ICSC European Conference And Outlet Conference Come Together In Barcelona

ICSC will hold its annual events on 25-26 April in Barcelona, Spain at the Fairmont Rey Juan Carlos I hotel.

The International Council of Shopping Centers European Conference will coincide with the European Outlet Conference, offering participants an opportunity to attend sessions at both conferences and to connect with their counterparts from around the world.

Now in its 43rd year, ICSC’s European flagship event promises to be the most engaging ever – both offline and online, gathering retailers, landlords, developers, investors and technology companies, providing opportunities to explore cutting-edge trends and gain valuable insights from across these increasingly interconnected industries. Specifically, this year’s theme – ‘Space, Place and the Future of Retail’ – will explore the disruptive forces changing and shaping the retail real estate industry, today and in the future.

Key topics include:

• Understanding the Drivers of Change – Knowledge Unlocks Opportunity: three concurrent sessions explore how technology, big data, and demographics are changing the future of retail.
• Achieving Magnetic Places: case studies presented by masters of the art of place-making.
• Beyond Shopping – “Can We Still Call It Retail?”: a unique insight into how retail,  combined with leisure and food and beverage are the key ingredients of creative mixed-use projects.

The European Outlet Conference will take a closer look at the growing outlet sector, with panel sessions exploring topics such as outlets role in the retail ecosystem, outlets’ investment potential and outlets in different regions of the world.

Bill Kistler, Executive Vice President of ICSC commented: “Combining our annual European and Outlets conferences provides attendees the chance to explore shared issues, trends, and opportunities. A larger scale event with more choice of sessions, more speakers and more ways to connect with colleagues will deliver a much more valuable experience.”

Javier Hortelano, President of Spanish Council of Shopping Centres, the AECC, added: “We are proud that the ICSC chose Barcelona for their 2018 European Conference. It offers us an opportunity to showcase the vibrant retail real estate industry in Spain to our friends from around the world.”

In addition to the conference programme, retail study tours will allow attendees to explore the vibrant retail market of the Catalan capital, including sites such as Arenas de Barcelona, La Maquinista, and Diagonal Mar. The 2018 European Shopping Centre Awards dinner will celebrate Europe’s most outstanding new, refurbished and established retail places. 

For more information please visit the ICSC European Conference and European Outlet Conference sections on ICSC website.