Mayor Bloomberg to keynote ICSC New York National Conference December 5-6

Over the past decade Mayor Bloomberg has instituted hundreds of innovative new policies and initiatives to make New York City economically prosperous. Now, the mayor will share his vision on New York City's future as well as his plans for retaining and attracting new business to the city during the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) New York National Conference & Deal Making, December 5-6. The conference will once again encompass both the Hilton New York and the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, with Mayor Bloomberg set to kick off the conference at the Hilton on Monday, December 5 at 9:30 a.m. Directly following the opening session with the mayor will be the popular Retail Runway, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The Retail Runway will showcase national retailers presenting their future business and expansion plans. This year's retailers include: Athleta, Denny's, Fairway Market, Five Below, L.A. Fitness, Modell's Sporting Goods, Party City Retail Group, Smashburger, and Unleashed by PetCo. The Deal Making floors will be open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The exhibit floors will feature over 300 booths, creating ample opportunity for attendees to network, view industry products and services, and discuss potential deals and partnerships. Monday afternoon will feature the Women's Special Industry Group (SIG). The Women's SIG is an interactive topic specific discussion group that fosters the sharing of ideas, interests, challenges and best practices. Additionally, it will provide a forum to meet with colleagues, create new business relationships and become part of a global network of women within the shopping center industry. Cities such as New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Miami have recently embraced vertical retail development. Tuesday morning will feature a panel session entitled Urban Retail: The Vertical Integration of Retail from 8 - 9:30 a.m. The panel will explore urban store formats and design, site selection, approvals, expansion issues and the near-term future of vertical retail development.