Chris Blakeslee has experience at Athleta and Alo Yoga. Kendra Scott will remain on board as executive chair and chief visionary officer.
JIS Exchange Also Set to Move to the Sands Expo in 2019
The trade show will coincide with JCK Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay this year before relocating with it next year.

Norwalk, Conn.—JIS Exchange will take place alongside JCK Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay this year and then move with the show to the Sands in 2019.
Reed Exhibitions said JIS Exchange will double in size in terms of both show floor area and the number of exhibitors when it moves to Mandalay Bay this year. No exact numbers were given.
In 2019, it will move with JCK Las Vegas and Luxury to the Sands Expo and Convention Center, an extension of the Venetian and Palazzo Resorts in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip.
JIS Exchange, the cash-and-carry show launched in 2016, was held in the Tropicana its first two years.
Show organizers said the move comes as a response to customer feedback and to give attendees an easier, more efficient shopping experience of both shows, as well as to take advantage of Mandalay Bay’s convention center expansion project.
In recent years, the Sands Expo and Convention Center also has undergone a complete overhaul with major renovations and upgrades, including a new entryway, an easier-to-navigate layout designed to help with traffic flow, a new business center, café and other amenities.
“We are excited to welcome JIS Exchange to the Sands Expo in 2019, to take place alongside the JCK Las Vegas and Luxury shows,” said Yancy Weinrich, Senior Vice President, Reed Jewelry Group.
“We are always listening to our customers, and their desire for ease and convenience of having everything under one roof is clear. JIS Exchange alongside JCK solidifies our evolution and move back to the Sands, which will also include our newest pavilion, Global Gemstones, a partnership with ICA and the very best fine gemstone dealers in the world. We are excited to be able to offer the global jewelry industry a marketplace for one-stop shopping in 2019.”
Reed first announced in fall 2016 that JCK Las Vegas and Luxury would return to the Sands in 2019.
This was followed by news that the American Gem Trade Association and U.S. Antique Shows would co-locate their Las Vegas shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center that same year, and that JCK Las Vegas would be expanded to include a new International Gemstone neighborhood.
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