Retail networking event coming to Citi Field

If you are a retail real estate professional in the metropolitan area, clear your calendars for Wednesday night, April 22 and make sure you get to Citi Field for a can’t miss networking event.
The recently formed Retail Network – a not-for-profit trade association co-founded by Stu Fagen, President of The Fagen Group; Jayson A. Siano, First Vice President of CB Richard Ellis; and Joshua Weinkranz, Vice President of the Northeast Region of Kimco Realty Corporation – will put approximately 400 professionals in the same room to stimulate new business and contacts for those who participate.
“I think the main goal is to help provide an environment for retail real estate related professionals to generate business and new connections,” Weinkranz said. “If people leave the event having a good time and met a lot of people that maybe they can do business with, that’s really the goal.”
Fagen, Siano and Weinkranz came up with the idea for starting the Retail Network in early 2008 after they saw a void for this type of group in the area. The group, which has more than 300 members, hosted its inaugural event at the Garden City Hotel in October of 2008 and aims to promote an informal and energetic environment for retail real estate professionals to network. After a successful event on Long Island, the group turned its attention to the April event and decided on Queens as its next location.
“The first couple of months we were really searching for the best venue to hold our next event,” Siano said. “It’s to be an informal networking group that’s effective and helps people do business.”
Fagen said that after listening to some feedback from the first event, the group decided to include a speed-networking portion at the Citi Field event, which will take place from 7 to 8 p.m.
Then, for the remainder of the evening, attendees will have the opportunity mingle with other guests and talk about potential business partnerships.
“It’s really a positive event,” Siano said. “There’s so much doom and gloom, but we have put our earmuffs on, and we enjoy the fact that we are doing something positive.”
The event will take place in the Excelsior Room at Citi Field from 7 to 11 p.m. In addition, part of the proceeds from the event will be donated to various charities. For further information about the event, please visit the web site at www.theretailnetwork.org or email info@theretailnetwork.org.