What you need to know about the new location of the JCK shows

 [dropcap cap=I]t’s about 2.6 miles along the Las Vegas Strip from the Sands Expo & Convention Center south to Mandalay Bay.[/dropcap]

BUT MOVING THE JCK SHOW to the Strip’s largest convention space, says Yancy Weinrich, Industry Vice President for JCK Events, represents a major leap in what is possible. It’s nothing less than a chance to “crumple up” the show’s floor plan and reinvent it with more of a retail focus, she says.

“This has been achieved by designing the show floor for exhibitors to be grouped together by product category,” Weinrich says. “As we talk to both exhibitors and buyers about the reorganization of the show floor, we continually get validation for the new plan.”

Old favorites will remain, but four new pavilions will tie together bridal, fashion, pearls and silver. They will join previously existing groups AGTA, Diamond Plaza, Design Center, Equipment, Technology & Supplies, Hall of Time, Luxury at JCK, Plumb Club, Prestige Promenade, VincenzaOro Italian Club, World’s Fair and Swiss Watch. To simplify navigation, product areas will be color-coded. “Every pavilion has a different color, and through maps and signage we’ll cut back on the advertising signage in the lobbies,” Weinrich says, “Not to mention some of our mobile applications, (Map Your Show), which are similar to a GPS” and can display instant show maps.

All areas of the show will also feel more open than past shows. “With the downstairs of the Sands,” Weinrich says, “the challenge was that half the building was a basement or a garage. This building works better for the show.” JCK will consume all of Mandalay Bay’s multi-level convention space, but the parking area is completely separate. The main show will be on two levels with nearly 1 million square feet of exhibit space, with AGTA on the pool deck level. Each of the levels has 30-foot ceilings and is entirely above ground. The separate AGTA location allows the group to open a day earlier and close a day later.

JCK will consume all of Mandalay Bay’s multi-level convention space, but the parking area is completely separate. The main show will be on two levels with nearly 1 million square feet of exhibit space, with AGTA on the pool deck level. Each of the levels has 30-foot ceilings and is entirely above ground. The separate AGTA location allows the group to open a day earlier and close a day later.

“Exhibitors in other areas of the show wanted to shop the AGTA section once their show was finished,”
Weinrich explains. Equipment, Technology and Supplies will continue until June 7, to support exhibitors.

From a practical standpoint, the move means expanding from two loading docks at the Sands to 26 at Mandalay Bay and provides a more modern electrical system.

Weinrich expects the move to be a positive one for everyone, because Mandalay Bay’s customer service is based on a culture of saying “yes.” “

They are really pragmatic,” she says. “From the front desk check-in person to senior executives, they all have the ability and authority to say ‘yes.’ They are all very aware of JCK coming and what it means to them.”

Hotel Highlights

Mandalay Bay is an MGM property, which means the show has access to 40,000 hotel rooms and 146 restaurants on 13 properties, all connected by an MGM ambassador hotline.

By calling (888) 525-2013, JCK customers will have priority access to restaurant reservations and show tickets. Information about show details will be readily available at all of the show hotels. “Everything we do at Mandalay Bay will all be mirrored at the different sister properties,” says Yancy Weinrich, Industry Vice President for JCK Events.

Rooms at Mandalay Bay and the Hotel at Mandalay Bay were sold out by March.

So Mandalay Bay staff recommends that late-booking attendees consider a new group of hotels in and around City Center, which opened in late 2009. (www.citycenter.com)

Aria, Vdara and Cosmopolitan all offer direct shuttle service to Mandalay Bay.

Aria: Even standard guest rooms at Aria are equipped with one-touch control of room features. With one remote, you can call for service, dim the lights, adjust the temperature, and control TV/video systems, music, wake-up calls – even the draperies. A 42-inch LCD TV allows you to connect your laptop, control room automation and plug in game consoles, cameras or MP3 players.

Vdara: Internationally inspired all-suite hotel and spa that is both non-gaming and smoke-free.

Cosmpolitan: New York City-style resort features residential-style living spaces and private terraces.

[h3]Las Vegas Show Dates[/h3]

– AGTA Gem Fair: June 2-7
– Couture, Wynn Hotel, June 2-6
– Equipment Technology Supplies (ETS): June 3-7
– JCK Las Vegas: June 3-6
– Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show, Paris Hotel, June 2-6
– LUXURY at JCK (May 31 – June 6) will be a seven-day event, with the first three days (May 31 – June 2) invitation-only.
– Niche: The Show, Planet Hollywood Celebrity Ballroom, June 4-6
– Swiss Watch at JCK: June 2-6 at the Four Seasons and Mandalay Bay by appointment only.

[h3]Logistics[/h3]
WONDERING how to get around? Mandalay Bay is located on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip about two miles from McCarran International Airport. A free shuttle service will run between Mandalay Bay and all JCK Show Hotels from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., June 3-6. Show hotels include Excalibur, Luxor, New York, New York, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Bellagio, Vdara, Treasure Island, Mirage and Aria. (If you are staying at the Cosmopolitan, take the shuttle from Aria.) A free evening shuttle service will also run every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday through Monday between Aria/City Center, MGM Grand, Excalibur, the Fashion Mall, Town Square Mall and Mandalay Bay. The Las Vegas Strip has a series of monorails that connect various properties, including one between Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excaliber. Across the street from the Excaliber, the Las Vegas Monorail can be boarded at the MGM Grand to go north to Bally’s, Flamingo, Harrah’s and, after a detour off the Strip to the Las Vegas Convention Center, all the way to the Sahara. The Las Vegas Monorail costs $5 for one ride.

[contentheading]10 WAYS TO TAKE A BREAK IN — AND AROUND — MANDALAY BAY[/contentheading]
FOR THOSE OF US WHO SPEND A WEEK IN LAS VEGAS EVERY YEAR ATTENDING JEWELRY SHOWS, JCK’s move to Mandalay Bay offers a chance to feel a little less like we are living through yet another “Groundhog Day.” On a visit to Mandalay Bay in March I scouted out some new things to explore. No, I did not come home with a tattoo or a Komodo dragon, but I did buy the pricey bathrobe.

[number color=red value=01][h4]Hobnob with Predators[/h4]
Tired of card sharks? Gawk at the real thing at Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium. Along your route between the casino and the convention space, you’ll find
an underwater world occupied by more than 2,000 animals in 1.6 million gallons of seawater. It’s populated by sharks, sawfish, giant rays, endangered green sea turtles, piranha and rare golden crocodiles. Yes, there’s a theme here: The Reef is North America’s only predator-focused aquarium. One intimidating star of the
show — the Komodo dragon — is a representative of the world’s largest species of lizard. This guy’s got dangerous, shark-like teeth, a prehistoric mien, and is
likely longer than you are tall. Don’t bet on being able to stare him down. Admission is $16.95. If you have $650 to spend, are a certified diver, a Mandalay Bay
guest, and possess a quirky idea of what it takes to relax, book a “dive with sharks” experience in the 22-foot-deep Shipwreck Exhibit. Visit www.sharkreef.
com for details. [/number]

[number color=red value=02][h4] Succumb to the Spa[/h4]
After a few days in the searing desert sun, your skin may begin to feel like the hide of the Shark Reef’s Komodo dragon. Time for restorative measures. The Fijiian Sugar Polish ($145 for 50 minutes) at the 30,000-square-foot Spa Mandalay is one solution. Pineapple-infused sugar is combined with coconut milk and gently scrubbed over your skin to exfoliate. That revitalizing process is followed by a shower and a moisture treatment. After you are polished, you are free to soak in the inviting plunge pools for the rest of the day. If you prefer a more Zen-like feel to your spa, try the Bathhouse Spa for an equally indulgent sojourn that focuses on healing, cleansing and rejuvenation. [/number]

[number color=red value=03][h4]Watch an Angel Take Flight[/h4]
Happy hour at Aureole, a premier Mandalay Bay restaurant, features a small-plate menu paired with flights of wine. Watch a spandex-clad “wine angel” hook herself up to a pulley system and “fly” up the four-story, temperature-controlled, glass wine tower to retrieve your bottle — one of 10,000 stored in the tower. Or stay for dinner, which, for best results, should be followed by the $12 dessert sampler with a lineup like grand marnier crème caramel, lemon lime pound cake and mocha brownie. An added attraction: Swans bask on the back patio.[/number]

[number color=red value=04][h4]Cocoon[/h4]
If you’ve ever been tempted to splurge on a plush hotel robe, this “Marie Danielle Italy” model found in the closets of The Hotel at Mandalay Bay suites might be the one. The chenille hotel robe sold in the hotel gift shops for $125 is a seriously soft (and oversized) portable cocoon. Be warned though — you’ll be tempted to wear it everywhere once you own it. Warning No. 2: This robe is too lofty to fit in your suitcase without serious stuffing. You’re better off shipping it home, if you can part with it that long. [/number]

[number color=red value=05][h4]Plant Your Toes in the Sand [/h4]
Here’s your chance to order a mai tai at the beach without leaving the desert. On Sunday night, June 5, the JCK Rocks the Beach party is open to all JCK badge holders at Mandalay Bay Beach. A surprise headline act is yet to be announced. Located on 11 acres, Mandalay Bay Beach includes a wave pool, lazy river, three swimming pools, jogging track and 2,700 tons of real sand, normally open to Mandalay Bay guests only. However, a non-guest can also have access by renting a cabana Monday through Thursday. Call for reservations at (877) 305-3136. [/number]

[number color=red value=06][h4]Hang Upside Down over the Stri p[/h4]
 It’s like a New York cab ride without the potholes, aficionados say. This coaster at New York, New York, will lift you up 203 feet, drop you 144 feet and leave you coasting at 67 mph, simulating a jet fighter’s barrel roll. Oh, yeah, and it all happens on top of the hotel. Individual tickets are $14, but if this is your idea of relaxation, why stop there? You can get a $25 scream pass to do it all day. Be sure to buy the souvenir photo that captures you screaming.[/number]

[number color=red value=07][h4]Grab a (Buffalo) Burger[/h4]
Looking for a quick, casual meal? Try the Burger Bar at Mandalay Place. Just about everything here is a burger, but that doesn’t necessarily mean beef — or cheap. It can be low-carb, buffalo, turkey, vegetarian or even peanut butter and jelly topped with anything from cranberry sauce or gravy to black truffles. If you won at slots and don’t mind spending $60 on a burger, try the Rossini, with Kobe beef, sautéed foie gras, shaved truffles and Madeira sauce on an onion bun, named for a 19th-century Italian composer whose love of food was legendary.[/number]

[number color=red value=08][h4]Get a Tattoo[/h4]
Want to wear a permanent souvenir home this year? Mario Barth’s Starlight Tattoo is adjacent to and affiliated with the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Barth’s collection includes 10,000 pre-drawn images. Patrons can select from three styles of tattooing — traditional handtool Japanese, traditional handtool Samoan and estern-style. Each month Starlight Tattoo offers a rotating roster of guest artists. So you can book appointments with worldrenowned artists such as Mario Barth, Japanese Master Hori Toshi I and Samoan Master Sulu’ Ape Pili Mo’o.[/number]

[number color=red value=09][h4]Join the Mob — Daily[/h4]
The Tropicana’s Las Vegas Mob Experience uses life-size holograms of gangsters to re-create the rise and fall of organized crime in Las Vegas. Aside from the ghosts, you’ll see more than 1,000 artifacts (including a diary, a gun, family photos and home movies) once belonging to the infamous organized crime figures who helped create Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Mob Experience is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Admission is $39.95 per person. VIP Admission for $59.95 will get you front-ofthe- line access. Tickets: (702)739-2662.[/number]

[number color=red value=10][h4]See Where Art and Architecture Converge[/h4]
City Center, a sprawling complex of upscale shops, hotels, residences and restaurants to the north of Mandalay Bay, is a soaring, post-modern work of art that opened in late 2009 and is worth a look in itself. The dramatic, geometric architecture has been paired with a $40 million fine art collection, which includes sculptures, paintings and large-scale installations. You don’t have to venture very far inside any of the buildings to get a glimpse: Suspended over Aria’s registration desk, for example, is “Silver River” by Maya Lin, a 3,700 pound, 84-foot long sculpture in cast, reclaimed silver — inspired by the Colorado River but looking a bit like a bolt of lightning. For a list of what to look for in and around City Center, download the PDF at this link: www2.citycenter.com/press_room/press_room_fineart.aspx.[/number]

[contentheading]EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS[/contentheading]
[h5]Thursday, June 2[/h5]

9:45-11 a.m. SHANE DECKER: “Closing Techniques: Are You Up To the Challenge?” Learn how to be so smooth they don’t know you’re closing.

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. DIANE WARGA ARIAS: “Building Yourself as a Brand.”

[h5]Friday, June 3[/h5]

9:45-11 a.m. NICK FAILLA: Internet and Social Media 101: “Understanding the Online Shopper: Who, How and Why.”

1:30-2:45 p.m. JANICE MACK TALCOTT: “Have You Ever Hired a Mistake?” (Learn how to recruit, hire and match the right people to the right task by identifying and motivating their inherent talents.)

3-4 p.m. ABE SHERMAN, CEO of Buyers International Group, focuses on providing innovative solutions to analyzing
inventory resulting in improved buying decisions, inventory turn, gross margin and improved profits.

[h5]Saturday, June 4[/h5]

1:30-2:45 p.m. LARRY B. JOHNSON: “Top Ten Mistakes Jewelers Make When Displaying Jewelry.”

3-4:15 p.m. ANDY MALIS, president and founder of MGH, Maryland’s largest integrated marketing communications agency. “How to Dominate the Engagement Business in Your Market.”

[h5]Sunday, June 5[/h5]

9:45-11 a.m. HELENA KRODEL. Jewelers of America’s trend expert: “What’s Hot! What’s Not! 2011-2012.

9:45-11 a.m. ALAN BERG, VP, The Knot Market Intelligence. “Your Powerful Website: Five Things You Wish You Did Differently.”

3-4:15 p.m. MICHAEL O’CONNOR, president of Style & Substance, Inc., “Bring the Red Carpet Look Into Your Store.”

[span class=note]This story is from the May 2011 edition of INSTORE[/span]