Travel Agent - September 10, 2007 - (Page 32)

Destinations Las Vegas Las Vegas News & Notes They are building it (an arena), but will they come? H arrah’s Entertainment (www. harrahs.com) and AEG (www. aegworldwide.com) have announced plans to build a 20,000-seat arena on the Las Vegas Strip, all in an attempt to attract a professional sports franchise to the city. The $500 million arena will sit behind the Bally’s and Paris hotels/casinos and is slated to open in 2010. “This arena is being developed with the capability of hosting an NHL or NBA franchise from day one,” said Timothy Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG. “We are optimistic that either basketball or hockey, or both, will be played in Las Vegas when the venue opens.” Of course, legalized sports betting in Las Vegas has been a roadblock in gaining the attention of sports franchises. Last year’s NBA All-Star Game was held in Las Vegas, but commissioner David Stern said the league was not likely to return without a modern arena. A rendering of the Las Vegas Arena, a joint venture of Harrah’s and AEG Worldwide are eligible to receive up to $50 off air and hotel packages when booking a minimum three-night stay through September 15 for travel completed by October 31. Packages include stays at such hotels as the Flamingo, The Mirage and The Venetian. Make sure to use promotion code LAS50 when booking. Visit www.usairwayvacations.com or call 800-455-0123. RUB BBQ Set to Spice Up Las Vegas This Fall New York City’s highly acclaimed RUB (Righteous Urban Barbecue) BBQ will add some extra heat to Las Vegas early this fall with its new location inside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. This will be the restaurant’s second and only venue outside of the New York original. The 9,000-square-foot RUB BBQ promises championship-level barbecue created by Paul Kirk, a.k.a. The Kansas City Baron of Barbecue. Standard dishes include barbequed ribs prepared St. Louis-style, barbequed sausage and pastrami prepared the old-fashioned way, slow-cooked over wood in pits for 14 hours. RUB BBQ will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week. Visit www.rubbbq.net. Employee Strike Averted Las Vegas is staying open for business after a contract between the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and MGM Mirage Corporation (www.mgmmirage.com) covering 21,000 MGM Mirage service personnel was reached. MGM Mirage operates 10 hotel/casinos, including the Bellagio and MGM Grand. The two sides had been in talks since March. The new deal includes a cumulative wage increase of $3.47 per hour—along with an increase in benefits—over the next five years. In addition, the Riviera Hotel & Casino reached a five-year deal that covers approximately 1,000 workers. The Culinary and Bartenders Unions settled new contracts with Harrah’s Entertainment properties in June. Wayne Brady Becomes a Permanent Strip Headliner BASE Entertainment recently announced that Wayne Brady is now a permanent headliner at The Venetian Resort-HotelCasino, extending his show, Making It Up, through mid-2008. Brady’s hilarious improvisational skills are showcased in Making It Up with a classic varietyshow style including improv, singing and dancing. Agents can call 702-414-1000 or 877883-6423 or visit www.venetian.com or the property’s agent portal, https:// secure.venetian.com/APPS/travelagents/ index.cfm. —Dave Eisen and Dan Butcher US Airways Vacations’ New Deals for Agents and Clients US Airways Vacations is slashing prices on its Las Vegas packages for individual travelers and travel agents. Both groups 32 TravelAgent September 10, 2007 http://www.harrahs.com http://www.harrahs.com http://www.aegworldwide.com http://www.aegworldwide.com http://www.usairwayvacations.com http://www.mgmmirage.com http://www.rubbbq.net http://www.venetian.com https://secure.venetian.com/APPS/travelagents/index.cfm https://secure.venetian.com/APPS/travelagents/index.cfm https://secure.venetian.com/APPS/travelagents/index.cfm

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - September 10, 2007

Contents Editor's Letter News You Can Use Agenda: Fam Trips, Calendar of Events, Deal of the Week South America Rising: COVER STORY EUROPE: Undiscovered Croatia PACIFIC/ASIA: Chiang Mai: Hotspot of Northern Thailand LAS VEGAS: Las Vegas’ Inside Man Las Vegas News & Notes Las Vegas: The New Frontier PACIFIC NORTHWEST: A Gem on Oregon’s Central Coast FLORIDA: Hyatt Regency Miami Spruces Up Ensemble Update Agent Outlook: Cruising Today Nantucket Island Resorts Classified Marketplace Home-Based Travel Expo Update Advertisers’ Information People & Places Thailand Planner

Travel Agent - September 10, 2007

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