SAN DIEGO—The ICSC Western Division Conferenceis happening this week at the San Diego ConventionCenter here. Attendees from across the country andglobally—including GlobeSt.com—will meet to network, learn aboutthe newest retail concepts and hear experts in the sectortalk about the current and future state of the market. We spokewith several retail executives attending the conference to gettheir predictions on what attendees can expect. Check back over thenext few days for more coverage of the event as it unfolds.

With 5,000 attendees and 250 exhibitors, DianaHallal of TMC Financing says she expectsthe conference to be “really be rockin' this week. The resurgencein retail real estate has put everyone in a good mood, so therewill be plenty of deal talk. Because an active market means risinglease rates, it's critical for business owners toown their buildings and access to financing iskey.” She adds that TMC is looking to connect with brokers andlenders who are looking for attractive options for theirclients.

Chris Hite, president of CorelandCos., says, “We're optimistic heading into ICSC. Thecoming year could be retail's opportunity to really shine and breakfrom the shadows of the office, industrial andmultifamily markets. Our owners see that netoperating income is steadily on the rise, and the ability to startpushing rents is definitely entering into the conversation.” Hiteadds that he is looking forward to hearing about significantrepositioning efforts, newdevelopments and expanding, unique tenants comingout of this week's event.