Comparison · 10 material differences
ICSC vs CREDA (formerly NAIOP)
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Professional association
Verified September 2026 ICSC
Owners, developers, managers, investors, brokers and marketers of shopping centres and other retail and mixed-use property, plus retailers, public officials and academics
Professional association
CREDA (formerly NAIOP)
Commercial real estate developers, owners, investors and asset managers, plus the professional and service firms that work with them
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining — ICSC: Next Generation membership: industry professionals under 40; CREDA (formerly NAIOP): Developing Leaders membership is for professionals aged 35 and under.
- Industry restriction — ICSC: Standard membership: companies and individuals who own, develop, manage or support marketplaces and spaces (excludes retailers and tenants); CREDA (formerly NAIOP): Principal membership: employed by an organisation whose primary business is development, ownership, asset management or investment.
- Annual dues — ICSC: $300 a year; CREDA (formerly NAIOP): $875–1,250 a year.
Side by side
| ICSC | CREDA (formerly NAIOP) | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 1957 (ICSC's own account: "With a $500 payment and a handshake, seven enterprising professionals established ICSC in a downtown Chicago hotel in 1957.") | 1967 (Founded in 1967 as the National Association of Industrial Parks.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | Herndon, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Global; ICSC runs regional divisions and works with national and regional shopping centre councils worldwide, and holds a Washington DC office alongside its New York headquarters | Chapters across North America, including four in Canada (Calgary, Edmonton, Greater Toronto, Vancouver) |
| Members | 70,000as of May 2026 | 21,000as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | Not publicly disclosed as a single figure. ICSC organises by region and division rather than by named chapters, and Wikipedia reports relationships with more than 25 national and regional shopping centre councils. | 54 |
| Primary audience | Owners, developers, managers, investors, brokers and marketers of shopping centres and other retail and mixed-use property, plus retailers, public officials and academics | Commercial real estate developers, owners, investors and asset managers, plus the professional and service firms that work with them |
| Typical member | Membership spans the retail property chain: shopping centre owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, retailers and brokers, together with academics and public officials. ICSC's own pricing distinguishes companies and individuals who own, develop, manage or support marketplaces from retailers and tenants, who pay a lower rate. | Membership is individual rather than corporate, though companies routinely pay for staff. CREDA's application form splits members into Principal members (people whose employer's primary business is development, ownership, asset management or investment) and Associate members (people at firms providing products and services to that industry), with further tiers for second, third and subsequent people from the same firm in the same chapter. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Next Generation membership: industry professionals under 40A discounted category, not a barrier to joining.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Developing Leaders membership is for professionals aged 35 and underCREDA states the Developing Leaders programme is "an exclusive program geared specifically for all professionals age 35 and under"; the 2023 application form required proof of age. Members who qualify are enrolled automatically if the association holds their date of birth.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | Standard membership: companies and individuals who own, develop, manage or support marketplaces and spaces (excludes retailers and tenants)Retailers and tenants have their own lower-priced category.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Principal membership: employed by an organisation whose primary business is development, ownership, asset management or investmentDefinition taken from the association's own chapter membership application form (2023 edition).verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants join online through the ICSC membership pages, choosing a member type. Categories with reduced rates require documentary proof — government letterhead for public sector applicants, a university ID for academics, and a transcript, course list or registrar's letter for students. There is no sponsor, interview or committee stage in the published process. | Applicants complete an online membership application, selecting a membership type and a chapter, which together determine the dues. CREDA emails a confirmation or a request for supporting documentation, and new members get immediate access to association resources and their local chapter. Student, academic and public official categories require documentary proof. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed; the published route is open enrolment with eligibility set by the type of business the applicant is in. | Not publicly disclosed; the published process is open application with eligibility determined by the applicant's type of employment rather than by selection. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $300 a yearStandard membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ | $875–1,250 a yearFull member (first person from a firm), whether Principal or Associate. Range across three of the association's own 2023 chapter application forms: Chicago $875, New York City $1,030, Washington $1,250. CREDA does not publish a national rate; dues are set chapter by chapter.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed; no joining fee is listed alongside the published dues.verified September 2026 | CREDA states plainly that "dues are determined by a combination of factors including age, the chapter you select, and if your company has other members in that chapter", and publishes no national rate card on an open page. The figures recorded here come from the association's own 2023 chapter application forms for Chicago, New York City and Washington and should be read as a 2023 range, not as current national pricing. |
| Local chapter dues | ICSC publishes a simple flat rate card with no corporate tier: companies and individuals pay the same $300 standard rate. | $490–725 a yearAffiliate member (second and third person from the same firm in the same chapter): Chicago $490, New York City $630, Washington $725, per the 2023 chapter application forms.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Event costs | Not recorded here. ICSC's conferences are separately ticketed and are the main cost of participation, but rates vary by event and were not read for this record.verified September 2026 | CREDA states plainly that "dues are determined by a combination of factors including age, the chapter you select, and if your company has other members in that chapter", and publishes no national rate card on an open page. The figures recorded here come from the association's own 2023 chapter application forms for Chicago, New York City and Washington and should be read as a 2023 range, not as current national pricing. |
| Membership term | Annual | 12 months from joining; the 2023 application form states dues cover 12 months of membership |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | A year-round conference programme including ICSC Las Vegas and ICSC New York, plus regional and state conferences | Chapter events year-round plus national conferences; Developing Leaders programming at chapter and national level |
| Peer forums | No confidential peer forum structure is published; participation is through events, divisions and committees | Chapter committees and the Developing Leaders programme; no confidential peer forum structure is published |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Chapter-based | Chapter-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | Partial |
| Local chapters | Partial | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Partial | Partial |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: ICSC · CREDA (formerly NAIOP)