Nobody’s perfect, and jewelers are among the first to admit it, particularly when it comes to America’s biggest jewelry trade show. With its football field–size exhibition space—first at the Sands Expo, and now at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino—JCK Las Vegas has overwhelmed many an attendee. Here, seasoned showgoers share their foibles, so you can avoid similar blunders.The Tao of the Long-­Distance TravelerA few years ago, Philip Grillo, owner of Grillo & Co. in Towson, Md., stayed at a hotel “a taxicab ride away” from the show instead of a place within walking distance. “Why I did that I’ll never know,” he admits. He wasted time traveling between the hotel and show—but he won’t make that mistake again.Lacking a Plan of AttackChrysa Cohen, an owner of Continental Jewelers in Wilmington, Del., still regrets her lack of preparedness for the 2007 JCK show.