The deadline for the ICSC Middle East and North Africa Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards has been extended, so if you didn’t manage to get your application in by September 17, you have until this Sunday to rectify that.

The new deadline is September 27, 2015 at 5:00 pm GST. The awards program accepts entries from shopping centre owners, developers, retailers management companies, architects and designers, so if you’re with a marketing or public relations firm you’ll need to work with your client center to enter.

Categories include Traditional Marketing, New Media and NOI Enhancement, with subcategories that cover just about any program or initiative in the broader marketing world. Entry requirements aren’t particularly grueling, but if you don’t already have your entry ready to go, you certainly shouldn’t wait.

The awards will be presented at the ICSC MENA Awards Gala, November 3, 2015 at the Ritz-Carlton DIFC, Dubai UAE.

If you’re interested in entering, you can learn more at the program’s website.

The BCSC 2016 ACE Awards are about to begin taking applications, so if your center is in the UK or Ireland and deserves to be known for its customer service, it’s time to consider your entries.

Entries open on Monday, and close after four weeks on 19 October. Once your entry is in, it’s time to make sure your center’s customer service is ship shape. Mystery Shoppers visit all applicants between October and December, when the ACE Star Shortlist is announced. There’s a second round of mystery shoppers for potential ACE Stars, and shortlisted ACE Centres are visited by the judging panel late in February.

Winners are announced at the ACE Awards Ceremony at the Shopping Centre Management Conference on 10 March.

This year, ACE Centre applicants can submit up to 10 ACE Star submissions to recognize customer-facing centre staff that go above and beyond for customer service.

Visit the ACE Awards website for information on how to enter, helpful tips and more.

Bangkok’s Siam Center is having a good run. Last year, after completing a full-scale rejuvenation in 2013, it took home a Gold Award at the Asia Pacific Shopping Center Awards for its innovative design. This year, it received a ICSC VIVA Award in the design & development category.

Chadatip Chutrakul, CEO of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd. said, “We are very honoured by the ICSC’s award. We want to help make Bangkok a top global shopping destination by being at the forefront of new ideas in the design of our properties. Siam Center is one of the first lifestyle destinations in the world to pioneer a revolutionary new retail concept that involved collaboration between retail developer, retailers, and brand owners to create a consistent visual identity in the entire venue as well as concept shops which are all aligned with Siam Center’s distinctive look and mood. That collaboration even extended to presenting visitors with a single promise: that, regardless of whichever store or restaurant they visited at Siam Center, they would experience something revolutionary and unexpected.”

Mrs. Chadatip said that Siam Piwat decided to make a major investment in Siam Center in line with the evolution of retailing, “which is no longer just about retailing, but about providing extraordinary experiences in an arena where people can be inspired, excited and entertained.”

The center’s new design has been a success on more practical levels as well, with a significant increase in average daily visitors, activity and spend.

Earlier this week, Federation Centres made a surprise announcement: Angus McNaughton has taken on the role of Chief Executive Officer, replacing outgoing CEO Steven Sewell. This change follows on the heels of the successful completion of the merger between the company and Novion Property Group.

McNaughton previously served as Managing Director and CEO of Novion Property Group. He has more than 25 years of experience in the property sector, and has worked with Colonial First State Global Asset Management and Kiwi Property Group Limited.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the experienced and strong leadership team in managing the business and assets at a point where there is so much potential,” said McNaughton.

“We will continue to deliver the synergies from the merger and build strong partnerships with our retailers and other stakeholders to create a stable, sustainable portfolio that delivers strong returns for our securityholders.”

According to the Federation Centres Board, Steven Sewell ceased his roles as CEO and Director by agreement. The Board thanked him for his vision and contribution to Federation Centres.

Reasons for the sudden changeover haven’t been given, though Peter Hay, Chairman of Federation Centres, emphasizes that the company’s assets, people and investors have a strong, stable future under McNaughton and his team. Some analysts speculate that a falling out may have been involved in the change.

A collaboration between Inside Retail and the World Retail Congress will see Australia’s retail industry leaders heading to Rome, Italy this September for World Retail Congress.

Inside Retail discusses the event:

One of the leading retail events on the global calendar, the World Retail Congress is attended by retail industry leaders from across the world. The event is a dynamic, thought-provoking and forward-looking platform where senior retail executives meet to share new initiatives, be inspired by the latest innovations, and debate the challenges and opportunities facing the future of the industry.

Under the banner of ‘Retail Transformation: Today, Tomorrow and Beyond’, the 2015 Inside Retail World Retail Congress delegation will descend on Rome this September. Delegates from Australia’s leading retailers and industry suppliers will be ushered through a powerful and strategic schedule filled with innovation, culinary dining experiences. As well as attending the World Retail Congress, the delegation will undertake a retail study tour while in Rome.

By challenging the fundamentals of retail, the World Retail Congress will focus on themes of Super-cities; Recapturing Customer Loyalty; Innovation; Sustainability; New International Growth Markets; Future Store Design; Omni Channel Strategy; Luxury Retailing; Connected Stores; Changing Consumer Behaviour; and New Disruptive Competitors.

If you are a C-level executive or you know one who might be interested, you can learn more at Inside Retail’s website. If you’re interested in the event itself, World Retail Conference 2015 has more information.