Meeting News - March 23, 2009 - (Page 32)

Cover Story continued from cover more than 46,000 Southern Nevadans, more than 75,000 indirectly. The assumption that all meetings, events, and incentive travel are wasteful is wrong. Now, more than ever, we need businesses to travel and hold meetings and events. As we move forward, I would caution all federally elected officials to use temperance in their comments. Failure to heed these principles will damage an entire industry, and select cities, causing people to lose their jobs and homes. Excerpted from mayor Goodman’s letter to president Obama, Feb. 10, 2009 Excerpted from the Reuters Travel and Leisure Summit, held in New York, March 2, 2009 Keith Smith President and CEO Boyd Gaming Corp. Rossi Ralenkotter President and CEO Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Las Vegas has worked hard to become the leading destination for meetings, conventions, and trade shows, and the meetings industry is a critical element in our portfolio. Our resorts have invested a great deal in facilities, service, and amenities to ensure that companies bringing meetings here have the best possible experience. Groups find they get more done when they come to Las Vegas because they can do their serious business during the day and experience the amenities and attractions of the destination in the evening. The concept that Las Vegas is solely a leisure destination is outdated. Few cities can match the sheer amount of meeting space and hotel rooms that we offer convention planners, particularly at our high-value price point. Las Vegas also offers numerous direct flights to cities across the country, so travel here is relatively inexpensive and convenient for business travelers. Companies save money by coming to Las Vegas, and they can participate in far larger conferences here. Meeting planners do not choose Las Vegas for leisure; they choose Las Vegas because it makes good business sense. appearance of profligacy, so he canceled . . . and paid a $3.3 million forfeiture. Now, we’re not happy with the $3.3 million; we’d rather have had the people and the $5 billion. But, it was a direct result of the comment made by the administration, by the President. There [seems to be] a pound of flesh mentality in the new administration that I hope is misleading as we go forward. But it’s caused us some trouble here, and we have hundreds of thousands of employees in this industry—more than the automobile industry—and I hope that Uncle Sam recognizes that, and that the rhetoric that is used is more considerate in the future, because it has been demonstrated to us that it can have unintended consequences. Excerpted from Wynn Resorts Ltd.’s Q4 2008 Earnings Call Transcript, Feb. 24, 2009 Andrew Pascal President Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Steve Wynn CEO Wynn Resorts Ltd. Sheldon Adelson CEO Las Vegas Sands Corp. I’m going to conduct a survey, and I’m going to provide a prize for people who will submit the name of the worst city in the country to go to, where people can enjoy it the least. Because that’s the alternative. The alternative is you go to a place where you enjoy, or you go to a place you don’t enjoy. President Obama, in what amounted to a slip of the tongue—I imagine just a conversational nuance— said that he doesn’t think that people who have received benefits from the government should be going on junkets to expensive places or Las Vegas. He used Las Vegas as a metaphor for wasteful spending, in effect, which stigmatized the convention business that could come to Las Vegas. “I’m sure the President didn’t mean to stigmatize the convention and meetings business of Las Vegas when it was conducted by companies that weren’t on the government dole. But the effect that it had . . . One particular convention we had was $5 billion worth of business, [and it] was as far away from needing help from Uncle Sam as you can get, but the chairman of that company decided that he wanted to avoid any The meetings and conventions segment is a critical one for Las Vegas. While perhaps better known as a destination for fun and leisure activities, serious and legitimate business is conducted in Las Vegas every day. In fact, the most successful meetings are held here due to higher-than-average attendance, competitive hotel and air travel rates, and incomparable services tailored to support business travelers. Richard C. Harper, CMP VP of Sales and Marketing, Mandalay Bay I am amazed at the lack of understanding in our country about the value of face-to-face meetings. Is it the right time to spend frivolously? Of course not…but what is frivolous? Clearly, holding a meeting to deliver a mescontinued on page 44 32 MeetingNews March 23, 2009 www.meetingnews.com http://www.vegasmeansbusiness.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 23, 2009 Contents What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com Meetings Mean Business As 'Meeting Matter' Marriott Unveils Promo Columbus, OH, Addresses Convention Hotel Issues People Making News Orlando Strives for Cost Transparency Is Biz-Class Air Travel Dead? Greenest Planner Awards Mid America Insider Report: Conference Centers Destination Insider: Mississippi Gulf Coast Las Vegas Destination Insider: Cleveland Ad Index Live from the Forum

Meeting News - March 23, 2009

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