Successful Meetings - April 2009 - (Page 33)

Gaming Meetings Despite what the President and press think, gaming destinations are great for meetings—here’s the case in their favor By Andrea Doyle, andrea.doyle@nielsen.com e’ve all read about companies like Wells Fargo that hastily canceled plans to host a Las Vegas employee conference after lawmakers in Washington learned about the trip and lashed out. Then there was Goldman Sachs, which moved its meeting from Las Vegas to San Francisco. Las Vegas is not taking these cancellations lying down. In reaction, it ran “An open letter from Las Vegas,” as an ad in the Wall Street Journal. “Recently, a promi- A SURE BET nent financial firm canceled a meeting in Las Vegas and moved it to another city because of the perception that Las Vegas is a ‘fun’ trip or an unwarranted extravagance,” the ad states. “We admit, Las Vegas is more fun than any other place on the planet. Guilty as charged. However, serious business is done here every day. Don’t get us wrong. We don't think taxpayer dollars should be spent on any unnecessary expenses. But at a time when America is getting back to basics, there is no room for playing the perception game. Las Vegas has been doing business for decades and has the track record to prove it. That’s the reality,” it continues. Jeremy W READER R I • How gaming destinations are staying on top of negative press and showing they contribute to the success of events and the businesses that host them • Casino properties are working to entice planners with costeffective deals and new amenities • Why casino destinations still make a great choice for meetings SuccessfulMeetings.com I April 2009 I SM I 33 http://www.SuccessfulMeetings.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - April 2009

Successful Meetings - April 2009
Contents
Editor's Letter
News Update
The Industry Fights Back
Gaming Meetings
The Coolers
Vegas Big, Vegas Small
Golf Meetings
Places + Spaces
Colorado
Central Florida
Missouri
Puerto Rico
U.K.
Cape Town

Successful Meetings - April 2009