2007 ICSC/MECSC International School for Professional Development to boost regional talent

Continuing its efforts to create a strong talent pool to benefit the booming regional shopping centre industry, the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC) will organise a 5 day International School for Professional Development, in association with the International Council of Shopping Centres. Aimed at advancing the skills of mall industry practitioners, the much sought after educational course that is offered only once a year in the Middle East, will be held from June 10-14, 2007 at the Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai.

"The shopping centre industry in the region has witnessed extraordinary growth and to continue this progress, it is necessary to invest in professional training and development. Training programmes like the International School for Professional Development will improve the skills of the region's mall professionals and promote best practices. It is a comprehensive programme that will discuss all aspects of managing and marketing a shopping center and we are very proud to bring this advanced course to the region, "said Kim Redman, Regional Director, MECSC.

Aimed at shopping centre managers, as well as marketing and leasing professionals, the training course offers powerful learning tools and promotes active interaction between participants and faculty. The course is taught by prominent industry experts from the USA, Europe and the Middle East and is set to cover all aspects of developing, leasing, marketing and operating shopping centres. It will lead to an ICSC Management and Marketing Institute Certificate.

In the course of five days, the participants will gain basic fundamentals and advanced knowledge to effectively manage the income and retail productivity of their shopping centres.

The training module is divided into Level I and Level II to suit various experience levels of participants.

The former is designed for individuals with less than three years of industry experience and will assist them in gaining a solid foundation to carry out their day to day responsibilities at a shopping centre. Topics of study include Shopping Centers: A worldwide Overview; Retailing Basics & Principles; and Market Research.

Level II is geared for professionals with 3 or more years of industry experience and will help them with strategies for increased productivity and efficiency, skills for maximizing revenue and insight into future developments in the shopping centre industry. Participants in this level will be engaged in studying subjects such as The Business Plan: Creating Maximum Value; Advanced Leasing Strategies; and Redevelopment Analysis.

In addition, a new topic was recently introduced into the curriculum for level II, which is that of Sponsorship & Alternative Revenue.

"The last School held in 2006 received the accolade of being the biggest ever International School held in the region and we had over 100 participants for both levels. This year too we have received excellent interest, "commented Redman.