ICSC-NY show attendance leaps 15%

New York -- Identified as a 2014 industry bellwether, this year’s New York National Conference and Deal Making is up 15% over last year, with some 7,000 people in attendance, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.



The increase bodes well for next year, according to Michael P. Kercheval, president and CEO. When attendance is up, he said, the industry grows the following year. When it’s down, a decline has always followed.



In a presentation to show attendees, David LaRue, ICSC’s chairman and the president and CEO of Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises, painted an optimistic picture of the industry. During his Outlook For Retail Real Estate presentation, held Monday, he said that consumer confidence, spending and unemployment figures are all moving in a positive direction for businesses, despite the political uncertainty in Washington.