By Barbara Hale, Director – Specialty Leasing & Advertising
Cheers to 2023! One of my favorite things about starting a new year is the opportunity to reflect on the previous year, celebrate what we’ve accomplished and take the things we’ve learned to continue improving our program. In 2022, CBL’s Specialty Leasing and Advertising program was fortunate to implement new programs and see continued success and growth from our business partners.
Looking back on 2022, here are my top five favorite moments.
Reuniting with mall teams
Our first in-person leadership conference since 2020 brought together our leasing, management, and marketing teams from across the country for three days of learning, team building, and networking. The energy at the conference was a celebration of the mall team’s hard work and dedication over a tough couple of years and an indication of just how valuable time together in person really is. CBL also achieved Great Place to Work Certification™ for 2022 – 2023, further illustrating the strength of our team and our company culture.
Small Business Growth
Building awareness and helping small businesses grow and expand is at the core of what we do every day in Specialty Leasing and Advertising. Partnering with local entrepreneurs and helping them achieve their dreams is as rewarding for our team as it is for the business owner. Seeing tenants cut the ribbon on opening day in a CBL mall is such a proud moment and it’s exciting to see who is coming soon, celebrating all the milestones along the way. We are better together.
Black-Owned Business Expo
Working for a company that prioritizes Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in the workplace and in our properties is something I am immensely proud of. In 2022, we hosted our first Black-Owned Business Expo at Hamilton Place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, celebrating history, culture, and commerce. Seeing the success of the mall team and the incredible vendors was one of the highlights of last year. In 2023, we’re hosting the event again at Hamilton Place as well as three other properties and we’re excited to introduce Women Owned, Veteran Owned, and Young Entrepreneur Business Expos in select markets. Our 2023 Black-Owned Business Expos will take place in February, and they are not to be missed!
POP-UP Opportunities
In 2022, we launched our first ever POP-UP Eatery concept at West County Center in the St. Louis market. The POP-UP Eatery allows entrepreneurs to offer their yummy cuisine to mall guests during a one-week commitment. From amazing donuts to unique hot dogs, 2023 will be the year for food to pop-up at West County Center. Since its inception, our POP-UP program has grown considerably and it’s one of my favorite offerings.
Community Events
Our malls have always been an integral part of their communities, but welcoming community events back to our malls has been especially exciting. Our properties always create unique experiences for our guests, from fashion shows to donation drives, and giveback events, the mall is the perfect venue. This year CBL was honored to host the More Than Pink Walk at two of our properties in a partnership with Susan G. Komen. It was beautiful to see the sea of pink and to host such a meaningful event at our properties.
If you are interested in learning more about CBL’s Specialty Leasing program, please visit https://www.cblproperties.com/business-opportunities/specialty-leasing and be sure to follow us on Instagram at @cblspecialtyleasing.