Live from ICSC

The International Council of Shopping Centers is hosting its largest crowdsince the recession this week, and Bisnow is in Las Vegas, bringing it to you live with some 33,000 CRE types joining in the 2013 Global Retail Real Estate Convention, known as RECon. (We'll see you at Cirque du Soleil: NNN.)

Here's The Retail Connection SVP Harry Scott Jr, VP Carla Neel, and prez Lance Morris at the Texas Team Party at The Mix atop The Hotel at Mandalay Bay. Lance tells us TRC met with multiple landlords and retailers alike. (Did he meet with any blackjack tables? Only he and Vegas will know.)

At the Retail Solutions swanky get-together overlooking the Strip froma sky villa near the top of the Palms hotel, we found Simon Property Group leasing rep Kevin Jones, Retail Solutions principal Cole Brodhead and his wife, Jennie, and principal/founder David Simmonds. We didn't stick around long enough to see if anyone got brave enough to hop in the hot tub after the Spurs finally beat the Grizzlies in OT. (Yeah, the game was on the big screen.)

NGKF's Cynthia Ellison (from San Antonio), Partner Engineering Service's Misty Vazquez, New York Commercial Real Estate Services' Ravi Idnani, and NY attorney Edward Bullard schmoozed under the desert stars, commenting how activity has picked up across the country.

At the Transwestern booth, we snapped president for the Americas Chip Clarke and director of national marketing Kim Croley. Chip says based on the moods in San Diego last week at ULI and in Las Vegas this week, the real estate economy is on an "upward trajectory." Congrats to the Houston-based, 22-year Transwestern vet, who ascended to his new gig in January after running the Gulf Coast and Mountain region. Now he has seven regions and 33 separate markets to look after, plus pose forBisnowceremonial shots. What did he used to do with all his free time?

CBRE head of research for the AmericasAsieh Mansoursays the housing recovery is already amajor growth enginefor the retail sector. That's despite recent retail stats beingweaker than expectedbecause of thecoldest Marchsince 96 (hard to try on bikinis in 40 degree weather), as well as the sequester-related cuts.