Planning a meeting in Las Vegas or attending a convention in Las Vegas and having to organize satellite events?
| Notable Vegas Accommodations |
When meeting attendees head to Las Vegas for conventions, trade shows and events, there’s no question that they will be expecting lavish accommodations regardless of the industry or profession they work in. Las Vegas has the reputation of having a superb hospitality sector with the finest hotel facilities in the country. It’s up to meeting planners to fulfill attendee expectations and book accommodations that live up to the city’s high standards.
In the past year, planners have made the mistake of overestimating the limiting effects of restrained budgets. Even if all the entertainment elements of Las Vegas were taken out of the question, the fact remains that the city is home to some of the largest and most versatile convention centers and meeting facilities in the nation. So rather than eliminating Las Vegas as an event destination, and in order to still be able to utilize its top-tier venues, some planners made cuts in all the wrong places, namely, accommodations.
Imagine your boss telling you that you were going to be attending an industry trade show for a week. Whether the trade show is held in Las Vegas or another city, it’s understood that a significant part of the trip will include leisure activities. So just put yourself in the place of an attendee who arrives in Las Vegas and is put up in an economic hotel with the bare minimum of guest amenities. There’s no casino, no dining options and no entertainment. Suddenly this business trip just went belly up. Not to mention the travel costs associated with getting to and from the city’s marquee attractions. Think about it. Without those added elements, the meeting might as well have been held in your hometown.
Yes, we’re big proponents of smart spending. But pulling in the reigns to the point of making Vegas a bland experience doesn’t bode well for anyone, not to mention that it’s entirely unnecessary. In the past two years, we’ve seen major players in the industry shake-up their pricing strategies to appeal to a broader demographic, including corporate event planners.
Should planners be worried that they’re getting less of an experience if they find a bargain? Not at all. As a result of the increased competition for large group sales, five-star hotels have managed to successfully lower their prices without lowering their level of service. Planners who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury brands on the Strip have now been able to give their attendees an upgraded experience without breaking their budgets.
Likewise, planners can take advantage of the significant amount of rebranding that has been taking place in the local hospitality sector. Planners who have stayed away from Las Vegas and are now returning after being gone for a few years might be surprised to see that their favorite hotel now operates under a different name. This has been a result of strategic takeovers by national brands combined with the financial necessity to merge due to the current economic situation.
Most national hotel brands have incentive or rewards programs for brand loyalty. Planners who have been in the industry for a number of years have built reputations at their favorite hotels, which provide them with perks for being a loyal customer. Rebranding initiatives can work in their favor if they look at what’s been going on in the city from a strategic standpoint. If a local brand has been taken over by a national brand with a reward or loyalty program, this now gives planners and convention goers the opportunity to keep their brand loyalty and reap the benefits that come with it.
These renamed facilities also benefit from planners who have a record of brand loyalty. Just take a look at the Greek Isles, which is now part of the national Clarion brand and Choice hotels. Planners who have utilized Clarion or Choice Hotels in other cities may now be drawn to consider the newly rebranded Las Vegas facility for their corporate clientele whereas the Greek Isles sounds more like an island in the Aegean Sea than a Vegas hotel and casino.
The results have been positive for both producer and consumer. “Rebranding has helped us to position ourselves with travelers familiar with Clarion in other cities,” says Steve Dennis, general manager of Clarion Hotel and Casino Near Las Vegas Strip. “Our rebranding has been economical with low upfront costs and then paying a percentage of revenue generated by the brand. This arrangement motivates the brand to sell our hotel as that is how they make their money.”
National brands also bring their top-tier customer service to smaller facilities. Reputation is everything, so if the local facility that is being taken over doesn’t match their track record, the first objective of the new general manager will be to get his team on par. So in short, planners are able to get the full list of amenities of a national chain right in the convenience of their front doors.
In addition to the rebranding of the Greek Isles, other notable projects include the transformation of the MGM Mirage into the MGM Resorts International. The rebranding proposal was initiated to better represent the company’s global presence. However, it was important that MGM maintain its ties to its long history of excellence.
“We believe this evolution honours our entertainment heritage, better represents the growing global presence our company has today and positions us to move forward under a unified brand strategy,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. “The new MGM Resorts International name will create better clarity and awareness for our collection of assets globally, thereby maximizing our best-in-class portfolio of resorts.”
In the past year, planners have made the mistake of overestimating the limiting effects of restrained budgets. Even if all the entertainment elements of Las Vegas were taken out of the question, the fact remains that the city is home to some of the largest and most versatile convention centers and meeting facilities in the nation. So rather than eliminating Las Vegas as an event destination, and in order to still be able to utilize its top-tier venues, some planners made cuts in all the wrong places, namely, accommodations.
Imagine your boss telling you that you were going to be attending an industry trade show for a week. Whether the trade show is held in Las Vegas or another city, it’s understood that a significant part of the trip will include leisure activities. So just put yourself in the place of an attendee who arrives in Las Vegas and is put up in an economic hotel with the bare minimum of guest amenities. There’s no casino, no dining options and no entertainment. Suddenly this business trip just went belly up. Not to mention the travel costs associated with getting to and from the city’s marquee attractions. Think about it. Without those added elements, the meeting might as well have been held in your hometown.
Yes, we’re big proponents of smart spending. But pulling in the reigns to the point of making Vegas a bland experience doesn’t bode well for anyone, not to mention that it’s entirely unnecessary. In the past two years, we’ve seen major players in the industry shake-up their pricing strategies to appeal to a broader demographic, including corporate event planners.
Should planners be worried that they’re getting less of an experience if they find a bargain? Not at all. As a result of the increased competition for large group sales, five-star hotels have managed to successfully lower their prices without lowering their level of service. Planners who ordinarily wouldn’t be able to afford the luxury brands on the Strip have now been able to give their attendees an upgraded experience without breaking their budgets.
Likewise, planners can take advantage of the significant amount of rebranding that has been taking place in the local hospitality sector. Planners who have stayed away from Las Vegas and are now returning after being gone for a few years might be surprised to see that their favorite hotel now operates under a different name. This has been a result of strategic takeovers by national brands combined with the financial necessity to merge due to the current economic situation.
Most national hotel brands have incentive or rewards programs for brand loyalty. Planners who have been in the industry for a number of years have built reputations at their favorite hotels, which provide them with perks for being a loyal customer. Rebranding initiatives can work in their favor if they look at what’s been going on in the city from a strategic standpoint. If a local brand has been taken over by a national brand with a reward or loyalty program, this now gives planners and convention goers the opportunity to keep their brand loyalty and reap the benefits that come with it.
These renamed facilities also benefit from planners who have a record of brand loyalty. Just take a look at the Greek Isles, which is now part of the national Clarion brand and Choice hotels. Planners who have utilized Clarion or Choice Hotels in other cities may now be drawn to consider the newly rebranded Las Vegas facility for their corporate clientele whereas the Greek Isles sounds more like an island in the Aegean Sea than a Vegas hotel and casino.
The results have been positive for both producer and consumer. “Rebranding has helped us to position ourselves with travelers familiar with Clarion in other cities,” says Steve Dennis, general manager of Clarion Hotel and Casino Near Las Vegas Strip. “Our rebranding has been economical with low upfront costs and then paying a percentage of revenue generated by the brand. This arrangement motivates the brand to sell our hotel as that is how they make their money.”
National brands also bring their top-tier customer service to smaller facilities. Reputation is everything, so if the local facility that is being taken over doesn’t match their track record, the first objective of the new general manager will be to get his team on par. So in short, planners are able to get the full list of amenities of a national chain right in the convenience of their front doors.
In addition to the rebranding of the Greek Isles, other notable projects include the transformation of the MGM Mirage into the MGM Resorts International. The rebranding proposal was initiated to better represent the company’s global presence. However, it was important that MGM maintain its ties to its long history of excellence.
“We believe this evolution honours our entertainment heritage, better represents the growing global presence our company has today and positions us to move forward under a unified brand strategy,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. “The new MGM Resorts International name will create better clarity and awareness for our collection of assets globally, thereby maximizing our best-in-class portfolio of resorts.”
1
2
If you have expertise in a particular area relevant to planning meetings and or events, you may submit a 400 to 750 word "how-to" article for possible inclusion in any of our magazines and/or our websites.
If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.
Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.
If accepted, your submission will be edited for length and clarity. There is no monetary payment if your item is used; instead, you can publicize yourself through a five-line biography with your contact information that will appear at the end of the article.
Send submissions to
editorial@MeetingPlannerResources.org. We will contact you if your submission is chosen.