Weslaco leaders say ICSC@Red River was productive

WESLACO, Texas - Three Weslaco leaders have spoken about their first time visit to the International Council of Shopping Centers conference in Dallas.Mayor Adrian Gonzalez, City Manager Martin Garza, and Weslaco Economic Development Corporation Vice President Sandra Charlton gave remarks at a press conference hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. ICSC holds conferences around the country to bring cities and communities closer to potential retail store developers.ICSC, according to the group’s website, “promotes and elevates the marketplaces and spaces where people shop, dine, work, play, and gather as foundational and vital ingredients of communities and economies.” It also “produces experiences that create connections and catalyze deals; aggressively advocates to shape public policy; develops high impact marketing and public relations that influence opinions; provides an enduring platform for professional success; and creates forward-thinking content with actionable insights — all of which drive industry innovation and growth.”ICSC’s annual national conference occurs in Las Vegas in May. An annual regional event for Texas and nearby states takes place in Dallas. It is called ICSC@Red River.This year’s Red River event was held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, and ran from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.For the first time the RGV Partnership, the Valley’s regional chamber of commerce, had a booth at ICSC@Red River. The idea of the booth was for the Valley to promote itself as a region. After all, the Partnership’s new motto is One Region, One Voice.On Feb. 12, the RGVP held a press conference to tell Valley media outlets how well the RGV did at the Dallas conference.The emcee was Daniel Silva, CEO of the RGV Partnership. The panelists were Rene Alcala, of Killam Development, Steve Valdez of Weslaco EDC, Daniel Rivera of Elsa EDC, and Victor Perez of Pharr EDC.ICSC.Valdez asked Weslaco leaders to speak from the podium about their experience of ICSC. Gonzalez spoke first, followed by Garza, and Charlton. Here is an audio recording of their remarks. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.