BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - With fears that accelerated foreclosure rates of retail and other commercial real estate properties could stunt projected U.S. economic growth in the last half of 2009 as a backdrop, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Business is set to host one of Alabama's top retail real estate experts for a talk on the industry.
The lecture by Hugo Isom, president of the Birmingham office of The Shopping Center Group, is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 8, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. inside the Business-Engineering Complex at 1150 10th Ave. S., Birmingham.
Isom is expected to discuss a range of topics, including the site selection consultation for new retail businesses. Isom says the planning, analysis and other components of selecting the right location for a new business is as crucial as ever before given the weak economy and the dramatically reduced credit opportunities available to start-ups.
"Tenant representation, or site selection, is a very involved, in-depth process that in many cases can make or break the future of new businesses wanting to locate in Central Alabama," Isom said.
Isom's UAB visit is one in a series of events connected to Marketing Week in the School of Business, which is sponsored by the UAB chapter of the American Marketing Association. With a focus on how the economic downturn is influencing the marketing industry, the week includes talks from executives at Bayer Properties, Robins and Morton, CTS Inc., BBVA Compass and Dudley C. Jackson Inc.
"Being located in the heart of Alabama's economic center, UAB is uniquely positioned to partner with some of the state's best companies, and hosting a retail industry leader like Hugo Isom from The Shopping Center Group is just another example of that," said Lauren Skinner, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing.
About UAB
The UAB School of Business is located in the heart of Alabama's largest city and business center. For more information on how the school's Birmingham location provides unique internship and other out-of-the-classroom experiences, log on to http://www.uab.edu/business/.