The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) named Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank as the keynote speaker of the 2016 New York National Deal Making Conference, which will be held December 5 and 6 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
Plank will detail his 20-year journey that started with an innovative t-shirt and is now a nearly $5 billion global company with more than 14,000 employees.
ICSC noted that Plank’s entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond athletic wear through his privately-owned investment company, Plank Industries, including its real estate subsidiary, Sagamore Development Company. Sagamore is spearheading the massive redevelopment of Port Covington in Baltimore, one of the largest urban development projects currently underway in the U.S. The keynote presentation is scheduled at 12:30 p.m. on the opening day of the conference.
“We are thrilled to confirm Under Armour’s Kevin Plank as the keynote speaker. An industry trailblazer, he has demonstrated what it takes to thrive in the age of omnichannel,” said ICSC President and CEO Tom McGee. “Kevin embodies what it means to bring together communities and empower people to give back.”
The New York National Deal Making Conference is ICSC’s second-largest global event and is an opportunity for the retail real estate industry to gather under one roof, share best practices and, most importantly, close deals. The two-day program has steadily grown since its 2014 debut at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, which resulted in a 25 percent spike in attendance. This year, ICSC anticipates another record year with 11,000 attendees, 500 exhibitors and over 170,000 square feet of exhibitor space.
“This conference is important not only for ICSC, but also for the industry as it is a harbinger of growth prospects over the year to come. Often, when the conference grows, so too does the retail real estate industry and, as a result, the U.S. economy as a whole–a correlation reinforced by the fact that shopping center sales represent about 15% of total U.S. GDP,” said McGee. “A deal in its very nature is an optimistic bet on the future. To see a record number of attendees come to a deal making conference speaks volumes about the health of our industry.”
In addition to dealmaking and networking opportunities, the New York National Deal Making Conference offers professional development workshops covering certifications and educational sessions about timely topics such as experiential retail, leasing financials and shopper engagement during the holiday season.
Retail real estate professionals can register online today. Advanced registration fees are $595 for members and $655 for non-members through November 30.
