Sep. 26--Texas A&M University's annual Dallas Retailing Summit, a conference that funds scholarships and programs for students pursuing retailing studies, this year is fittingly happening just footsteps from the Dallas Galleria at the mall's newly remodeled Westin Hotel.

Organized by A&M's Center for Retailing Studies in the Mays Business School, the conference starts Wednesday night with a reception at Nordstrom. Thursday and Friday sessions are expected to draw 200 retail executives.

Summit speakers include Home Depot chief executive Frank Blake, OfficeMax CEO Sam Duncan, Olive Garden president Dave Pickens, Richards Group CEO Stan Richards and Neiman Marcus Clearance Division vice president Gayle Tremblay. Gallery Furniture founder Jim McIngvale will describe how his famous Houston store overcame a warehouse fire in May, in the midst of a recession.

Register at www.retailingsummit.org. The cost is $450 to $595 per person, and walk-ins are welcome.

The event follows another announcement of funds flowing to students interested in retailing studies. Thursday, the Texas Retailers Association made a $225,000 donation, its fifth gift in four years, for the Texas Grant Program of the College for All Texans Foundation. That brings the association's total to $1.1 million.

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