ICSC names winners in its annual U.S. Maxi awards

In keeping with its tradition of recognizing and honoring the premier marketing, community outreach, sales promotion, and visual merchandizing efforts within the U.S. retail real estate industry, the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) recently awarded Wareham Crossing, Wareham, Mass. the industry's highest marketing honor - a Silver U.S. MAXI Award. All of the winners represented the highest caliber of marketing excellence and exemplify collaboration, execution and achievement within the retail real estate industry. The 2011 ICSC U.S. MAXI Awards honor and recognize the premier marketing, community outreach, sales promotions and visual merchandizing programs undertaken solely with the U.S by U.S.-based retail real estate professionals and companies. These awards not only enhance and compliment the other industry regional award programs offered by ICSC but provide information and insight to the entire retail real estate industry on what it takes to achieve the highest level of recognition in marketing and specialty leasing within the U.S. For additional information on this center or for a complete listing of all winners, visit www.icsc.org/maxiawards]. Wareham Crossing won its award in the Cause Related Marketing category, which recognizes and honors a single or ongoing event, program or project that involved the cooperative efforts by a shopping center or company and a charitable or community need, interest or cause, for its program "Wareham Crossing Braveheart Awards Celebration". The annual program honors everyday heroes who have shown courage and compassion, bravely defying the odds to make a difference in the Wareham community, including eight local heroes, ranging from an inner city teacher that mentors gang members to a 17-year-old high school student that founded Cape Cod Cares 4 Troops at age 12. The event was a collection drive to compile much needed items for care packages being sent to troops overseas by the organization Cape Cod Cares 4 Troops. Wareham Crossing is owned and managed by WS Development. Professional recognition for this award was given to the marketing professionals at WS Development: Ellyne Fleshner, regional property manager; Carolyn Kennedy, director of lifestyle centers; and David Fleming, corporate marketing director. ICSC named the winners in the 2011 U.S. MAXI Awards during an awards ceremony at its annual Fusion Conference, March 29-31, 2011 in Hollywood, Calif. The 2011 ICSC U.S. MAXI Awards were open to U.S. shopping centers and shopping center companies, as well as specialty retailers, specialty leasing managers, marketing directors and/or general managers. All award winning programs were implemented between November 1, 2009 and October 31, 2010. All 2011 ICSC Gold U.S. MAXI award winners are now eligible to win ICSC's Best-of-the-Best VIVA (Vision, Innovation, Value, and Achievement) Award. The ICSC Best-of-the-Best VIVA Awards recognize the shopping center industry's most cutting-edge properties, innovative solutions and creative responses to market trends, throughout the world. These awards will be presented during RECon, ICSC's annual convention, on Monday, May 23, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nev. Founded in 1957, ICSC is the premier global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its more than 55,000 members in over 90 countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers and brokers, as well as academics and public officials. As the global industry trade association, ICSC links with more than 25 national and regional shopping center councils throughout the world.