NEW YORK, 2014-3-5 — /EPR Retail News/ — The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) is pleased to announce the speaker lineup and highlights for the 2014 Specialty Retail Entrepreneur Expo (SPREE), which was recently added to ICSC’s programming after the recent acquisition of Pinnacle Publishing Group, and their publication, Specialty Retail Report. SPREE is the specialty retail industry’s largest event–exclusively bringing retailers together with wholesalers, property managers and service providers from across the country. This year’s event will be held at the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nev., April 8-10, 2014.
“The addition of SPREE to ICSC’s programming is a great opportunity to bring the specialty retail sector and the rest of the industry together,” said Patricia Norins, vice president of specialty programs for ICSC. “Specialty retail is a significant revenue-generator for many shopping centers and malls. Bringing SPREE into ICSC’s programs adds unique value to ICSC’s already robust roster of events,” she said.
Now in its tenth year, SPREE attracts over 2,000 retailers, wholesalers, leasing professionals and service providers for networking, deal making and informative seminars. This year, PayPal has joined the program as an educational program sponsor, and their senior director, head of association development, Michelle Peacock, will host the session “Using Mobile Enabled Payments to Increase Customer Engagement.” The session will discuss how mobile technology is changing and where businesses can make sales and interact with their customers.
Another exciting session that has been added this year is a panel on franchising in specialty retail. The panel discussion will be lead by the International Franchise Association and their Senior Director of Development and Member Services, Paul C. Rocchio. Other sessions will include: “Designing Your Business for Higher Value and Profits;” “ Go Viral: Creating Buzz for Your Business Without Breaking the Bank;” ”How to Convert Tenants from the Common Area to Inline;” “Leverage the Power of Small Business Saturday to Boost Your Holiday Sales & Profits;” “ Power of Pintrest: Leverage the Power of this Important Social Media Outlet to Drive More Traffic and Profits;” “Retailer Basics;” and “Visual Merchandising – Creating Practical Displays to Maximize Impact”.
Attendance to the 2014 SPREE Conference is free. To register for free, please visit www.spreeshow.com. Press registration is also complimentary. To obtain press credentials contact Elana Krasner in ICSC’s media relations department at 646-728-3515 or ekrasner@icsc.org.
About ICSC
Founded in 1957, ICSC is the premier global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 63,000 members in over 100 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers and brokers, as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world. For more information, visit www.icsc.org.
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Contact:
Elana Krasner
646-728-3515
ekrasner@icsc.org