared experience and the beginning of a professional relationship.
Growing Alongside Orlando
The Orlando convention itself has changed considerably over the years. In the early days, we gathered at the Marriott World Center. The event later moved to Gaylord Palms as attendance and industry participation continued to grow.
My own involvement also expanded. I served as a roundtable leader, speaker, board member and eventually chair of the convention. Each role gave me a different perspective on the event and a deeper appreciation for the work required to bring so many sectors of the industry together.
Ultimately, I was part of the group that recommended moving the convention to the Orange County Convention Center. The change became necessary because of the event’s increasing size, greater parking requirements and the broader opportunities a full convention-center environment could provide.
At last year’s convention, it was my pleasure—at this later stage of my career—to participate in a panel about social media. Yes, even an old dog can learn new tricks.
We discussed our 13-channel marketing approach and how it helps generate the greatest possible exposure for our clients. That experience illustrated just how much the business has evolved. The locations, technology, retailers and methods of communication have all changed dramatically over the years.
At its core, however, the business remains much the same.
Understanding yield, recognizing opportunity, providing direction, building relationships and working hard continue to be the keys to success. Technology may help us communicate more quickly, but it cannot replace judgment, integrity, experience or the trust established between people.
Those are the qualities I plan to bring to this year’s convention. I look forward to reconnecting with longtime friends, meeting new professionals and discovering the retailers, concepts and real estate opportunities being presented across the ICSC floor.
After nearly 40 years, I remain enthusiastic about attending because every convention offers something new. The industry will continue to evolve, and the tools we use will continue to change. But the lasting value of ICSC remains its ability to bring people together.
That is still where relationships are built—and where opportunities begin.
