June 10
Lunch and Discussion with Dan Poag, Poag & McEwen Lifestyle Centers
Pink Palace Museum- Entrepreneur Hall of Honor
12:00 noon
Once in awhile and idea comes along that changes America’s lifestyle. In the mid-1980’s, native Memphian Dan Poag had such an idea. He and a previous partner had a vision to create a concept in shopping centers by combining top specialty stores and restaurants in an architecturally upscale, open-air setting that was convenient and safe for the customer. His idea culminated in what is now The Shops of Saddle Creek in Germantown the first phase of which opened in 1987…recognized as the first “lifestyle center” developed in the country.

Dan’s company has since developed Lifestyle Centers in Omaha, Kansas City, Chicago, Denver, Colorado Springs, Loveland, CO, Hartford, Corona, CA, Lehigh Valley, PA and is now developing centers in Houston, Chicago, Boise, Manteca, CA, and Clifton, NJ. Today Poag & McEwen is widely recognized as the “Father of Lifestyle Centers” and is the leading developer of this concept around the country. Recently, Poag and McEwen was highlighted in feature stories on “lifestyle centers” in the Wall Street Journal and the industry-trade publication Shopping Centers Today.

Dan is a member of Leadership Memphis, the Memphis Rotary Club, he is active in outreach programs at the Church of the Holy Communion, the District Council of the Urban Land Institute, Memphis Symphony, and with the Princeton Alumni program.