Simon carries a big stick

Simon Property Group obviously has sway in Indianapolis, having built its headquarters on a public plaza. But the company’s clout goes far beyond the Hoosier state. That is abundantly clear at the International Council of Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas this week. Simon has the largest exhibition space of any company here, at 26,500 square feet. That’s the size of a small grocery store. And Simon’s brand-new convention headquarters looks anything but temporary. The compound is surrounded by walls covered with flat-panel TVs, and the entryway is covered by a towering arch on which SIMON is spelled out in letters about as tall as a person. The luxurious digs include a restaurant, dozens of offices, boardrooms and multimedia displays. An army of a hundred or so people worked frantically to set it all up Sunday. The nation’s largest real estate investment trust will be doing plenty of deals here.