It’s become a cliche to say much of the deal making at the annual International Council of Shopping Centers retail bash RECon in Las Vegas takes place at the parties surrounding the convention, even if it’s true. To get a closer look, The Real Deal visited a handful of those gabfests, attended by dealmakers such as Vornado Realty Trust CEO Michael Fascitelli; Crown Acquisitions principal Haim Chera; and Robert Knakal, chairman of Massey Knakal Realty Services.
On Monday night, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank hosted a techo-pounding party at the Marquee Nightclub at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel; Cushman & Wakefield held a more low-key affair poolside at the Four Seasons; and Massey Knakal hosted a small gathering at Il Mulino New York at Caesars Palace.
Earlier, on Sunday, The Real Deal attended the Shopping Center Group party at the packed Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons.
Instead of finding the legendary bacchanals whispered of in real estate lore, The Real Deal discovered mostly traditional cocktail parties. Yet many were packed as brokers and landlords sought out their latest deals.
In addition, The Real Deal caught dealmakers — like Robert K. Futterman, CEO of Robert K. Futterman & Associates, and Lori Shabtai, executive vice president at Winick Realty Group, and landlords like Joseph Sitt, CEO of Thor Equities — walking the floors of the vast convention.
Today, organizers said they expect overall attendance for the four-day event, which ends tomorrow, to break 33,000. That’s up from last year, but off from the peak of more than 50,000 in 2007.