America's Premier Shopping Places, a collection of tourism oriented shopping centers owned by General Growth Properties, is proud to announce that Fashion Show in Las Vegas and Water Tower Place in Chicago have been recognized as finalists for the American Group Travel Award (AGTA) for "Best Shopping Centers For Groups."

On November 11, 2014, the travel industry's finest will gather in New York City where AGTA will host a gala dinner to showcase and award the top hospitality providers in North America. Like its European counterpart, AGTA will recognize leading hotels, cruise lines, destinations, attractions and of course shopping centers that provide group travelers with unique experiences, services and amenities.

Fashion Show and Water Tower Place have been recognized by group travel professionals for providing travelers with signature shopping, dining and creative programs customized for groups including meet and greets, special offers and amenities, personal shopping, group dining and entertainment, wardrobe seminars, beauty updates, home decorating presentations, chef demonstrations and more.

"Each of America's Premier Shopping Places located throughout the U.S. offers domestic and international travelers a warm welcome and memorable experiences while shopping and dining at our centers," says Lisa Bell, VP Field Marketing, General Growth Properties.  "Fashion Show and Water Tower Place welcome millions of visitors from around the world each year and partner with retailers and restaurants to coordinate creative group activities that meet the needs of today's tour operators and group leaders."

Research by the U.S. Department of Commerce indicates shopping and dining continue to be the top two activities of all travelers in the U.S.  As a result, shopping centers are creating innovative programs that make shopping and dining an integral part of group travel itineraries.

Travel professionals are encouraged to vote for their favorite hospitality industry finalists by logging on to www.americangrouptravelawards.com and join their peers at the awards gala in November to celebrate the success of these outstanding companies.

General Growth Properties, Inc. is an S&P 500 company focused exclusively on owning, managing, leasing, and developing high-quality retail properties throughout the United States. GGP is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol GGP.

###