1,500 delegates expected at ICSC conference

Up to 1,500 delegates are expected to attend the 2008 International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) European Conference at The RAI Congress Centre in Amsterdam from 16-18 April 2008.

The ICSC said the line-up of speakers for the 2008 conference has been confirmed and industry sustainability will be a major theme of the three-day event. Speakers from the development, retail and investment sectors will debate how the industry should respond to the changing 'economic landscape'. 'The sustainability theme will continue with a session on urban planning and its impact on society. Highly innovative new ways of building shopping centres will be showcased and discussed, and as the cycling capital of the world, Amsterdam will host ICSC’s first-ever cycling tour of the city’s retail hotspots,' the ICSC said.

The list of keynotes speakers includes Dr Kjell A Nordström, described by the ICSC as one of the world's top management thinkers who is rated as number 9 in the world and number one in Europe. Nordström's book, Funky Business, was recently rated as one of the best business books of all time.

Other keynote speakers are Guilliame Poitrinal, CEO of shopping centre specialist Unibail-Rodamco, who will talk about the opportunities, risks and challenges faced by the industry and Reiner Unkel, director of Perfumeries at retailer Douglas. The Douglas Group has more than 1,800 speciality stores across Europe and posted sales of EUR 3 bn in 2006-2007. A further session is planned on the growing importance of non-rental income to add value to a centre through speciality leasing.

The 2008 European Shopping Centre Awards will be announced on the second day of the conference, followed by a gala dinner at Amsterdam’s Convention Factory.

Jaap Gillis, chairman of the ICSC European Advisory Board and chief operating officer of Dutch-based Redevco Europe, said: 'Amsterdam is one of Europe's most cosmopolitan cities with many highly innovative shopping centre developments. I am delighted that the city is hosting this conference. With the high-quality line-up of speakers and the current fast-changing business landscape, I anticipate this will be one of the most exciting and dynamic ICSC European conferences of recent years.'

Click on the link below for more information on the ICSC European Conference