GSR: Why is the ICSC convention important for municipalities?

Akins Siens: It gives them an opportunity in one location in a matter of just a few days to reach a large majority of retailers or retail developers. It's a tremendous opportunity, on a limited budget, to be able to market their communities. It's one of the most affordable marketing tools we've found, and it also sends a very strong message to other prospective developers that you're business friendly. Just your presence there says you're interested and you're wanting business in your community. I hear all of the time from developers that's one of the reasons they're interested in our community. They feel like they're going to be more successful, and the process will be easier. They don't feel like they're going to be fighting an uphill battle to do a development if someone representing the city is at ICSC.

It's also important for the public sector to proactively market to the retail industry. It's our bottom line as local government. We're very dependent on sales tax, some states more than others. Our state is very sales-tax driven because we don't have an income tax. We really need to look at it like our bread and butter, encouraging the retail development. And it gives us more control, rather than just sitting back and saying, "If it comes, it comes." The developers always ask me where I think things should go. It gives you more control and more revenue, so it's in the public sector's vested interest to want to be there and be proactive.

GSR: What are some ways that Lebanon has benefited?

Akins Siens: We were somewhat overshadowed by our large sister city, Nashville, a little over 20 miles to the West of us. Our small population just made it very challenging to attract retailers. It just put us on the map by going to ICSC. It really helped us to gain some big boxes that we may not have gotten otherwise.

GSR: Have relationships between municipalities and developers in general improved because of the convention?

Akins Siens: I think the more that the public sector and in particular local governments deal with the retailers in this kind of arena where you're not working on a specific project, but where you're working toward a common goal, the public sector has the opportunity to gain a better understand of the problems on the other side. Likewise, you can work on the issues in general in a broad sense. It's very educational for the public to attend some of these sessions because they can learn so much about development that they didn't understand. It's good too for the developers to understand better some of the challenges that the counties and local governments are facing. It may give them a better understanding of why they have to have certain regulations or can't participate at the level that the developer would like. It just creates a better understanding on both sides. The better you communicate, the better the process for everyone.

GSR: What are some of the mistakes that municipality representatives might make at their first Spring Convention?

Akins Siens: I think probably just trying to carry too many materials and give out too much stuff or trying to cover too much territory because it's just so big. One of the suggestions I'll be offering is to hone in on, at least at the beginning, those key companies that they think they might want to work with. They should also have lots of business cards and not burden everyone with too many materials. One of the key things that I've found is the most useful is good maps that can say where things are in relation to residential developments. It depends on whether they're going have a booth or they're just walking the floor. Most of the time at first they're just working the floor, it can be a bit overwhelming if they've never been to the Spring Convention, because it's just so big. It's exhausting.

GSR: Is it more productive to meet with developers or retailers?

Akins Siens: I think it's important to try to meet with both. It just depends on the company. Many of the retailers use a site-selection company or a developer to do their site selection, so that's the person you're going to want to try to meet with. On the other hand, sometimes it's very beneficial to try to go directly to those retailers when possible, especially if they have a booth or if there's a retailers forum, and just put your name in front of them. They're hit with so many projects. You're competing against people from all over the country. It's just beneficial to get your name in front of them over and over and over again. Sooner or later they're going to say, "Maybe we need to take a look at that little town over there because they certainly have been tenacious in trying to get our attention."

GSR: Since the number of municipalities attending the convention increases by so much every year, does it make it tougher for individual locales to get the attention of developers?

Akins Siens: I don't think so. The more the merrier, because we learn from each other as well. I've talked with fellow municipal representatives, and I feel like I've learned a lot. We can share information, and most of the time, we're not going to be in the same market necessarily. There are a lot of folks from all over the country, so it gives us an opportunity to learn a lot from each other as well. The key right now is just building awareness. A lot of cities don't know anything about ICSC. They don't know what it is; they have no idea what the benefits are. We're just continuing through the alliance program to try to involve and invite public-sector members to attend the local meetings first so that they can understand what the benefits are. Then hopefully they'll want to come to some of the larger conventions and become interested in exhibiting, if their buget will allow it.

GSR: How has the convention become more municipality friendly over the years?

Akins Siens: Having the public-sector forum and giving the public sector an opportunity to have their boards and their materials and the reception--all of that helps. I think there are good things and negative things about having the public sector area. It makes it handy for the developers or retailers because if they want to see what city in their area is really interested in development, they're going to be there. It makes it convenient for them, and it gives us an opportunity to share and communicate while we're exhibiting. The downside is that were just a little more isolated. Where we are is not right in the middle of the action quite as much as being next to the Trade Expo side. If we were a little more centrally located, we might get a little more visibility. But we're just happy that we do have an area, so I don't want to complain.