São Paulo, Brazil, is holding a congress that will show how the shopping mall industry is behaving in several countries. "Mall Mania: an international reality – China, India, Russia and the United Arab Emirates," is a panel scheduled to occur during the 10th International Congress of Shopping and Conference Centers of the Americas.
The event will happen at the Transamérica Expo Center, in the capital of the state of São Paulo.
According to information supplied by the press office for the congress, there should be a debate on the economic scenarios of the four countries, which have been receiving strong financial inflows and are building new enterprises in the shopping center segment. Also to be shown are the various shopping center formats under development in those regions, as well as their adaptations to different local cultures.
The panel will be presided over by Phil McArthur, vice president of the Canada-based group Ivanhoe Cambridge, and by the CEO of SES Spar European Shopping Center, Marcus Wild, from Austria. Wild will talk about his experience in Dubai, in the Emirates. The two are guests of the Brazilian Association of Shopping Centers (Abrasce), responsible for promoting the congress, along with the International Council for Shopping Centers (ICSC).
The ICSC, which is the largest global gathering of shopping malls, is also a partner with Abrasce for the promotion of the congress. The 10th International Congress of Shopping and Conference Centers of the Americas is due from September 8th to 10th and is expected to bring together approximately 1,200 executives from several countries, according to the organizers. The meeting aims to discuss the directions in which the Brazilian and global shopping center industry is headed. Products and services will also be on display.
Themes to be approached during the panels should range from conjuncture, fundraising, global retail trends and consumption habits to sustainability and marketing. Sector leaders from all over the world should participate in the debates, including the president of the ICSC, Mary Lou Fiala, representatives of the Portuguese group Sonae, of United States-based companies CBL Associates Properties and CB Richard Ellis, in addition to leading brands and networks such as Starbucks, Bob's, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co, Ricardo Eletro, Centauro and Arezzo.
Service
10th International Congress of Shopping and Conference Centers of the Americas and 10th Exposhopping
Date: September 8 to 10, 2008
Place: Transamérica Expo Center, in São Paulo
Information: www.portaldoshopping.com.br
