Bati Bleki

The Palm Beach Plaza is making its final plans for the Big Reveal on December 17th when Aruba’s media will be invited for a grand tour, followed by the official opening on December 18th as the mall will be fully occupied and decorated, ready to receive the Christmas crowd of shoppers, both locals and visitors.

With the reveal of the shopping and entertainment plaza, it is also time to present the dynamic personalities making up the sales, marketing and operations team of the mega project.

Alex Otterspeer, with an economic, communication and marketing background is the mall manager. Recruited one year ago, Alex was the perfect fit for the vacancy, says general consultant, marketing and sales guru Charles Croes, who spearheaded the talent search and job interviews.

Born and educated in Holland Alex brings sound management experience earned in Aruba and in Holland. “The last eleven months,” he says,” we all shared a trailer on the construction site, and watched this project evolve day in, day out; working with our sub-contractors, suppliers, and investors on the creation of a truly formidable mall, like no other in the Caribbean.”

Alex describes the scope of the project by numbers: “62 retails locations, 46 tenants, 6 full-service restaurants, one coffee shop, 8 food court outlets, 88 roof-top air-conditioning compressors, 6 escalators, 362 parking spots, the span of the project was challenging and it is therefore very gratifying to see it all come together,” he shares.

Indra Stamper came to the Palm Beach Plaza Mall from Tiara Air. A born marketer, Indra’s smile and sunshiny demeanor inspires instant trust. She was the perfect candidate to manage the mall’s Tenant Relations Department, explains Croes. Twelve months ago Indra started sharing the management trailer on the construction site, as her office, with Alex. She shouldered both marketing and sales for the project, and as the mall neared completion Indra was entrusted with the human-element, prospective tenants and tenants, who meanwhile developed an exceptional rapport with her, in an atmosphere of friendship and respect.

Indra reports people from all over the world came to the mall-under-construction with their dreams of opening a business here. They came by attraction, not promotion — as the mall hardly had to advertise for vacancies — from Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, St Martin & Holland, all drawn by the desire to do business here. “The mall retail locations,” she informs, “are all spoken for, and the mix of stores is exciting and contemporary.”

Shannon Lopez Penha was brought in from Price Smart where she was front-end manager in charge of cashiers and incoming cash. As a member of the Palm Beach Plaza management team she now drives the marketing end of the mall helping orchestrate the Last Lap, as she calls it, the final hoopla just before opening day, including signs, billboards, construction details, and the Select Card for consumer discounts.

In addition to her general mall responsibilities Shannon directs the pre-opening activities of Pixies Bijoux, a fantastic jewelry store on the second level and the Barrel Bay mini market, on the first level, both trendy concept stores designed by leading Miami firms. The mini market will also feature a dedicated chocolate store, by French chocolate-maker Jeff De Bruges, which is one of Europe’s best kept secrets, and will available for the first time in Aruba.

Croes, the grey eminence, providing supervisory blessing and direction, is at the head of the pre-opening team effort. “When we started,” he confides, “we read everything ever published about mall management, rules, and functions — it isn’t much, he interjects — and we came a long way since then, setting our sights on a diverse and interesting variety of shops, and activities.”

“To be successful,” Croes confides, “a mall must offer can’t-live-without services such as a post-office or a mini market. Yet it also has to provide an element of fantasy, movies, rock climbing, whatever trips consumers’ triggers, and a sprinkle of fun, targeting all ages, for example the mall’s Cigar bar for adults and playground for children.”

Croes reports a sense of satisfaction over the coming-together of the project, which is proud to have recruited as strategic partners Maria Silva of Vibrations to oversee events, Adolfo Valbuena to produce signs and billboards, Jason Margarita of ASAP for e-marketing, John Stoppels, Freeway Aruba for graphic design and printing, and Rona Coster of Marketing Plus for PR projects. Having picked a team of stars and a super mix of tenants, Aruba should be looking forward to the island’s #2 attractions, the Palm Beach Plaza, with Aruba’s beaches retaining their #1 position. Check out the mall on facebook, today.