Meeting News - February 2, 2009 - (Page 22)

Insider Report: Gaming Destinations continued from page 20 long time.” One exhibitor, who did not wish to be named, said suppliers were getting realistic amid the grim economy. At her site selection for next year, she got a $2-per-sf discount, and her preferred hotel chain was offering her more for less. For his fellow meeting planners, O’Malley advised, “Partner with your suppliers. And make sure that the meeting you’re planning in this environment is essential; non-essential falls under the budget ax.” In his keynote address, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said, “The impact of the economy will be with us for a while. It feels like we’ve entered an era of reduced expectations. But our digital lives will continue to get richer. Companies that continue to pursue innovation will achieve a competitive advantage.” He pointedly added, “Over five billion people have never used a PC.” While many delegates stayed home, the stars still came out. Celebrity appearances included Tom Hanks, Alex Trebek, Jimmy Fallon, Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, Usher, and Ludacris. Stevie Wonder appeared at a National Federation of the Blind press conference during CES to urge the making of tech products, from iPods to talking thermostats, more accessible. (Unemployment among the vision-impaired is at 70 percent.) “It’s my joy to encourage all of the various manufacturers to be a part of making technology more accessible,” said Wonder, “so we can experience excitement, pleasure, and freedom. This technology can be great not only for people who are blind, but great for people in general.” But with a sour economy, an electronics sales slowdown, high travel costs, and the instant availability of the Internet, could CES (and an Apple-less Macworld) go the way of extinct giant tech trade shows like COMDEX? “I don’t think it could happen to CES,” said Pepcom’s O’Malley. “There are simply too many products and essentials to go away. It’s also a reasonably well-managed trade show, by a group that’s intensely interested.” The CEA estimated that each CES attendee has an average of 12 meetings and that there are approximately 1.7 million meetings conducted in all during the show. And, it claims the Internet as a partner rather than a competitor; CES updates are posted on Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and even in a blog by the trade group. “The trade show serves so many constituencies, building intercompany relationships and [bonds] with distributors, retailers, press, and suppliers,” added O’Malley. “At the end of the day, a face-to-face is still a desirable thing.” Randy Fry, president of retailer Fry’s Electronics, took it further: “If you are not here at CES, you are not in this industry.” H GAMING SHORTS More Stars Light the Desert Sky This month, Mobil Travel Guide published its 2009 Star Ratings, and of the gaming destinations, Las Vegas nets all but one. At the five-star range for hotels, the winners are the Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas and Skylofts at MGM Grand. For restaurants, Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand and Alex, for spas, the Spa at Wynn Las Vegas. At the four-star range for hotels, it was Wynn Las Vegas, Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, the Palazzo, the Signature at MGM Grand Las Vegas, Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, Bellagio Las Vegas, and the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, NV. For restaurants, the Restaurant Guy Savoy, Picasso, Mix - Las Vegas, Michael Mina, Bradley Ogden, and Aureole. For spas, the Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, Spa Bellagio at Bellagio, Spa at Trump, Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, the RitzCarlton Spa, Lake Las Vegas. The lone, non-Vegas exception? The four-star Immerse Spa, the MGM Grand Detroit. production the Lion King, the first-ever Disney theatrical production in Las Vegas, to be launched at the Mandalay Bay Resort. The Lion King will begin preview performances on April 20 and open on May 2. Housed inside the Mandalay Bay Theatre, the production will be staged with all of the spectacular music, sets, and costumes that have established the show as a worldwide phenomenon. Reservations for groups of 15 or more are available at $53, $86, and $113.50, and VIP packages, which include premium seating, a complimentary souvenir program, and a complimentary VIP show merchandise item, are available for $168.50. Tax and service fees are inclusive. Place Your Bets The M Resort, Spa, and Casino is scheduled to open next month, featuring 390 guest rooms and suites, more than 60,000 sf of meeting and conference space, and over 92,000 sf of gaming area. The resort will also feature a 14-screen movie complex, nine restaurants, and a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center that will provide local and out-of-town guests with an unrivaled South Strip experience. Meanwhile the 4,000-room Aria resort will begin accepting reservations on Feb. 23 for its December 2009 opening. Aria will provide a premium meeting experience, with 300,000 sf of technologically advanced meeting and convention space, including four ballrooms (three featuring fully functioning theatrical stages) that will accommodate gatherings from 10 to 5,000 attendees. A spectacular glass curtain wall will span the entire north facade of the three-level meeting facility, allowing guests the ability to enjoy the brilliance of natural light streaming in from Aria’s lush poolscape. Fishing for Complements? Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort offers sushi and sake lessons by master sushi chef Osamu “Fuji” Fujita, who personally conducts sushi classes every second Saturday of every month through 2009, at 3 p.m. inside Marssa restaurant. The two-hour sushi and sake clinic is designed to educate participants about traditional Tokyo and Osaka-style Japanese cuisine in a fun, hands-on environment. Loews Lake Las Vegas has 493 guest rooms. ELSEWHERE IN THE U.S. Tulsa, OK: The Cherokee Casino Resort is continued on page 32 Lion King in Vegas: Hear It Roar Group tickets are now on sale for the Las Vegas 22 MeetingNews February 2, 2009 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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