Attend the Preakness today, then head to Las Vegas on Sunday ? it?s a tough job for Maryland?s governor, Baltimore?s mayor and county executives from Baltimore, Harford, Howard and Prince George?s counties.
Gov. Martin O?Malley told the Examiner that there would always be “snarky articles” about his trips as mayor to the annual convention of the International Council of Shopping Centers. But the governor said there are “pretty compelling reasons to go Las Vegas” to meet directly with top executives of the biggest retailers and developers.
Last month?s issue of Governing magazine said: “One out of every three retail real estate deals are either conceived at this meeting or completed there.”
“We can?t afford not to go,” said Dave Tillman, communications director at the Department of Business and Economic Development. The state is spending $160,000 on the event, including airfare, hotels, a large reception and building of 1,000-square-foot booth that includes three meetings rooms.
“It?s a no-brainer as far as DBED goes,” Tillman said. “This is where the retail giants come to play.” Tillman, DBED Secretary David Edgerley, and business development officers are going with the governor. O?Malley already is booked for 11 meetings on Monday and Tuesday, and a Maryland reception for 200 business executives Monday night.
Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith is making a return visit, and it was Smith who helped persuade new Howard County Executive Ken Ulman that he ought to go to, Ulman said. Ulman?s chief of staff Aaron Greenfield, former president of the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp., had been to the convention as well, and said “it is a very effective opportunity if you do your work in advance.”
Dick Story, head of the Howard County Economic Development Authority who has decades of experience in the field, had never been to the shopping center blowout, but he?s becoming a believer. “This is an incredibly rich audience for selling Howard County,” Story said. Working out of the state booth, Story said Howard County has 14 meetings set up “with a number of developers, food stores and restaurants,” particularly targeting upscale restaurants and retailers.
“We?re talking about revitalizing our older village centers,” Ulman said. Fronda Cohen of Baltimore County economic development office, said Smith and Iannucci will emphasize the county?s commercial revitalization districts, and hoping to attract more restaurants to the county. The convention is a chance to have “a lot of high level meetings in a single place,” Cohen said.
Prince George?s County Executive Jack Johnson will back again in Vegas after several visits to the shopping center convention. Spokeswoman Denise Roberts said he?ll be meeting with “major and unique retailers and shopping center developers.”
