Meeting News - December 15, 2008 - (Page 30)

Insider Report: Affordable Las Vegas Edited by William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com Harrah’s Offers Value-Added High-Roller Cards for Attendees Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah’s Entertainment is offering planners Diamond Cards to give VIPs special treatment like dedicated check-in, exclusive lounge services, and discounts throughout all seven Harrah’s properties in Sin City. “Planners ask us: ‘How many can I have?’ And our response is: ‘How many do you want?’” said Jordan Clark, Harrah’s sales VP, adding that the company recommends restricting the cards to a handful of attendees for a level of differentiated service—though they are useful for planners. The cards are the same ones given to gamers who spend $50,000 or more at the casinos. They guarantee priority service at business centers, restaurants, clubs, and taxi lines; priority valet parking; complimentary use of fitness facilities; and discounts at participating retail outlets. Pam Soules, meeting planner for financial firm Winmark Corp, said she used the cards at an event at the Rio in May. Twenty minutes before a presentation, a speaker asked her to make 175 lastminute copies of a handout. Though the business center had six people in line, Soules received immediate service with the card and “looked like a rock star” to her speaker. Harrah’s also offers the ability to book restaurants, like Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, and venues like the Pure nightclub, and apply expenditures to the overall F&B minimum. Sales staff is divided by meeting size (10-100 attendees, 100300, 300-700, and 700+) and serve as a single point of contact for everything from catering to last-minute reservations to entertainment tickets. “Groups and gamers are what we’ve focused on, and where we put our resources,” Clark said. Clark said recent economic problems wouldn’t affect the quality of service. Harrah’s has poured $164 million into employee cash incentives since 1999, and gave $4 million back to employees last year even when the Rio lost $10 million. “A happy employee means a happy customer, which leads to greater loyalty and higher profits,” said Don Ross, Harrah’s VP of catering, conventions, and events. —Corrie Dosh Time for Deals Is Now The total number of visitors to Las Vegas in September fell 10.1 percent to 2.9 million, the largest double-digit decrease since 2001 and a sign that the good times in the city have stopped for the time being. Occupancy at the nearly 140,000 hotel rooms fell seven points to 84.3 percent, and even a 21-percent drop in the average daily rate, to $112, failed to spur demand. According to the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, the number of conventions held in September was down 18 percent year over year, and convention attendance was down 10 percent. Air passenger traffic dropped 13 percent. While the downturn instantly affected the leisure market, the future has dimmed for group and convention travel, as well.“If you’re not willing to spend so much on personal travel, then why spend so much on business travel? So it doesn’t bode real well for travel as a whole,” said Brian Henry, senior meeting planner for healthcare firm Allergan Inc., at an October panel staged by the Las Vegas Hospitality Association. The economy also has affected the $890 million expansion of the city’s convention center. While work began in August, construction is expected to be ongoing past 2011. Development on the $4 billion Echelon Place and the $3.5 billion Cosmopolitan Resort has stopped after investment dried up for the projects. For savvy planners, the downturn can yield some opportunities for savings. Denise Nowak, director of marketing for telecommunications firm 5Linx Enterprises Inc., was in town in early November looking to score a deal for a large incentive group. Her requirements, an all-inclusive package for her attendees, may have been a hard sell before. Now, however, options from attendee gift cards to charging expenses back to the room were on the negotiation table. Deals at Luxor and MGM Grand include a complimentary third night for bookings through January. Mandalay Bay is also offering a free third night through Jan. 4, 2009, a complimentary roundtrip flight for a return trip for qualified bookings, $300 in retail coupons, and two-forone tickets to Mamma Mia! —CD Look Off-Strip for Affordable Alternatives in Casino Resorts Station Casinos opened the $662 million Aliante Station Casino & Hotel in November, on a 40acre lot within North Las Vegas’ Aliante masterplanned community. The resort company’s 18th property in southern Nevada, Aliante Station was designed as an urban desert retreat inspired by Scottsdale-modern architecture. Through a separate hotel entrance, groups will find 202 guest rooms and suites featuring tailored linens and amenities such as flat-panel televisions, iPod docking stations, and Internet connectivity. Onsite amenities include a fitness center, a pool and various sun decks, six restaurants and a food court, and a 16-theater cinema. Aliante Station’s 14,000 sf of function space, comprised of a 10,000-sf ballroom and five breakout rooms, can accommodate 610 for a banquet and 900 for a reception. Groups can also rent Access Showroom, a 13,500-sf space that can seat 600 as a traditional concert venue or be used as a more intimate lounge for a party of up to 340 people. The showroom is outfitted with a high-impact sound system, a 16-by-30 video screen flanked by two 9-by-16 screens, and a series of luxury VIP boxes. The $250 million Eastside Cannery Casino & Hotel, which opened in August, is the latest addicontinued on page 34 30 MeetingNews December 15, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - December 15, 2008

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