Nevadan at Work: Exec sees pastimes connecting at Linq

Jon Gray's entire graduating class from Tonopah High School could fit in one of the 28 passenger cabins of the High Roller observation wheel.

Maybe he can plan their next reunion.

Earlier this year, Gray, 28, became general manager of The Linq, a $550 million retail, dining and entertainment district Caesars Entertainment Corp. is developing between the Flamingo and The Quad Resort and Casino, formerly known as the Imperial Palace.

The High Roller, a 550-foot observation wheel, is The Linq's centerpiece, expected to open by the end of 2013.

It might seem odd that someone who was born and raised in a small central Nevada mining town, whose entire high school graduating class consisted of 38 students, will oversee the Strip's largest current development project.

Gray said, however, that his experience in the past seven years at the Palms has perfectly suited him for his role with The Linq.

Toward the end of his tenure at the Palms, Gray oversaw the N9NE Group, the property's restaurant and nightlife division. Roughly 70 percent of The Linq's planned 35 tenants will be restaurant or nightlife businesses. Caesars Entertainment may reveal some of them next month.

"The majority of the center is entertainment and food-and-beverage-related tenants," Gray said. "What's also important is to have a great retail mix with that component. The Palms had a core demographic of local slot customers. We were always looking for ways to attract new nightlife customers but still kept the environment exciting for our local slot players."

Gray competed in three varsity sports at Tonopah High School, played three instruments in the school band, and enjoyed growing up in rural Nevada. His grandparents lived in Las Vegas, and visiting the Strip was a treat. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a business management degree and aimed to get into the hotel-casino industry.

"Growing up, Las Vegas was the big city," Gray said. "Excalibur was the coolest place ever. I was always drawn to the Strip, and being able to do something that is really impactful and changing is a thrill."

Question: What was your role at the Palms and how closely did you work with George Maloof?

Answer: I was at the Palms seven years and I worked right under George. We did a lot together. I was with him when we opened the Fantasy Tower and Palms Place. It was a great experience and he and I still have a great relationship. He was a great mentor to me and I wouldn't be in this position without him.

Question: How did you end up in your position with The Linq?

Answer: I was contacted by the recruiting department and the job sounded intriguing and exciting, especially when I found out what a big impact The Linq would have on the Strip.

I feel this is a project that will fill a void in the market. We have great retail, great dining and great nightlife venues, but they are all segregated. We really don't have this critical mass of retail, dining and entertainment all in one venue. The Linq will be a completely different experience every time you come to it.

Question: How does your past career at the Palms help with The Linq?

Answer: I have an idea of what has worked and what hasn't in Las Vegas. Frankly, there are a lot of great concepts that may not be right for the space. We need to be smart about this and we need to pick tenants that have a great chance of success.

Question: How do you see The Linq fitting into the Las Vegas market?

Answer: We think the project will serve multiple purposes. It might be a place for a breakfast or lunch meeting, or a happy hour place before a night out. We want to make sure our tenant mix speaks to our target market, which are the Gen X and Gen Y consumers. We want to make sure the customer experience is where it should be. We're creating common areas where the customer can find an experience apart from the bars and restaurants. We want people to have a great time just walking through the place.

Obviously, the High Roller is going to attract families and all audiences. It's a huge component. The High Roller itself is an attraction that changes Las Vegas.

Question: Will Caesars operate the High Roller or hire a company to manage it?

Answer: We're already looking for a general manager, and it will be operated by Caesars Entertainment. We are thinking about every minute of the customer's experience, from walking into the wheel building, to getting on the cabin. The entire 30-minute ride will have sound and video programming. But we also know when to pull back and let the view be the centerpiece.

Question: Why do you believe The Linq will be a success?

Answer: We did a video study in 2009 and found that 20.4 million people a year pass by the space. With visitation going up, we believe it's now closer to 25 million people a year. And that's with nothing on it. Obviously, the High Roller will pull people into the center, but through marketing we will make The Linq a destination unto itself.

We will have connections with the Flamingo and Imperial Palace in a free-flowing environment, but Linq will also connect with all of Caesars' properties through Total Rewards (customer loyalty program). It will serve as a customer acquisition point and from there we will work to translate that customer into a Caesars customer.

Our tenants are most excited about the critical mass of people they will be getting.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.