RECon MENA 2014 to examine future of regional retail

A variety of business enriching sessions to be held by MECSC

RECon 2014 Middle East & North Africa, the preeminent educational and networking conference for the region’s retail industry, is poised to examine the future of MENA’s retail landscape as it gathers shopping centre owners and industry professionals, retailers and service providers in a series of workshops, sessions and panel discussions at the Ritz Carlton DIFC from 12th – 14th October 2014.

Conceived jointly by Middle East Council for Shopping Centres (MECSC) and International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), RECon is the only forum in the region customized optimally to suit industry needs where industry stalwarts converge to discuss business trends and best practices. This year’s edition of RECon witnesses the 20th year anniversary of the MECSC, which will be marked by a myriad of special milestones that will celebrate the Council’s history of growing and supporting the MENA region’s retail sector.

Pre-Conference workshops scheduled on 12th October 2014 have been designed to offer participants the opportunity to learn new skills and enhance knowledge to grow businesses. As many as six half-day workshops covering a gamut of topics from retail to strategic brand enhancement have been lined up for industry members and conference delegates.

Commenting on RECon 2014’s conference programme, David Macadam, CEO of MECSC, said, “We are absolutely thrilled about the sessions that we will be staging at this year’s RECon. From strategy and brand management to personal style, our attendees will definitely find plenty of opportunities to enrich their knowledge through input from some of the key players in the business.” 

Douglas Stephen, most popularly known as the Retail Futurist, is a keynote speaker at RECon 2014 where he will hold an interactive session on redefining retail and the rise of consumerism. Kelly Lundberg, Founder of Styling Agency StyleMeDivine.com, will lend her expert tips and practical tools to maximize personal styling aligned with company brand values and skills to build rapport with customers.  Paul Fetscher, President of Greater American Brokerage, will be delving into the Psychology, Technology, and Morphology in Food service.

Shedding light on a tactical roadmap, Artin Malatjalian, General Manager at Red Sea Mall will share his industry experience in strategic thinking and brand management while Patricia Norins, Publisher and VP Specialty Programs at ICSC will be seen giving insights on visual merchandising, networking ideas and creative strategies to derive more out of businesses. Brett Schafer, CEO of DIFC Properties, will be seen sharing a detailed report on Shopping Centre Development Fundamentals in the MENA region. 

Open to all industry professionals and not limited to conference delegates, interested participants can visit www.mecsc.org for more information.