Hoffman Estates taxpayers footed the bill for Vegas trip

When taxpayers hear they're footing the bill for several local officials to spend four days in Las Vegas, eyebrows are bound to be raised.

"When people hear it's Las Vegas, you know where their minds go," said Hoffman Estates Economic Development Director Gary Skoog.

But suburban officials who attended last month's four-day International Council of Shopping Centers' Global Retail Real Estate Convention said the roulette wheel isn't the draw.

Hoffman Estates Village Manager Jim Norris asserts that Las Vegas is the only place, besides Orlando, that could accommodate 2 million square feet of floor space.

In that space is where developers, retailers and financiers wheel and deal with municipal officials who try to lure them to their communities.

"It's that big. It's one of the world's biggest conventions," Norris said.

Landing just one store, he said, generates enough money to offset the costs of sending staff to multiple trade shows.

Hoffman Estates sent 10 people on the trip -- including five of six trustees -- at a cost of a little more than $17,000, including lodging, food, registration and transportation, officials said.

Norris credits past trips to the convention with the development next to the Prairie Stone Business Park that has a Target, a Linens 'N Things and OfficeMax. He said that development has brought in more than $1 million yearly to the village in combined sales and food and beverage taxes since 2005.

Based on its own tracking, the International Council of Shopping Centers claims a quarter of U.S. shopping center leases can be tied in one form or another --whether deals signed or site plans developed -- to convention negotiations.

Eyeing new stores

Hoffman Estates' focus this year was on landing a hardware store and grocery for the west side, and bringing in more sit-down restaurants, as eateries like Buffalo Wild Wings and Claim Jumpers are routinely packed on weekends, Norris said.

While he wouldn't identify specific businesses with which contacts were made, Norris did say a "family entertainment" center is being eyed for a space near the Sears Centre arena. Another possibility is a hotel.

Arlington Heights has an even longer history with the retail convention, which local officials have attended since the mid-1990s, said Charles Perkins, director of planning and community development said.

Perkins attended the convention, along with another Arlington Heights planner and an economic development official. Perkins credits the convention for luring Target, Lowe's, Value City and the developers of Town & Country Mall.

The Arlington Heights' trip for three -- including food, accommodations and registration -- will cost local taxpayers about $8,000, Perkins said.

"Retail sales in our community is about $10 million annually," he said. "It's a small price to pay for the exposure we get."

Unlike Hoffman Estates but like many other communities, Arlington Heights sends only staff members, not elected officials, to the convention.

But Hoffman Estates officials said bringing a large party was useful because they could break into groups to meet with developers.

"Sending a decision-maker really makes a difference with developers," said Skoog, the local development director.

Des Plaines sent four people: Mayor Tony Arredia, 3rd Ward Ald. Laura Murphy, and Tim Angell and Jennifer Ganzer of the economic development department.

Palatine sent Village Manager Reid Ottesen and his deputy, Mike Jacobs.

"We're in competition with every other community in every other metropolitan area," Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod said. "And if (you) don't go out there selling yourselves, you can't wait for everybody to come to you."

Las Vegas wasn't the only trip Hoffman Estates officials made last month. After the Vegas trip, Skoog and Trustee Gary Pilafas played double duty, joining McLeod and Trustee Cary Collins for three days in Quebec for the Futurallia convention.

That featured representatives of thousands of small businesses from about two-dozen countries.

Hoffman Estates officials hope that trip will help lure global firms to town. The cost for four was $10,178, officials said.

Norris said the most interesting information gleamed from this year's meeting was financiers predicting the economy has bottomed out. They say money will be available for development in coming months.

"We'll see if they're right," Norris said.