Eastleigh’s Swan Centre has embraced the value of check-ins, launching its very own check-in app on iPhone and Android.

The program is elegant in its simplicity. Shoppers download the SmartRewards app and hop onto the center’s free Wi-Fi. With that they can check in and earn points toward rewards. As the center says, there are no plastic cards, no confusing rules, and no extra steps. Just quick check-ins and then rewards.

Checking in at the center isn’t the only way to earn. Shoppers can also pick up points by sharing offers with their friends online, visiting the center’s cinema or browsing deals from home.

And what do they get for their trouble? Rewards. The center uses examples like coffee BOGOs, retailer discounts and free cinema tickets—all just for checking in. Could it be simpler?

ICSC’s MOCIAL (mobile+social+local) Social Media & Mobile Technology Conference is heading into its third year, and its vital details have just been announced. The conference will take place on August 7 & 8 in Austin, TX.

According to the organization, this year’s MOCIAL Conference will feature speakers and panels from the industry’s best of the best, and its keynote speaker certainly bears that out: Becky Bui, Facebook’s Retail Business Lead, Global Marketing Solutions.

Attendees should expect to “be inspired by award winning digital media programs, learn how to take your social media strategies to the next level and maximize your ROI with best practices.” And there will be plenty of opportunities to network with both social media experts and industry peers.

That’s all we have so far, so keep an eye on the conference website if you’re interested in more details. You can also register before July 31 for the advance registration rate.

The 2014 JUNO Awards, Canada’s best-known national music award program, are coming up at the end of the month, and St. Vital Centre is at the heart of the excitement.

For starters, the center is offering shoppers a chance to win the full JUNO experience just by dropping their names off at Customer Service. The winner of the draw will get two tickets to the 2014 JUNO Awards live broadcast on March 30 and a $500 center shopping spree (for just the right JUNO outfit, perhaps?). They, and six secondary winners, will also get a pair of wristbands to JUNO Fan Fare, held at the center on March 29.

Fan Fare is a free public event the center hosts that warms fans up for the big night. Some of Canada’s favorite musicians (and award nominees) will perform, give interviews, sign autographs and more. Tegan and Sara, Walk Off The Earth, The Trews and many more will attend.

It’s organized by hmv Canada, and the retailer and center are both giving away tickets and wristbands on their social channels during the leadup to the event. Entry might be free, but anyone who wants an autograph needs a wristband. Shoppers that hope to get up close and personal with their favorite artists will be lining up for the chance online.

Miami’s Aventura Mall is already one of the top-five highest grossing malls in America, but it isn’t content to rest on its laurels. The center has just announced a massive expansion that may well leave it the second-largest mall by square footage, too.

According to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, the center is the city’s most-visited by tourists, and that’s something Aventura Mall intends to hold on to. Meeting the needs of Aventura Mall’s increasingly fashion-centric visitor base will be a focus of the new expansion, said Jackie Soffer, principal of Turnberry Associates, owner and manager of Aventura Mall.

“Continued resurgence in the real estate market and tourism growth have led to significant increases in the number of affluent Miami shoppers, specifically at Aventura Mall,” Soffer said. “We’ve had tremendous demand from retailers and simply don’t have enough space to satisfy their needs.”

The center hasn’t released many details about the expansion yet, aside from the news that it will include a new three-level, 241,000 square foot upscale retail wing and parking garage. Racked has taken a look at the floor plans, however, and predicts an influx of smaller luxury boutiques, a food court renovation and a new and improved transit hub.

As part of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival, Highpoint is getting deep into the colors of fashion with The Colour Studio. It pops up this Saturday and will bring shoppers live art installations, interactive retail displays, fashion pop-up shows and creative workshops until March 23.

It begins with a transformation. For the first four days of the event, artist Hayley Scilini will transform the white pop-up studio into an explosion of color. Her goal is to turn it into a celebration of ‘Life in Colour,’ with energy and movement coming through bespoke design and hand-painted furniture.

Once Scilini’s installation is complete, it will be taken over by the center’s lifestyle partners Show & Tell. The trio, popular bloggers Katie ‘Monty’ Diamond, Brooke Bayes and Stacey Morlang Sullivan, will curate two installations live, showcasing the latest homeware trends. The center will also have professional interior stylists on hand to give free consultations on style and creativity at home.

The crowning event of the Colour Studio will have to be its Fashion Pop Up Shows on March 19, though. Models will inhabit the space, showcasing the best of Autumn/Winter 2014 as if they were living with the items. They’ll be updating their looks as if they were dressing for a night out, swapping jackets from the wardrobe, changing shoes or exchanging jewelry with friends.