Fifty members of the MGM Mirage are hitting the road this week to correct any confusion about the opening of the colossal CityCenter on Dec. 16. A combination of the recession and a high-profile lawsuit filed earlier this year by Dubai World over a funding dispute with MGM (which was later dropped) has led to doubts about whether the $8.5 billion project would open as originally planned. The team at MGM is answering that with a resounding "yes."
Between Oct. 12 and Oct. 15, the MGM team is fanning out across the United States to meet with corporate travel planners and meeting professionals in across 40 cities.
One of the main goals of the mission is to make it clear that CityCenter is in fact opening on time. "There were a lot of doubters and skepticism over the last six months, as our economy has faltered and our own city has been rocked hard," said Chuck Bowling, executive vice president of sales and marketing for MGM Mirage. "There's been confusion about whether CityCenter is or is not opening, and we're going to tell you that not only is it opening, but it's going to be a game-changer in our industry."
Among the properties opening in the development will be the ARIA Resort & Casino, the Vdara Hotel & Spa, the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, as well as retail and entertainment areas (including the opening of the new Cirque du Soleil theater and Elvis Presley-themed show).
Bowling said that 850 meetings have been confirmed so far and that they will have connected with nearly 2,500 travel influencers by the end of the week. In a time of recession, they are being sure to mention that the project has created more than 12,000 new jobs, and the fact that it will be one of the largest sustainable developments in existence when it opens. So far the ARIA hotel tower, convention center and theater have received Gold LEED certification.
The team is framing this tour as about more than just the CityCenter development. Not only will they be promoting MGM's portfolio of properties, including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and Luxor, but also acting as boosters for the city of Las Vegas. "This is an important opening for our company clearly, but it's equally important for our city, and state and our industry," said Bowling.
He said the team would continue to focus on the value that is available to travelers to Vegas at this time, offering special rates and incentives to encourage more visitors. According to Bowling, this pitch is having an impact. "In our sales offices today we see the lead volume ticking up, we're getting more inquiries in the last 30 to 60 days than we did in the first six months of 2009. People are starting to look ahead to the future."
Source: Incentive Magazine