This year, the party's smaller. But it will go on.
Hendon Rocks, among the most coveted invitations at an annual Las Vegas retail convention, took 2010 off amid a still-soft retail market and a host whose properties faced trouble in the bad economy.
The bash, hosted by Atlanta developer Charlie Hendon, is back this year, albeit with more sponsors and fewer guests.
"The party's going to cost significantly less than it did in the past," Hendon said. "It's what led me to the difficult decision to have a party at all."
There will be no Cirque du Soleil performers this year and the bash will be held at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, instead of The Palm. Many extravagances at the rock-and-roll-fantasy themed party will be eliminated, with the focus to be on the music.
The guest list has also shrunk. This year's soiree, held in conjunction with the International Council of Shopping Centers convention, could host as few as 2,000 people, Hendon said. In 2008, the party drew 6,000 revelers.
But Hendon -- who owns North DeKalb Mall and is a partner in Greenbriar Mall, a property that narrowly avoided foreclosure last year -- said it was important to show that he and others were back playing offense, after years of working through a difficult market.
"It's a way for us to get our name out, show we're in business and looking for new opportunities," Hendon said. "We're trying to create good will, a good mood."
The smaller scale does not bother Franklin Street spokesperson Kelsy Pazur, whose Tampa company is one of the sponsors. Maintaining the party is important, she said, because it allows partners to meet each other and socialize once the conference is done.
Fameco Real Estate chief operating officer Michael Levin, whose Philadelphia company is also sponsoring the event, said Hendon Rocks is one of the better attended gatherings at the convention, a good public-relations tool for Fameco and a fun event.
"Yes, it's going to be scaled down, but it still holds a lot of the panache and excitement it did in the past," Levin said.
Hendon said he is still fairly pessimistic about the economy. But the party will allow him to thank partners who have helped this year.
"There are speed bumps still to come," he said. "It's going to be a little while before it feels right."
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