Often referred to as the ‘Super Bowl’ of conventions for the commercial real estate industry, the ICSC RECon convention is only a few weeks away. Some RECon ‘rookies’ recently asked me how to prepare for the ‘big game’ and to give them some tips on making the most of their three days at the conference.   I shared the following 10 tips with them:

At Phillips Edison, we pride ourselves on our ability to maintain focus and attention to detail on each and every property we manage. While each shopping center has a dedicated property manager, we routinely have several sets of eyes on the ground to assess all aspects of every center in our portfolio.  Each person has different levels of expertise in varying disciplines.  Allowing each to weigh in ensures that nothing goes unnoticed and that the centers are meeting our high standards.

Phillips Edison strongly believes that our people are our greatest asset and we invest heavily in giving them the resources that they need to continue to be the best of the best.  We offer associates opportunities for learning and development through our internal professional enrichment program, PECO University, and we give them the most up-to-date tools and technology. Every associate that travels is given an iPad and all team members can access our information from anywhere at any time. 

In 2006, within the first few months of joining Phillips Edison, the responsibility of coordinating our ICSC Vegas booth was bestowed upon me. [Okay, so it felt a little less like the passing of a torch and more like a losing game of hot-potato, but regardless I was excited for the opportunity.]

I’ve had multiple internships at various companies throughout my time in college. Starting a new job is always intimidating, especially coming in with the title as “the intern.” Not only do you not know what to expect, but it feels like you are at the very bottom of the totem pole in the corporate world.

I work from home.  People typically react to this news with one (or more) of the following:

Phillips Edison & Company recently held its 25th Annual Meeting.  We use this time to gather every associate in the company together to review our previous year’s accomplishments, discuss the coming year’s goals and reconnect as a team.  It’s an event that I truly believe contributes to PECO’s success by aligning every associate with the company’s mission and goals and strengthening team relationships and communication. 

When you start college, you think you’ve made it. You’re on your own; your parents aren’t watching your every move; you get to choose what you want to do. While all of those things are true, college students are still kids, just a bit more mature than they were in high school. Sure you’ve reached a new level of freedom that you may have never experienced before, but the transition from college to career is quite different. I think grown ups like to call it - a Reality Check.

Look through any business journal or book and you will find the word “innovation” at least once.

With the growing hype surrounding online grocery shopping, many may think the traditional grocery store is a thing of the past, when in reality the grocery store is poised to take on an even larger role in 2016 due to new and exciting offerings.