Retail players find the silver lining in cloudy economy - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Last week, New York-based industry organizatiohn the (ICSC) held its annual conference at the Conventio Center inLas Vegas. It is an event that drawds thousandsof developers, retailers and broker from all over the world, for four days of hand-shakiny and deal making. Although this year, theree weren’t as many thousandd who were Vegas bound. The 2009 Global Real Estate or RECon as it isbetter known, nettes 30,000 attendees, according to Malachyu Kavanagh, staff vice president of communicationds and external relations, for That figure is down considerably from the 48,000 attendees for RECoh 2008.
But what the conference lacked in it made up forin substance, accordiny to many local industry sources who attended this year’es conference. “All in all, I received great value of my time and moneyu invested intothe conference,” says Jerry A. Williamsz Jr., a vice president in the local offic of Fewer participants meant less pressure to move at breakj neckspeed — shakingy hands and doing deals, insiders say. In fact, this time around, the focuz was not necessarily on doinbg deals for this year but on setting the groundwork for the years to addsMichael N. Jersin, presidenr and principal for United Commercial Realty San Antonio.
“I found it to be a bette situation,” says Valerie Hunter, a senior associate with Grubv & Ellis. “Since the attendance was you could spend more time with Not that anyone was surprisede atthis year’s lower turnout. even ICSC went into the evengt knowing that the attendance numbers were gointg tobe down, Kavanagh says. One places where the lower turnoutwas apparent, the leasingb mall. This mall spans about one millionsquarw feet, and consists of a sea of boothd by retailers, developers and others looking to do business in Sin This year, there were some noted empty spacesw where booths used to be, attendants say.
“Igt was surreal seeing curtains in areas where you typically see booths,” notes Grubb & Elliw Senior Vice President Cynthia But for Ellison, who remembers the dark days of the adds that this year’zs turnout in the leasing mall was still “veryt big compared to the old days.” She “Spirits were high and all went especially compared to the downturj in the ’80s when Texas was red-lined — no one wanted to talk to a Texax broker. On the contrary, Texas and San Antonio — were the so-calledc belles of the ball at this year’x REcon. “Texas is definitely a priority for a lot of Jersin says.
“In that same breath, San Antonii is getting a lot ofpublicity — good things are happeninyg here.” Participants were “talking very bullish abouy Texas, and San Antonio,” concurws Rick Carduner, founder of local retail/brokerage firm LLC and the Texas statw director for ICSC. “Inj San Antonio, (retailers) are still looking, and still doinyg deals.” The tough economic times have caused a shake out in variousa real estatesectors — as businesses and brokere looking for an easy buck have gone by the wayside. The 2009 RECon was reflective ofthat trend.
“Those that were there were seriouse aboutdoing business, about doing deals,” Kavanagj says. “Those who came out looking fordealse — most found them.”