Austria’s Shopping City Süd (SCS) recently held its Teen Days 2008 event, with youths taking part in workshops, entering the Talent Twister competition, playing Xbox games, and simply chilling out with friends.
While most of the action took place in the centre from 23rd February through 8th March, teens can prolong the experience online at TeenDays.scs.at. Teens visiting the site will find a blog and photo gallery of the event, podcasts and videos by Teen Days participants, as well as audio links to the DJ sets.
The site also provides details on the finalists of the Talent Twister competition who have now begun training for their 15th March showdown.

Holding walks or runs for charity has become one of the favourite ways in which shopping centres and other organisations fulfill their CSR mandate.
Organisers of World Water Day 2008 have now improved on the concept, taking their upcoming fundraising event to the Web.
On 22nd March, citizens of the world will be invited to participate in the Virtual Walk For Water. All those who don’t have an actual Walk for Water event in their area, or simply aren’t able to attend in person, can still support the cause by registering online. Their names will be carried in a jug at each walk symbolizing their commitment to World Water Day.
Individual shopping centres and development companies can do the same by holding virtual versions of their walks for charity, thereby increasing the number of potential participants and raising more funds for their community partners.

Cityvox is a potent example of why shopping centre marketers should pay attention to the dialogues that consumers are having online.
The French site that enables people to share information on every aspect of their lives, features a shopping guide where retail destinations of all kinds are rated by consumers, with their feedback posted on the site for any visitor to view, save and forward to friends.
Cityvox provides these dynamic and constantly evolving guides for 30 cities, including Paris where Centre Commercial Montparnasse and Domus Paris are listed and rated. The site also offers property owners and managers an opportunity to post their own information on Cityvox, including opening hours, event roster, amenities and a welcome word.
Why wait for an intermediary like Cityvox to start the communication? Use social networks like MySpace to engage shoppers and get their feedback.

Belle-Ile en Liege has shoppers’ entertainment needs covered online at its Stand Info. The Belgian centre’s Website provides a listing of all the big acts coming to major venues across the country, as well as shows in select cities in France, Germany and The Netherlands—from music concerts to plays to comedy acts.
Belle-Ile shoppers can search the listings by date, title, location, venue, style of show or keyword. The are also able to sign up to receive via e-mail entertainment listings that fit their interests, as well as the centre’s newsletter.
Stand Info also has a physical presence at Belle-Ile, where four attendants assist shoppers with such needs as bus schedules and passes, movie tickets, centre gift certificates, contest entry forms and classified ads. .