ICSC changes its name; it’s shopping centers no longer

The International Council of Shopping Centers, whose operations were severely curtailed by the pandemic, has decided to change its name to Innovating Commerce Serving Communities.

“We’re thrilled to launch this rebrand to better represent our role, more effectively capture the dynamic impact of our industry, and position ourselves to capture the many opportunities of tomorrow,” said the association’s president and CEO Tom McGee.

With malls and shopping centers sidelined for months during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, ICSC was forced to cancel its May RECon Show in Las Vegas, the primary branding and leasing event for owners and operators of malls and shopping centers. Also canceled were its regional deal-making shows, including the New York edition, the second largest industry event next to RECon.

Some 70 ICSC employees were let go in 2020 and this year’s RECon show was rescheduled to take place in Las Vegas in the first week of December--the traditional slot of the New York show. Exhibitors who traditionally presided over massive booths at RECon are being limited to smaller spaces and standard signage and told Chain Store Age that they are mulling whether to exhibit at all this year.

Developed in collaboration with Makeable, described as an “innovation agency,” the association’s new brand plays on the notion of “dynamically connecting C’s to symbolize the ever-growing connectedness of commerce and communities,” said ICSC’S chief marketing officer Rae Logsdon in a press release issued today.