Essential Tool Box Public Convention Facilities: Las Vegas Convention Center, 1,984,755 sf of dedicated meeting space, with 144 meeting rooms holding 1,500 theater-style. Cashman Center, 100,000 sf of dedicated meeting space, with 12 meeting rooms holding 1,922 theater-style.
Total Hotel Rooms: 133,000
Hotels Close to the Convention Center: The 548-room Renaissance and the 2,955-room Las Vegas Hilton.
From Airport to Center: 3.6 miles
Average Daily Costs*: Hotel $231.34 F&B $60.71 Car Rental $74.90
For More Info:
Las Vegas CVA
www.lvcva.com For complete listings, visit Planner Resources at
www.successfulmeetings.com *Business Travel News 2005 Corporate Travel Index
The Big News
Merger-ama The merger between Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc. is now officially complete, bringing Bally's, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Paris, Harrah's, and Rio All-Suites into a single organization. MGM MIRAGE also completed the acquisition of the Mandalay Resort Group last April; Las Vegas Strip resorts that are now under the MGM MIRAGE umbrella are Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur, and Circus Circus. Can planners now expect streamlined booking and other centralized services? According to Chuck Bowling, EVP, sales & marketing, MGM Grand Resorts, "Business terms will be negotiated property by property under the MGM Mirage umbrella, but the contract itself will be the same. So when a meeting planner goes from one property to the next, they'll know what they've already negotiated at one property will be transferred to the other." And, he adds, "If you need to go off-site, you'll be able to hold functions at a whole new range of clubs, restaurants, and other venues within the umbrella."
The Play-ahs Vegas has a new twist on the famous Legends show, but this one features only moguls, and they are playing themselves. The $2.7-billion Wynn Las Vegas officially opened last April, the brainchild of legendary Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn, whose credits include Bellagio, The Mirage, and Treasure Island. The first megaresort to open on the Strip since 2000, Wynn Las Vegas includes 2,716 suites, 200,000 sf of function space, 18 restaurants, a 100,000-sf casino, an art museum housing Wynn's collection, an 18-hole golf course designed by Tom Fazio and Wynn, about 30 boutiques, a water-based show, and the Tony-award-winning Broadway show Avenue Q. Wynn's next property, the $1.4-billion Encore Hotel & Casino, is scheduled to break ground in 2007 just north of Wynn Las Vegas; it will feature about 2,000 guest rooms.
Another legendary developer arrived on the scene in July. New Yorker Donald Trump is breaking ground on his first Las Vegas property with typical fanfare. The $500-million 1,282-unit Trump International Hotel & Tower, a condo/hotel project, is expected to open by mid 2007. And Trump's partner, Phil Ruffin, owner of The New Frontier, is razing that property to build his own major 3,500-room resort that will connect to the Trump project.
Sheldon G. Adelson's $1.8-billion Palazzo is under construction next door to its sister hotel, the 4,049-room Venetian. Slated to open in early 2007 with a Neoclassical design reminiscent of high end locales such as Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Rodeo Drive, the all-suite 50-story hotel will have more than 3,000 suites, 400,000 sf of meeting space, a 100,000-sf casino, about a dozen premium restaurants, a theater, and an expansive spa facility.
In downtown Vegas, a new mogul has appeared on the horizon: Tilman Fertitta, chairman, president, and CEO of Houston-based Landry's Restau-rants, acquired the 1,907-room Golden Nugget in Sept for $140 million in cash and more than $155 million in financing (the sale also included the 300-room Golden Nugget Laughlin). Current plans call for a two-year renovation that will include two of Landry's signature restaurants—Vic and Anthony's and Grotto—as well as an aquarium-themed attraction. According to Dan Shumny, VP, marketing, "Tilman's concept is to create a Strip-quality resort downtown." In realizing that dream, however, part of the Golden Nugget's meeting space, approximately 35,000 sf, is expected to be taken temporarily off-line. "Meetings will play the same part in the future as they have in the past. We're not a huge convention or trade show hotel; we cater to groups smaller than 400 people. Some of the meeting space will be destroyed in the reconstruction, and will be added on at a later time."
Last year, downtown's Fremont Street Experience completed a $16.5-million facelift; adding 14 million more bulbs to the 2.1 million currently in the four-block-long canopy to create what is, in practical terms, an LED screen. Says Shumny, "I think downtown is in an urban revitalization. There are high-rise condo towers under construction and an arts district that is starting to blossom."
And if that's not enough, George Clooney is developing a new resort, Las Ramblas, which is expected to open in 2008. Las Ramblas, which is named for the fashionable pedestrian-friendly area in Barcelona known for its promenade and cafes, is a $3-billion, 25-acre project to include 4,400 hotel/condo units in 11 high-rise towers; a 48,000-sf upscale casino; an open-air pedestrian promenade; and a movie theater suitable for hosting Hollywood premiers. Clooney and partner Rande Gerber say they are trying to create "Four Seasons with an edge."
The Next Big Thing Meeting delegates arriving in Vegas over the next decade can expect to find much more of a city than a resort town. Out to become a major urban center in the western U.S., the city is building a sleek new center for performing arts and has major redevelopments underway both downtown and surrounding the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where a cultural district is being created. MGM MIRAGE recently launched its part in the city's new future, a $4.3-billion dense urban development with restaurants, retail space, and 1,650 residential units, along with a 4,000-room resort hotel and three 400-room boutique hotels, slated to open on 66 acres between Monte Carlo and Bellagio in 2009. But the "urbanization" is already under way, with the city's culinary scene becoming increasingly respected, an evolving cultural sophistication, and an entertainment scene getting broader in its diversity and greater in quality by the day. The city now has several art museums and is becoming the permanent western home of several Broadway productions. "It used to be that what drew the attention of meeting planners to Las Vegas was the high number of hotel rooms in close proximity. No other city could match it. Other cities could say, 'but we have the culture," says Alan Feldman, SVP of public affairs for MGM MIRAGE. "Now we have great shows, culture, and restaurants, so they are not going to be able to say that in the future. Las Vegas is at a tipping point, where there really will be nothing to match it."
To capitalize on such critical mass, the Las Vegas CVA has announced a five-year plan to draw 43 million visitors by 2009 and keep Vegas in the forefront of tourism. Among the strategies for growing meetings business is a plan to enhance the 3.2 million-sf Las Vegas Convention Center, for which the LVCVA is conducting focus groups in key U.S. cities. "The renovation of the convention center is not about expansion. It is about enhancing our customers' experience. Servicing their needs is our top priority," says Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO. "It is imperative we incorporate our customers' input into the enhancement process." Phase I of convention center renovations is expected to begin in 2006.
Meanwhile, the Harmon Strip has been tagged as the new Vegas hot spot. The area is growing up around the Hard Rock Hotel, which is spending $1 billion on "The Flats," a condo-hotel expansion with 738 condos, several restaurants, and meeting space opening late 2007. Flanking Clooney's new project on the other side is W Hotels' first property in the city, the Las Vegas Hotel, Casino & Residences. Scheduled to open in 2008 on 21 acres at the intersection of Harmon Avenue and Koval Lane, the $1.7-billion property will be a mix of 3,000 hotel and residential units and include ten dining/nightlife outlets, retail space, a 75,000-sf casino, 300,000 sf of meeting space, as well as the Bliss Spa & Gym.
What's New - Hotels A $400-million expansion under way at the 495-room Alexis Park Resort is scheduled to add 1,000 guest rooms and 30,000 sf of meeting space by 2007, bringing the total amount of meeting space up to 70,000 sf.
A project under way at the 200-room Barbary Coast will revamp the hard and soft goods by next spring.
Last Dec, the Bellagio opened its new $375-million spa tower, which has 928 guest rooms, an expanded spa and salon, 60,000 sf of new meeting space, 5,000 sf of new retail space, and a casually elegant restaurant.
Last summer, Caesars Palace completed a $76-million, 86,000-sf meeting space expansion, along with debuting its new $289 million Augustus tower; the 26-story all-suite luxury hotel tower features a VIP lounge, retail space, two new restaurants, a 35,000-sf spa, and 949 guest rooms. The additions bring Caesars' total number of guest rooms to 3,340.
Last June, the 3,000-room Las Vegas Hilton adopted Passkey to manage its online housing for all types of events and meetings.
The 548-room Las Vegas Renaissance Hotel, the largest non-gaming hotel in the state, opened earlier this year next to the Las Vegas Convention Center with 19,600 sf of meeting space in 14 rooms, including the 9,850-sf grand ballroom, along with 10,000 sf of prefunction space. Wireless Internet will be available throughout the property and spa services will be offered through one of the most exclusive clubs in the city.
Last year, the SkyLofts at MGM Grand opened on the top two floors of the property, with 51 luxurious lofts and attendant amenities, including 24-hour butler and a completely customized environment.
The Mirage is introducing several new amenities. Opening by the end of this year are STACK Restaurant & Bar, created by the same people who opened Fix at Bellagio, with a menu offering fun, approachable American cuisine; Fin, a high-end contemporary Chinese restaurant; and Jet Nightclub. By next summer, the resort will complete an enhancement of its iconic volcano, as well as the Mink Bar & Lounge, with combo of rockin' bar and chic elegance; and Japonais, with new Asian cuisine.
Last year, the 2,023-room New York-New York completed a $30-million redesign of its 1,370 standard deluxe guest rooms, injecting New York flair and adding amenities like 27-inch flat-screen televisions and high-speed Internet hook ups.
The Orleans opened its new 460-room, high-speed Internet capable tower late last year, bringing the room count up to 1,886; it will add a new restaurant by early next year and is slated to complete a project by next summer that will renovate soft goods and install high-speed Internet access in a number of its existing guest rooms.
PURE Nightclub opened earlier this year at Caesars Palace, featuring panoramic views of the Strip.
The Palms Casino Resort is spending $600 million to expand its offerings, including a new 40-story tower opening in phases through next April to feature 347 guest rooms; two new restaurants; a new nightclub; the Playboy Club & Casino; and new meeting space that will bring the resort total up to 60,000 sf, including a new 2,200-seat showroom. Also part of the project is a new 599-unit condo hotel and spa called the Palms Place, which breaks ground this winter and will be connected to The Palms by an enclosed moving walkway.
The Venetian opened Vivid earlier this year, a new 9,000-sf nightclub featuring an entrance where guests walk under 20-foot-long wood trellises with syncopated beams of light that lead them into the main room. The club's interior design features the rich colors of dark stained wood columns highlighting violet and burgundy wall coverings, and a second-story balcony that overlooks the Strip.
The partnership of Planet Hollywood and Starwood Hotels & Resorts has purchased the 2,000-room Aladdin Resort & Casino, with a transformation now under way into Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, A Sheraton Hotel. By the end of next year, the revamped property will have a new façade, a new 1,500-seat showroom, an updated dining and entertainment concept, and movie and television memorabilia incorporated into specialty rooms and suites.
Last May, the 2,563-unit Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino wrapped up a $39-million 60,000-sf expansion, bringing the total function space at the hotel up to 160,000 sf in 80 rooms.
The 200-room Santa Fe Station is spending $120 million to expand its casino and add a 500-seat buffet restaurant, a new parking structure, and a new 15,000-sf banquet facility by next Sept.
By March, the $600-million South Coast Hotel & Casino is slated to be fully open with 1,360 guest rooms that feature plasma screen televisions, plush sleeper beds, and coffee makers; a conference center with 75,000 sf of meeting space; an 80,000-sf exhibit hall; and WiFi capabilities in all guest rooms and meeting space.
The Westin Casuarina Las Vegas officially opened last Jan as a $75-million transformation of an existing property; the new 17-story hotel features 825 guest rooms, 12,000 sf of meeting space, and a 200-seat showroom.
Last June, the Adventuredome Theme Park at Circus Circus debuted the new SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D Ride.
Earlier this year, Insanity - the world's fourth-highest thrill ride - took flight at the Stratosphere.
Greater Las Vegas Area Last Dec, the Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa finished a $125-million expansion that added 296 rooms, for a total of 490, and brought the total meeting space up to 50,000 sf in three ballrooms and 12 smaller function rooms. Phase III of the property is now under way; a $110-million expansion, slated to wrap up in early 2007, will include new gaming, dining, and entertainment venues as well as 14,000 sf of new meeting space.
Two new venues opened last year at Lake Las Vegas for use by meetings based at the resort community's 496-room Hyatt Regency and 350-room Ritz-Carlton: Oasis Events Park, for parties and teambuilding programs right on the lake, and Lake Las Vegas Floating Stage, a 52' by 76' stage which can accommodate concerts, product launches, and events such as a gourmet dinner in the middle of the lake.
Plans for an as-yet-unnamed convention hotel are in the works at Lake Las Vegas that will feature 400 guest rooms and 80,000 sf of meeting space, with the project scheduled for completion in 2008.
Loews Hotels is building a $200 million 400-room Mediterranean-themed property at Lake Las Vegas, which is slated to open on the north side of the lake across from MonteLago Village in Jan 2008 with two restaurants, 40,000 sf of meeting space, and a spa, but no casino.
The $800-million Red Rock Resort, Spa, & Casino is scheduled to open in April with 414 guest rooms, with an additional 421 rooms opening by the end of the year, and a total of 70,000 sf of meeting space featuring an abundance of windows with views of nearby Red Rock Canyon.
Transportation The $650 million Las Vegas Monorail officially reopened last Dec, after having been closed to the public since early Sept, when it suffered some technical glitches. County officials gave the okay for the monorail to reopen after "commissioning," when virtually every part of the system was tested and retested 20 hours a day, including several thousand trips by the nine trains. "The system operated extremely well. It couldn't have gone any better for us," says Monorail spokesman Todd Walker. On its four-mile route, the Las Vegas Monorail stops at seven stations: the Las Vegas Convention Center; Las Vegas Hilton; the MGM Grand, Bally's/Paris, the Flamingo/Caesars Palace; Harrah's/Imperial Palace; and The Sahara.
Las Vegas-McCarran Int'l Airport completed one of the first elements in a $146-billion renovation/expansion—the northeast wing of D Gates (10 in total). Projects slated for completion over the next few years include renovation of Terminal 1, new baggage claim areas, a new car rental center, runway refurbishment, and the addition of the northwest concourse with nine D gates. The airport also became the first in the U.S. to install common use self-service (CUSS) multiple-airline check-in kiosks two years ago. In Phase II, the airport will install kiosks in the airport ticketing lobby to accommodate passengers traveling with checked baggage.
Groups Should Consider Groups should consider these recommendations from the Successful Meetings Home Team experts. Top choices include the 3,991-room Excalibur; the 4,407-room Luxor; the 825-room Westin; the 720-room Tuscany Suites; the 4,332-room Mandalay Bay; the 2,024-room New York-New York; the 3,421-room Bellagio; the 2,529-room Harrahs; the 2,500-room Caesars; the 3,028-room Mirage; the 5,034-room MGM Grand; the 2,665-room Treasure Island; the 536-room JW Marriott Las Vegas; and the 349-room Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas.
Theming, Las Vegas Style The new "Taste of MGM Grand" theme party, which is orchestrated in a banquet room, offers groups the opportunity to delve into cuisine from the property's award-winning restaurants, sampling items such as sea bass from SEABLUE, the filet mignon from Craftsteak, and the lobster pot pie from Nob Hill.
A Las Vegas spa party can take place in distinctive new venues, such as private corners in the new Spa Bellagio, where manicure/pedicure parties can be staged while the group sips champagne or dines on a specially created spa luncheon, and in the private barber room, where a men's party can include The Royal Shave, a decadent grooming that includes elements of a facial.
One of the most popular parties at Lake Las Vegas features an unexpected side of the city with high impact: Jazz Under The Stars, where picnic baskets are set up on blankets in Ponte Vecchio Park right on the lake and a jazz trio plays as people sup. Then, as the sky darkens, everyone leans back on their blankets for some serious star gazing.
Taking off on the culinary craze, a cooking theme party can be staged in the new Tuscany Kitchen, which opened last December at the Bellagio. A specialized group venue intended to offer an exclusive experience, the restaurant is the first exhibition kitchen of its kind in Las Vegas and can be used for anything from a cooking demonstration in conjunction with a formal dinner or reception, to teambuilding and spouse activities (18 to 60 people).
Area Resorts Teambuild With A Twist The 349-room Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas introduced "Segway Polo," which allows meeting and incentive participants to play the traditional game of polo on Segway Human Trans-porters (HTs), with soft foam mallets and balls. Geared to all fitness levels (and all sizes between 100 and 250 pounds), the program is managed by staff that includes timekeepers, scorekeepers, and umpires, with participating groups urged to supply their own cheerleaders, hecklers, and spectators alongside the tournament lawn. (Other programs include the Adventure Triathlon, featuring mountain biking, trail running, and kayaking on 320-acre Lake Las Vegas; the Catapult Challenge, using team-constructed citrus-fruit launchers; the Poker Run road rally, combining a scavenger hunt with Texas Hold'em poker; and Castaway, requiring team members to relay-race on team-made rafts that navigate gentle Lake Las Vegas.
In Summerlin, NV, groups or interested spouses can "find the goddess within" by taking belly-dancing classes at the 536-room JW Marriott Las Vegas' Aquae Sulis spa. The classes, which are taught by "Farasha" (the nom de danse of Deneen Miller), focus on percussive hips and shimmy movements along with creative combinations that build body strength. Says Arzu Delp, spa director, "We knew belly dancing, with its great abdominal and pelvic workout, would be a wonderful addition to our menu."