Durban - Over 1 400 executives and professionals in the local and international shopping centre and retail industry have already signed up as delegates to attend the South African Council of Shopping Centres’ (SACSC) 19th Annual Congress in Durban in two weeks’ time.
This year’s event will take place from September 30 to October 2 at Durban’s International Convention Centre.
“We have an excellent line-up of local and international speakers, a top-notch exhibition that is already our biggest ever with 103 stands," said Amanda Stops, CEO of SACSC.
Robin Lockhart-Ross, managing executive: Property Finance at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (NCIB), the sponsor of the event, said the longevity of this annual event bears testament to its relevance in the retail and shopping centre industry.
SACSC has secured Mike Kercheval, president and CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC), to speak at the SACSC Congress.
New speakers and additions to the line-up at this year’s congress include Chris Sanderson, co-founder of The Future Laboratory, Luke Roberts, director of Integrated Retail at The Walt Disney Company, Peter Cheales, founder of HelloPeter.com, as well as a special panel on Turkish retail, following the SACSC’s 2015 international tour to Turkey in August.
Keynote speakers already announced for the congress include Rohit Talwar, futurist and strategic adviser at London-based Fast Future, Greg McKeown, the New York Times best-selling author of "Essentialism", Patrick Bruce, director of The Oval Group, and, John Genovese, president of GENCO Realty Group, who previously headed Westfield Development and oversaw the World Trade Center redevelopment in New York.
“Besides providing access to the latest thinking, innovation and information about shopping centre and retail trends in South Africa and across the globe from the industry’s brightest minds, the SACSC Congress is our mainstay networking event. It is the biggest retail property event on the region’s calendar,” said Stops.