Training programme highlights need for research as key to professionalism in shopping malls industry

The event has attracted over 100 mall professionals from GCC, Levant, Africa & India.

"As the regional shopping malls industry becomes increasingly competitive, there is need for more research based training programmes to aid in the training and development of staff," said Carolyn J. Feimster, President of CJF Marketing International, US based consultancy specializing in strategic marketing initiatives.

Feimster was speaking on the sidelines of the 2007 ICSC/MECSC International School for Professional Development for mall industry professionals, held at the Kempinski Hotel, Dubai. The 5 day intensive training programme was jointly organised by the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC) and the International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC).

"The shopping mall industry in the region is world renowned for its innovations, facilities and its variety of local and international brands. The industry is clearly on a growth path, mainly driven by a healthy tourism sector. To keep up the standards and services of the malls, it is necessary to encourage industry professionals to update their knowledge through training and development programmes which in turn, should be backed by solid research to make it more practical,"

said Feimster who facilitated classes on strategic and advanced marketing at the 2007 ICSC/MECSC School of Professional Development.

The School is conducted once a year in the region and has grown over the years to become the largest international School held outside the United States. This year's edition was attended by over 100 professionals from GCC, Jordan, Egypt, India and Nigeria.

"We covered various disciplines including marketing, leasing, retail and shopping centre management techniques based on research and practical industry experience. Participants actively took part in group assignments while sharing their experiences and interacting with the faculty on challenges faced in the region and likely solutions," Feimster added.

Faculty also included Shahram Shamsaee, Senior VP- Leasing & Retail Delivery, MAF, UAE; Dora Clark, General Growth Properties, USA; Ronald Meiers, Executive Director Retail Development, Modern Home, Qatar; John Neutzling, Executive VP/CEO, Miller Capital Advisory, Inc, USA and Pam Bryson, Regional Marketing Manager, MAF, UAE.

Kim Redman, Regional Director, MECSC, said, "We received a tremendous response from the region which shows the importance mall development companies are placing on the professionalism of their staff. The School was designed to set realistic goals that participants can easily and immediately carry out."

Nahla Naanaa, Manager-Sales & Marketing, Sama Dubai, one of the participants, commented, "The training programme was very informative and useful, the case studies gave insights into the management of shopping centres and also their role in mixed use developments. The sessions were interactive and the faculty was more than helpful in sharing their experiences, I look forward to more programmes like this."

The training module was divided into Level I and Level II to suit various experience levels of participants. The former was designed for individuals with less than 3 years of industry experience and topics of study included overview of shopping centre industry, basic principles of retailing and market research. Level II was geared for professionals with 3 or more years of industry experience and dealt with strategies for increased productivity and efficiency, skills for maximizing revenue and insight into future developments in the shopping centre industry.

Abdul Rahman Al Sharfa, Real Estate Manager, NAI Kuwait, one of the participants, commented: "I have attended previous editions of the School and I find that I learn new things every time. Though they provide faculty from the region, I wish to see more regional experts on board who can give us more local insights about the shopping centre industry. On the whole, I find the annual school very informative and I would strongly recommend it to my colleagues in the industry."

The 5 day intensive training programme will lead to an International Council of Shopping Centres (ICSC) Management and Marketing Institute Certificate. In addition, participants can go forward for the International Certification Programme, which includes the Global Certified Shopping Centre Manager (CSM) or Certified Marketing Director (CMD) qualification.