In this month’s Ask an Owner, we spoke with Employee Owners Barbara Joslin and Bill Fries about their roundtable experiences at ICSC CenterBuild this past December.
How did you get involved with leading roundtables?
Bill – The reason that I started to lead roundtables was because of my good colleague Barb Joslin. She had led roundtables before and encouraged me to do so too. So, the first year I attended I led one, and the rest is history. I have led one for the last three years and I can’t think of not doing it. The show really is what you put in and make it.
Barb – I got involved my first year too. I went along with Rai Muhlbauer [retired BL colleague] and joined his roundtable. I’ve led them every year since. I love it. Every session is interactive in that it’s basically sitting at a table with 8 – 10 peers and having a conversation on a topic we are able to choose.
Bill – In addition to roundtable participation, I also had the opportunity to help run a breakout session that are known as Labs. I was part of a lab that focused on the new work environments in the retail, commercial, and construction world as it related to Hybrid vs 100% in the office. The session consisted of playing the game Family Feud to help solicit information from the attendees. Each table was a family and provided answers to our questions. We learned a lot of great information from this lab, and it was really fun. This was a yearlong commitment leading up to the show and was well worth it.
What were your topics this year?
Barb – My roundtable this year was titled, “Code Green: Turning Compliance into Competitive Advantage.” Its focus was on practical strategies for integrating sustainability into projects and meeting environmental goals while maintaining project efficiency and profitability.
Bill – My roundtable was about “Resilient Site Design for Retail Centers.” We discussed how climate change, extreme weather events, and evolving sustainability regulations can be challenging to navigate when designing a retail commercial project. The topics of stormwater management, flood risk, energy efficient site layouts and so much more need to be considered by all parties.
What key takeaways or interesting discussion came out of the roundtables?
Bill – My table included a variety of people in the retail commercial industry. This included developers, engineers, architects, and owners, and we were able to gather a wide range of perspectives. It was particularly valuable to hear what developers were prioritizing and to better understand how those decisions ultimately impacted the construction team.
As the discussion evolved, it naturally shifted toward the cost of materials and how pricing pressures influence both decision‑making and the overall process. Hearing these perspectives in real time led to thoughtful dialogue and collaborative problem‑solving. Overall, it was extremely beneficial to exchange diverse ideas and openly troubleshoot challenges that many of us are either currently facing or have experienced in past projects.
Barb – I agree and had a very similar experience. It’s an incredible way to meet people and make connections. This year, I met some fantastic architects from California who offered to be a resource if we ever need and vice versa. We go to ICSC Centerbuild to bring home relationships because that’s the heart of what we do.