Calling all women in real estate

In an industry known to be man-heavy, women may just be finding a forum for advancement.

At RECon, the world’s largest real estate conference -- conducted by the International Council of Shopping Centers and held May 23-25, 2010, in Las Vegas -- a new Special Interest Group series of sessions will include Women in Retail Real Estate roundtable panels.

The panels are organized by Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of New York City-based Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, and Jane Snoddy Smith, a partner at Fulbright and Jaworski law firm.

From what I understand, the panels are drawing a lot of interest. “I’m not surprised that these groups are so popular,” Consolo said. "They provide a unique opportunity to learn about a specific topic of interest prior to the main start of the conference that afternoon. And our group offers a unique opportunity to meet with and learn from some of the top women in the real estate business in an informal setting."

Here’s the scoop: "Women in Retail Real Estate" will take place from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 23, the first day of RECon 2010. Consolo will lead a roundtable discussion of New Retailers and Globalization, and Smith will host a roundtable on New Techniques in Negotiation.

Other roundtables will revolve around Mentors -- How to Find One and How to Be One (led by Barbara Champoux, Crowell & Moring law firm); The Importance of Networking (by Debra Cole, incoming president of the Association of Real Estate Women), and Developing Your Personal Brand: New Skills for the 21st Century (led by Beth Silverman, co-founder of ShopTheJobs.com). Participants may sit in on two of the five roundtables, and there will be a wrap-up at the end.

Attendees for any Special Interest Group must be a paid registrant of RECon 2010, and must preregister for these sessions with ICSC. Click here for more information about RECon and other special interest groups.

As a quick aside, this particular Special Interest Group is the launch of a larger initiative that ICSC is undertaking with the goal of working more closely with, and promoting, women in the industry. In conjunction with CREW, ICSC is sponsoring the Women in Retail Real Estate breakfast the next morning (Monday, May 24) featuring Consolo and guest speaker Virginia Postrel. The ICSC/CREW breakfast will be Monday from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and is open to all attendees (male and female), with no preregistration required.

-- Katherine Field