Team represents Grant County at retail convention

MOSES LAKE - Grant County had a presence again at the International Council of Shopping Centers' RECon (Retail Real Estate Convention) in Las Vegas, thanks to a team of area officials and community members.

Twelve people, including representatives from the Grant County Economic Development Council, Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, City of Moses Lake, Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce and various businesses, attended the annual convention. A team of eight attended last year's event.

RECon is a global convention for the shopping center industry. More than 32,000 people attend the event each year making it the largest industry convention, according to the ICSC.

The convention provides networking, deal making and educational opportunities for retail real estate professionals from around the world.

This year's convention was held from May 18 to 20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Chamber executive director Debbie Doran-Martinez said this year's event went well. Doran-Martinez also attended the 2013 convention.

"We had more momentum going in this year, many people recognized that we had been there last year and that opened the door a little more for conversations," she said. "It showed we were serious."

Doran-Martinez said the team was able to meet with more companies than last year.

"Last year we found out if they were to build a store in our area then who would their contact be and we reached out to them between shows," she said. "So this year we were able to get in and meet with more people than we were able to last year, that was exciting."

She said Grant County was well received at the convention. The team met with companies during meetings and informally throughout the three-day event.

Doran-Martinez said discussions are happening with some companies as a result, although she could not disclose which companies they were with.

"Some are for things we already have or are similar, but it gives us more choices," she said. "Others are things we're very much lacking in our community and that will help fill the leakage problem we have with high numbers going out of the area in certain categories."

Companies also showed interest in Grant County after last year's convention. Doran-Martinez previously said one company even made a site visit to the area after the 2013 show.

Representatives from a major hotel brand were in Moses Lake looking at various properties, she said last July.

At the time, EDC Executive Director Jonathan Smith said retailers don't always let organizations like the EDC and the chamber know when they conduct site visits.

"With manufacturing companies almost all of the time they have us assist them," he said.

However, retailers might quietly send representatives to an area.

"We heard about the hotel but there could have been others that have done the same thing and we might not know about it until later," Smith said.

He also said Moses Lake wasn't the only Basin community retailers showed an interest in during the 2013 convention.

"I can't say much but I did hear some of the companies they met with were interested in the smaller communities like Ephrata and other places," he said. "Smaller stores like strip mall places are looking for towns like Othello, Ritzville, Ephrata and Quincy for locations."