Against a natural background

Promoting the concept of sustainable growth dominated discussion of the European conference of the International Council of Shopping Centres staged at Warsaw Hilton Hotel between 25th and 27th April. The event attracted around 1,000 professionals from 37 countries Annual ICSC conferences are one of the most important happenings on the European shopping market. Warsaw hosted the council’s members for the first time, mainly due to the Polish Council of Shopping Centres, which lobbied strongly to the benefit of the Polish capital.Anna Szmeja-Kroplewska, PCSC’s director, remarked that: “Discussions on the subject started 3 years ago and in 2005 we visited European national council conferences accompanied by ICSC president Stephen Pragnell, to bring them round to our concept. Our mission was helped by the fact that the Polish shopping centres Stary Browar, Galeria Łódzka and Arkadia had been awarded prizes by the ICSC, with Stary Browar being chosen as the world’s