Why I'm skipping ICSC Chicago Deal Making
Several people have asked whether I would be at the Chicago ICSC Deal Making conference tomorrow and Friday. I'm going to pass on this one, but will probably be at one or more in the future. I am also skipping the legal conference this year as it is in Florida, but I do plan to attend next year's law conference as it will probably be somewhere in the west, where I prefer to travel. I also have some personal and business commitments that would limit my ability to be there anyway. The ICSC conferences are great. I love meeting people with whom I have been in touch, be they lawyers, deal people, brokers, clients and even people who were on the other side in past deals. (I have converted more than one of those into clients in the past.) But a lawyer's function, when the focus is major league deal making, is helping get that deal done. Right now non-retail matters are keeping me busy. On the off chance a deal was being worked out where I need to be involved I'd rather