LuxeLV: Tell us about Adam Sperling.
Sperling: I grew up in a small town in northern New York, right on the border of Canada.  I went to school in central New York at Ithaca College, which is where my journey with professional golf started.  The 2003 PGA Championship was in Rochester and needed interns.  I connected with the PGA TOUR staff and began working throughout my college years for both organizations – the PGA of America and the PGA TOUR.  In 2005 an opportunity arose at PGA TOUR headquarters at Ponte Vedra Beach, so I took that job and worked for two and a half years with the TOUR within their Championship Management Division, which owns and operates about a dozen events on the TOUR.  I traveled 150 to 200 days a year managing events for the TOUR, but I really had the desire to stay in one location and see the charitable efforts go to work in the community.  I ended up pursuing an opportunity with the Monterey Peninsula Foundation at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. I spent two and a half years there getting involved in every facet of the business and was able to learn how to build a year-round event, as opposed to hopping from town-to-town. That prepared me to come to Las Vegas in 2009 and assume the overall responsibilities for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

LuxeLV: Let’s talk about the tournament. It kicked off in 1983. Were the Shriners associated with it at the start?
Sperling: No. They were the beneficiary in the 2007 event, and took Title Sponsorship over from Frys.com in time for the 2008 event. There has been some title sponsor turnover within the event. The Shriners and Justin brought some stability at a time when the economic climate for continuing the event was in jeopardy.  In 2008, the Shriners and Justin Timberlake entered into a five-year agreement to act as Title Sponsor and Tournament Host.

Justin, among all of his other talents, is an incredible golfer.  He’s passionate about the game.  He owns and renovated a course in the Memphis area. He has a passion for the history of golf as it relates to celebrity performers and entertainers. My understanding is that he had an interest in getting involved with professional golf at the same time as the Shriners Hospitals for Children, and through the auspices of the PGA TOUR those parties were brought together. It’s been a great relationship for both parties.

LuxeLV: Tell us about the basic dynamics of the event. What happens during the week?
Sperling: Last year, our slogan was “More than just a golf tournament.” That meant that the event represented more than just the golf, and to a larger extent, what our goals are as both an event and an organization.  This year, the event runs from September 29th through October 8th.  When the PGA TOUR players tee it up, we’ll have 132 participants battling for $4.5 million. But throughout the week, in order to embrace and engage the community and support the event, we needed to create entry points into the tournament to benefit the community-at-large.  Some of those touch points are created specifically for charitable purposes and connections.  Others are geared toward providing funding for a number of local agencies.  Within the last three years we’ve developed about a dozen events that now have an impact on our local community.

LuxeLV: Examples?
Sperling: We’ve developed ticket programs for our schools and non-profits.  Schools can sell tickets to our events and retain 100% of the proceeds.  Non-profits can sell tickets and retain 100% of the proceeds, with the additional opportunity to reach spectators by hosting an event on the course during the tournament.  We developed a Walk-A-Thon in partnership with the Las Vegas-based Goodie Two Shoes Foundation that’s raised close to $30,000.  The beneficiaries are children who have never owned a properly-fitting pair of shoes.  Goodie Two Shoes outfits approximately 10,000 children a year with brand new shoes. We operate a dental clinic for children who don’t own toothbrushes.  Each year, a group, TeamSmile, out of Kansas City provides about a quarter million dollars worth of dental services to over 200 under-served children in the Las Vegas community.  We’ve partnered with the Charlie Hoffman Foundation on our Monday Pro-Am.  In the last two years, we’ve raised over $175,000 for five local charities. We have the non-profit Survival School conducted by The Luxury Marketing Council.  This past year, we held a Women’s Day luncheon that raised over $50,000 for the hospital.  We develop programming that’s close to the community’s core and what they care about.  It allows us to enhance our charitable footprint.  But it’s also about creating new ways to get the community involved.

LuxeLV: How many people come through for the week?
Sperling: This past year a little over 40,000.

LuxeLV: What’s the size of operating budget?
Sperling: About $9 million

LuxeLV: You’ve featured prominent players.  You’ve had Tiger Woods and Greg Norman.  Who’s big this year?
Sperling: It’s a little early to decide who is coming this year.  We’re hoping to host a FedEx Cup event next year, so we’re really looking at using this year as a springboard for our future.  We’ll be taking a much stronger approach at trying to get some past champions to come support the event, for example, Jim Furyk, the only multiple-time winner of this event. He won his first tournament here.  Davis Love III  won here.  Rickie Fowler made his professional PGA TOUR debut here.  Nick Watney has played here and has been a great supporter.  We expect Kevin Na to return.  There’s Jonathan Byrd, who won two years ago in historic fashion with that hole-in-hole during the playoff.  And Martin Laird, who won his first event here two years ago. Obviously being in a Fall Series there are some players who you don’t see, but we anticipate a really strong field and some compelling golf.

LuxeLV: Does Justin play?
Sperling: He plays on Wednesday in the Pro-Am.

LuxeLV: Anything special that you’ve got planned for 2012?
Sperling: Our slogan for 2012 is “Join The Celebration” as we’re celebrating 30 years of PGA TOUR golf in Las Vegas and 90 years of care by Shriners Hospitals for Children. For instance, we are partnering with the Southern Nevada Golf Hall of Fame to hold their 2012 induction ceremony.  We’re doing a retrospective on 30 years of the tournament’s history and looking within that 30-year historical perspective at creating a Champions dinner where we can honor past champions.

LuxeLV: Who owns the course?
Sperling: The PGA TOUR owns this course and manages the staff of the TPC Summerlin – they’re all PGA TOUR employees.

LuxeLV: In terms of past tournaments, have there been memorable moments?
Sperling: Jonathan Byrd on the fourth playoff hole with a hole-in-one on a par 3…had never before happened on the PGA TOUR. Tiger Woods’ first PGA TOUR win was at this tournament. Chip Beck had a 59, which was the second 59 in the history of the PGA TOUR.  There have only been five.  The first $1,000,000 purse was here in Las Vegas.

LuxeLV: What support do you need from the community?
Sperling: We’d like attendance this year to exceed 50,000.  We continue to grow… 12,500 in 2008; 15,000 in 2009; 20,000 in 2010; 40,000 last year. I’d like to grow our tournament revenue (hospitality packages, Pro-Am spots, tickets, etc.) by 50% or more.

LuxeLV: What’s the operating structure of the Tournament organization?
Sperling: We are Shriners Hospitals for Children, dba Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. We have an agreement with TPC to use their course and we have an agreement with the PGA TOUR to host a competitive event.

LuxeLV: So, you’re a 501(c) (3)?
Sperling: Correct.  There are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children and 193 Shrine Temples. Each of those groups has its own Board of Directors, which in turn, are responsible to a 21 person Board of Trustees. One of the Board of Trustees members is the Chair of the Golf Committee, and I report to him.

LuxeLV: Final question.  What impact will you experience if the tournament is included in the FedEx Cup schedule?
Sperling: If we’re included in the FedEx Cup schedule, I imagine we would see some increased attendance, which would affect all of our spectator related operations.  Certainly our national coverage within the golf world would grow – which would translate into additional coverage for the city of Las Vegas.  The purse will increase – it’s always good to having a growing jackpot in this city.

Photo by Linda Q Photography

The Agony and the Ectasy

With 25 years of gaming experience under his belt, McBeath took on a monumental challenge, the nation’s largest ever commercial real estate development project and the introduction of Las Vegas’s most anticipated resort and casino, in a catastrophic economic environment previously unknown to modern Las Vegas. McBeath details the angst, ponders the lessons and relives the highs and lows accompanying that journey.

On McBeath the manager and the man
What do people say about me behind my back? He’s very intense. Laser focused. He’s fair, objective, but extremely demanding. I work with people. They don’t work for me. I set broad guidelines and parameters, but if I think people are banging against the walls or operating outside those parameters then I will weigh in and get heavily involved. I’m not a micro manager, and I’m not a big meeting guy. They’re the biggest waste of time and energy. I go where the fire is and where I think it’s going to be. I’m an adrenalin junkie. I race off-road trucks. I play high-stakes golf. I hunt. I fish. I don’t watch a lot of TV. In my off time I enjoy reading. But I have to be out doors. I have to be engaged.

On the Aria“threshold”
We spent a considerable amount of time and resources on creating an architectural statement. The skyline establishes and sets the tone for the experience. The buildings themselves were part of the invitation to enter. Bellagio tome represents traditional romantic luxury. Steve took the tonality of Bellagio and gave Wynn/Encore a very colorful South Beach feel. Aria to me represents contemporary, intelligent luxury because of the art program, the modernity of the buildings and all the high tech components such as keyless entry. Even the rooms, especially the suites, were designed to be more reminiscent of a Manhattan penthouse.

On Aria and its performance to date
Vis a vis the revised projections we established when we opened in November of 09, the property is evolving at a pace that we’re comfortable with. We’re maintaining ADR, at the prescribed levels. Repeat visitation and the number of leads that we’re generating on the convention side have also been higher than forecasted. I think in 18 months this property will be hitting its stride with occupancy in the 90% and ADR in the top three properties marketwide. Residential activity will start to pick up, as will retail, and our ADR will be more commensurate with the superior product that we’ve created.

On the role of technology
A lot of the tech people want to use technology for its own sake. But, for us, technology had to add to the guest experience and create operating efficiencies or synergies. I’ll give you one example.We have the largest distributed antenna system in the world. Our board suggested a less expensive radio system with repeaters.My response was that I have to have 95% coverage from a life safety standpoint in order to satisfy County code, but more importantly, I own the network.That enabled me to sell hookup fees to the five largest cell service carriers in the world.They’re all paying the fee.

On the biggest lesson learned
Beware unchecked enthusiasm for any market opportunity. Not,“What will it do on its current trajectory?” but,“What can it withstand if something cataclysmic happens?”

On the biggest thrill
The odds were against us. We were probably 5:1 to open. We were one hour away from filing bankruptcy. Our partner sued us. The parent company was dealing with its own issues, and in the end the only light at the end of the tunnel was the oncoming train. But we opened on time! It was a highly emotional and tremendously gratifying moment. And it wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the people who believed in me and believed in this project, who left their jobs and their careers to do this with us.

On being # 1
I’m very competitive…in everything I’ve done. I want to be # 1. I want Aria to be the top luxury destination in Las Vegas and the best-of-breed in terms of cash flow and revenue. We’ll be there!

About Aria

Fast Facts

• Designed by the world-renowned firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
• 4,004 guest rooms, including 568 suites
• An exhilarating casino floor designed to provide intimate gaming spaces
• 300,000 square feet of meeting and pre-function space
• Three primary pools with 50 cabanas, one adults-only pool retreat
• 16 restaurants and 10 bars and lounges, including a nightclub
• 80,000-square-foot, two-level spa and salon with 62 individual spa treatment rooms; 55 salon stations
• Full-service salon, barbershop, deluxe fitness room, group exercise studio, meditation and relaxation rooms, separate men’s and women’s spa with eucalyptus steam rooms and red wood saunas
• 1,800-seat theater housing Viva ELVIS™, a tribute to the life and musical legacy of Elvis Presley from Cirque du Soleil®
• ARIA has received LEED® Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council
• ARIA Resort & Casino has also received the highest level of recognition, 5 Green Keys, from the Green Key Eco-Rating Program, the largest international program evaluating sustainable hotel operations. Environmental sustainability, or going green, is about conserving today to protect tomorrow.

Visit www.arialasvegas.com

Wells focuses on management of the Center, a year-round, professional design and hospitality resource comprising approximately 50 open daily showrooms that feature fine furniture, fabric, lighting, accessories, rugs and wall décor. Mr. Wells has dynamic, broad-based experience in business development and a proven record in business growth, strategic planning, brand building, distribution channel development and product design and development.

Most recently, Mr. Wells served as president of Valtekz Composite Fabrics, a newly-formed decorative fabrics division of Valley Forge Fabrics. He established distribution for the new line through some of the most prestigious multi-line showrooms in the country’s major design centers.  The work Mr. Wells did for Valtekz provided him a unique opportunity to develop a working knowledge of all the design community’s stakeholders. Prior to his role at Valtekz, Mr. Wells managed the Century Leisure Division of Century Furniture, where he oversaw product design, development, pricing and sales.

LuxeLV: Brief background on yourself…how did you get into this business…how did you land at the LVDC?

Wells: I came to Las Vegas Design Center by way of Bob Maricich our CEO at World Market Las Vegas, who I was very fortunate to have worked for at Century Furniture.

LuxeLV: Background on WMC/LVDC… what’s the mission and purpose?

Wells: The mission of LVDC is twofold:
1.    Establish LVDC as the premiere home furnishings and design resource in this part of the world.
2.    Create an entirely new business model for design centers; one that is built around the architecture and design community while also fully embracing the consumer. We are working very hard to create an exceptional place for consumers to learn about the value and accessibility of great design, connect with an interior designer or shop with their own designer and really create the home of their dreams.

LuxeLV: Number of showrooms?

Wells: Roughly speaking, LVDC is a fifty showroom, 325K square foot design center.

LuxeLV: Can you give us an overview of annual activity and events?

Wells:

• We have our First Friday events, which are geared toward the A & D community.  We’ll have those every month for the rest of this year except for July.
• We have our semiannual Las Vegas Market home furnishings events, which are trade-only. These shows comprise the two weeks of the year that we are not open to the public.
• The Fall Market this year is August 2 – 6. Within that event there are two shows; Gift + Home and Vegas Kids which target the home accessory and gift and juvenile markets respectively.
• The Winter 2011 Market takes place January 24 – 28. Within that event is our InspireDesign show, which targets the FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) segment of the hospitality industry.
• We host an annual Design Professionals Holiday Gala each December.
• Throughout the course of each year we host special events for both consumers and the A & D community.  A schedule of these events can be found at www.lvdesigncenter.com.

LuxeLV: What is the Relationship between WMC and LVDC?

Wells: LVDC is essentially World Market Center’s face to the Las Vegas community; the portion of the business that is open year-round to the public (excepting the weeks of our semiannual Las Vegas Market home furnishings event).

LuxeLV: How/when will the industry climb out of the current doldrums?

Wells: I think it’s safe to say that most in our industry are indirectly, if not directly, connected to the housing and credit markets and employment rates and we definitely need to see improvement there. While I am in hopes we’ll look back on 2010 as having been a better year than 2009, what I’m seeing right now leads me to believe that the majority of the year will look a lot like a less erratic version of 2009.  As of late, consumer spending is on the rise and that certainly bodes well for our industry. We are also seeing much more stability in the marketplace and we are seeing a lot more in the way of businesses gearing up for the turn of the tide.

LuxeLV: The future of the WMC/LVDC…What will it look like? How will you get there (strategies)?

Wells: From the LVDC perspective, we are continuing to execute our strategy of creating a new business model for design centers; one that is both designer facing and consumer embracing.

LuxeLV: Will it ever put High Point out of business?

Wells: LVDC represents a completely different business altogether from High Point as well as most Design Centers. World Market Center Las Vegas really is an entirely different business model as well.  The thing that sets WMCLV apart is that we’ve built our business from the ground up utilizing a multi-platform strategy that’s designed to expand our customers’ horizons and their profitability. We seek not only to help them reach more members of their current target audience but also to help them to reach new channels of distribution both in the United States and abroad. The mission of our events is to deliver a shopping experience that is equal parts extraordinary and efficient. Each one is built around the three main reasons that buyers attend a tradeshow: To see what’s new, to network and to have fun.  What better place for that than Las Vegas?  What happens elsewhere really isn’t part and parcel to the equation.

LuxeLV: How does it tie into the city’s visitor strategy (gaming, food, retail, entertainment)?

Wells: Our semiannual Las Vegas Market creates a draw of 100,000 professionals from the home furnishings industry for ten days each year.  That equates to a non-gaming economic impact of approximately $200M.

LuxeLV: Biggest opportunity going forward?

Wells: In the Las Vegas marketplace, I believe there is a real opportunity with the interior design and furnishing of the homes and condominiums that are being snapped up.  There are staggering numbers of homes in our area being purchased by both home owners and savvy, well-heeled investors who realize the unbelievable values in our marketplace.  Now is the time to bring this customer into the fold and educate them on what our industry has to offer.

LuxeLV: Biggest challenge going forward?

Wells: With the interior design industry, business as usual would be my biggest concern.  I believe that the lack of transparency and the confusion surrounding price has been the biggest barrier to success our industry has faced over the past ten years. I believe that there are legions of potential design customers in every marketplace who are held back by a fear of being overcharged and a general lack of understanding of what a great designer can bring to their home and the potential for that designer to actually save them time, money and mistakes.

LuxeLV: Retail strategy vs. trade–only strategy?

Wells: I don’t think it has to be one or the other.

From Las Vegas, the city that invented exceptional, comes Las Vegas Design Center. Part of the World Market Center Las Vegas, the industry’s most dynamic trade marketplace dedicated to home furnishings and design, Las Vegas Design Center is the single most innovative facility of its kind. Home to more than fifty showrooms, it offers year-round access to a global selection of the industry’s finest home furnishings, fabrics, lighting, floor coverings, wall décor and accessories.

Visitors to Las Vegas Design Center benefit not only from its unparalleled collection of showrooms, but also from its convenient layout, sophisticated educational programming and commitment to exceptional service. Serving home, commercial and hospitality design professionals, as well as members of the general public through its new Design Salon, Las Vegas Design Center offers a comprehensive array of resources for the most discriminating audiences. Experience Las Vegas Design Center, and discover the value of exceptional design.

Las Vegas Design Center is located within World Market Center Las Vegas, the renowned trade marketplace for the home furnishings and design industry and home to the bi-annual Las Vegas Market home furnishings tradeshow. LVDC is just minutes from the Strip, Downtown resort corridor and McCarran International Airport.