ICSC to lead special interest group session for women in retail estate

In an innovative new session to be held at the International Council of Shopping Centers Inc.'s annual RECon convention in Las Vegas, some of the industry's most senior and influential female professionals will lead a special interest group of roundtables geared toward women in retail real estate. "Women in Retail Real Estate" will take place from 10:45 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 23, the first day of RECon 2010, which will run until May 25. Special Interest Groups (SIG) focus on a specific discipline of the industry and allow industry professionals to meet to share common ideas, interest and challenges. They also provide a tremendous opportunity to network with colleagues and engage with business associates. These group meetings will allow for informal interactive discussions. Women in Retail Real Estate is one of ten SIGs that will be held simultaneously; others include architect/design, construction and alliance/public sector. The Women in Retail Real Estate SIG is being coordinated by Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of the Retail Leasing, Marketing and Sales Division at Prudential Douglas Elliman, a member of the 2010 RECon Intellectual Content Advisory Task Force, and a past president of the Association of Real Estate Women; and by Jane Snoddy Smith, a partner at the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski and 2010 CREW Network immediate past president. "I am both delighted and honored to work with ICSC and, of course, Jane Snoddy Smith on this new format at RECon," Consolo said. "I've long believed that women in our industry have a unique opportunity to grow and learn from each other, and ICSC has found the perfect way to assist that." Consolo will lead a roundtable discussion of "New Retailers and Globalization." Smith will host a roundtable on "New Techniques in Negotiation." Other roundtables will revolve around mentors - "How to Find One and How to Be One" (led by Barbara Champoux, Esq., of Crowell & Moring and a member of NYCREW Network), The Importance of Networking (to be conducted by Debra Cole, incoming president of the Association of Real Estate Women), and Developing Your Personal Brand: "New Skills for the 21st Century" (led by Beth Silverman, co-founder of ShopTheJobs.com Inc.). "At the heart of being an effective negotiator is credibility -- it's knowledge, integrity, creativity. You can't do this solo or in a vacuum," said Smith. "Expect to come away from this roundtable with new techniques to negotiate uphill and create the best outcome for all parties." For the past half-century RECon has attracted a worldwide audience of retail real estate professionals to take part in the industry's largest convention. In a class all its own, RECon sets the stage year after year providing the opportunity to make deals, form successful partnerships and grow professionally. Founded in 1957, ICSC is the premier global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 60,000 members in over 90 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers and brokers, as well as academics and public officials.