A Banner Year for the District at 2012 ICSC RECon
Last month, Mayor Vincent Gray, Councilmembers, city officials and community partners joined the WDCEP at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ (ICSC) RECon Convention in Las Vegas – the largest retail industry convention in the world. The DC delegation joined over 33,000 retail industry professionals at the convention to communicate to the entire retail development community that DC is a primary growth market with major development projects and neighborhoods ready to support new retail investment.
The WDCEP kicked off the 2012 ICSC RECon on Sunday night with their 14th annual Capital Reception at Las Vegas hotspot, TAO Nightclub, located inside of The Venetian Las Vegas. The reception’s new and exciting venue drew record-breaking attendance with over 500 people showing up to ‘Celebrate DC in LV.’ The excitement and buzz about the DC retail market continued over the next two days as the DC delegation held over 80 meetings with retail and restaurant representatives inside the District’s booth. In just two days, over 400 individuals visited the District’s booth, representing a 45% increase from last year’s booth visitors.
“This year was a banner year for the District at ICSC,” says Keith Sellars, President & CEO of Washington, DC Economic Partnership. “With a record number of people attending the Capital Reception and visiting our booth, we heard over and over again that the District is on the top of retailers’ list of places they want to expand. Worldwide, retailers are realizing that D.C. is a hot retail market and they want to know where and how they can expand their business into the city.”
The delegation focused their efforts on promoting retail opportunities in Wards 5, 7, and 8, as well as major development projects throughout the city, including Saint Elizabeths East Campus Pavilion, Walter Reed, and Shops at Dakota Crossing. Meetings were held with a variety of retailers including restaurants, grocery stores, European men’s wear, gyms, movie theaters, pharmacies, specialty stores and big-box retailers.
The District government and the WDCEP’s attendance at ICSC conventions for the past 14 years have led to deals that landed many of the popular retailers and restaurants seen in the District today, including Harris Teeter, Target, Best Buy, Trader Joes, among many others. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) and the WDCEP will spend the next few weeks following-up and moving forward deals discussed during the convention.
ICSC 2012 Photo Gallery
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Capital Reception at ICSC 2012 Photo Gallery
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