Jamie Lamphere is commercial marketing director at Forest City Commercial Management, which owns the Galleria at Sunset mall. The mall next month will add Raider Image, an official Raiders retail space, to its roster of stores, and next year welcomes Bobby Mao’s Chinese Kitchen & Mexican Cantina.
What attracts businesses to lease space within Galleria at Sunset?
One of the biggest leasing strengths for Galleria at Sunset is the community we are in. Being a part of the Las Vegas Valley is helpful, but specifically being in Henderson, with its large growth in residential, industrial and business, helps promote our location as the place to be.
What stores, restaurants or attractions are the biggest draw for your customers?
For 21 years, we have been one of the best indoor super-regional malls in the area. This continues to be our strength. These stores include the five anchors and brand-driven names such as H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and more. Now, with current expansion and redevelopment, we also are seeing a growing trend in the restaurant category. All of the restaurants, except Red Robin, are new to market for Henderson and Las Vegas. This draws guests to try new concepts. World of Beer and GEN Korean BBQ are two examples, along with the opening of Bobby Mao’s next year.
Guests have always enjoyed the events we bring the community. The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and back-to-school events are a tradition for many families. We are adding new signature events each year, including our first Oktoberfest event, which took place this month.
How many people are on your team and what is your management style?
Our local team consists of more than 10 people who run daily operations, security and office administration. The marketing team, specifically, is just me.
My management motto is “Never ask anyone to do something you are not willing to do yourself,” and reflects a team mentality. I have a “boots on the ground” style, where I work directly with the team, vendors and partners to see different activations and promotions through.
Describe your typical day.
No day is the same. Some days, I am in the office working on new ideas and marketing strategies; some days, I am out in the mall working on different programs or events. This is the part of the job I enjoy the most.
What is the best business advice you’ve received?
Justify every decision made. This means that sometimes you need to slow down, think about the plan you have, and make sure you understand why we are doing it and what the goal is.
What motivates you?
My family. I have been a single mom all of my career and I recently became engaged. My daughter has been the driving force to push me to work hard and achieve different goals in life, including completing my master’s degree and working toward job promotions.
What has been your most exciting professional project?
I have been able to work on so many events and projects over the years. As far as events go, I would say Santa and the holiday season every year is the most exciting time because of the large marketing campaign, the cheer and feel of the holiday season, and being able to make memories and see guests have those type of experiences here.
What is the future of American malls?
There is a saying that “Change is the only constant.” This is true with malls. As the shopper changes and technology advances, malls will need to adjust. One thing, however, has stayed constant with retail and malls: You must have what the shoppers want. This could include tenant mix, entertainment, brand names or events to create memories. And this is where the job gets fun, because we are able to be creative and not always do the same thing year after year.
What is your dream job outside of your current field?
The advantage to marketing is that it is universal. Therefore, the door is wide open to the possibilities of a dream job. I love travel and adventure, so I wouldn’t mind marketing national parks. The other dream job would be working for the Green Bay Packers. I am an avid football fan and have dreamed of marketing for my favorite team.
What are some things that people might not know about you?
I am active outdoors. When not working, I try to spend every moment I can out looking for the next adventure. I work hard to play harder.
If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?
The priority of education. Being a parent, you want the best education for your children.