Meeting News - December 15, 2008 - (Page 36)

Insider Report: Affordable Las Vegas Value Is In Season at the Four Seasons Upscale brand packs extras like room upgrades and in-meeting breaks Value may not be normally associated with Four Seasons, but it is being offered by the non-gaming Four Seasons Las Vegas on the south end of the Strip. Also focused on the message “serenity in Las Vegas does exist,” the resort is offering two meetings packages through June 2009. The Las Vegas Value Meeting Package is offered on select dates and features a credit to the master account of $1,000 when 50 to 100 room nights are booked, a credit of $2,000 for 101 to 150 rooms, and a credit of $2,500 when 151 or more rooms are booked. Taking it a step farther, the Serenity Meeting Package includes goodies such as one complimentary room for every 40 booked, one upgrade to a one-bedroom suite for every 40 booked, and one complimentary 50-minute massage and free high-speed Internet access for the on-site coordinator. Groups that book the Serenity Package during value dates will receive the same credits to the master account as those under the Value Package. Tying into the serenity concept, the resort offers Yoga Breaks, a 30-minute meeting-break program that consists of a series of guided modified yoga poses, breathing exercises, meditation, and stretches. Fifteen-minute mini-breaks are also available, as are chair massages for less formal breaks. Another break provides “TLC” for BlackBerry phones along with the attendees that own them. A “BlackBerry Valet” will clean and recharge the gadgets, answer technical questions, and troubleshoot problems, while attendees recharge on blackberry-themed sweets like smoothies. On-site coordinators get comp massages. The 424-room property offers approximately 25,000 sf of meeting space, including a 10,080-sf ballroom, a 5,250-sf junior ballroom, and two 670-sf meeting rooms. —Irene Korn MGM Mirage Steps Up in Tough Economic Times “There are deals being made that I have never seen before in this town,” said Richard Harper, vice president of sales and marketing for 4,322room Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.“We are all about putting more business on the books and holding on to what we have got. Everybody is looking to provide greater value.” Harper’s view is representative of those at sister MGM Mirage resorts—Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mirage, Treasure Island, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor, Excalibur, and Circus Circus—now that the buyer’s market has replaced what had appeared to be a never-ending seller’s market in Las Vegas. The most difficult thing the planner will have to do in this economic environment, according to Harper, is pick up the phone. “The rest is going to get real easy after that. No joke,” he said. “Anything that was sacred ground in the past is up for negotiation today.” Harper explained that his team is all about identifying the hot buttons of a particular group and doing what’s needed in order MGM Mirage options: Thehotel, Mandalay Bay, and Luxor to secure the business. He said they include room rates, meeting room rentals, and the business terms of the contract, such as attrition. “We are working much closer with the planner and trying to be flexible, asking them to tell us what numbers they think will materialize and to tell us as soon as they know.” To put as much business on the books as possible, Mandalay Bay and other MGM Mirage resorts, as well as other properties throughout Las Vegas, are trying to motivate groups to book early. “What we have been seeing people do is waiting until [near event dates] to see if they can get a deal, which was what was done in the past,” explained Harper. “But now, we are going to put the deal out in front of you to motivate you financially to book farther out. Then, as we get closer to the date, the intent is to yield the rates back up instead of tanking them at the last minute.” Mandalay Bay is also counting on its diverse offerings to help planners with tighter budgets today. For instance, a group that typically booked Thehotel (the upscale 1,000-plus-suite property within the Mandalay Bay complex) and now doesn’t have the budget can have the Mandalay Bay product, which just completed a $165 million renovation. “The beauty of our property and the MGM Mirage family is that we have so many different price points,” said Harper. “If we just can’t make it work with a particular group here, then it is a quick phone call to Luxor or Excalibur across the street, both of which have a different revenue model and can accommodate a group on a smaller budget.” r —Heidi Waldrop Bay 36 MeetingNews December 15, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - December 15, 2008

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