Destination Guide | Las Vegas
THE REAL DEAL (LAS VEGAS)
By Chuck Kapelke
Just for the record, 2006 marks the 75th anniversary of gambling in the state of Nevada, and business is booming as never before. The Silver State attracted 51.5 million visitors in 2005 (including 7 million convention delegates), according to the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT). These folks collectively pumped about $40 billion into the state, including $11.6 billion in gaming revenue.
The vast majority of 2005 Nevada’s visitors—about 38.5 million—did the expected thing and headed straight for Las Vegas, where three-fourths of the state’s 180,000 hotel rooms are located. Appropriately, the five largest cities in Nevada, by population, are actually just five portions of the two main hubs, the ever-expanding Reno and Las Vegas metropolitan areas.
Yet to understand the full experience offered by Nevada today, one need look only at the tourism map presented on the web site of the NCOT (travelnevada.com), which neatly divides the eighth-largest state in the union, measured by square miles, into five tidy regions: Reno-Tahoe Property, which is basically a skinny strip along the western border; Las Vegas Property, which geographically speaking, is a minor corner in the southwest; and lastly, everywhere else. Spanning more than 100,000 square miles from north to south, these three areas are dubbed: Cowboy Country, Pony Express Country and Pioneer Territory.
In other words, Reno, Tahoe and Vegas: Modernity. The rest of the state: The Wild West.
Many of these seemingly remote towns have all that a small group would need for a memorable gathering, with tons of activities that can’t be found anywhere else. Imagine putting together a team-building weekend of cattle wrestling on a desert dude ranch, or setting up a cowhands’ dinner in an Old West ghost town. Organize a wild and woolly executive retreat with mountain climbing, river rafting and golfing under sunny skies, with nary a swimming pool or casino in sight. Heck, if you decide on Carson City, your group could even hold its meeting in the Assembly Chambers of the 1860s-era State Capitol Building.
Below, we offer an overview of the array of meeting spots in Nevada. And yes, we do focus on the bigger destinations up front. But if you’re planning a Nevada meeting, remember that there’s a whole lot more state out there, in addition to these fine cities. And there’s a reason the Nevada Tourism Commission’s latest theme to attract visitors isn’t promoting luxury or pampering; rather, it’s adventure.
No matter where you go, all five of Nevada’s tourism territories guarantee tons of sunshine, expansive skies and warm hospitality. Saddle up, pardner, it’s time to explore.
LAS VEGAS t
With three of the largest convention centers in America within a few miles of each other, no city in the world is better suited to host the largest groups than Las Vegas. The fastest-growing city in America hosts more than 22,000 meetings each year. More than two-thirds of those are small business meetings, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA; lvcva.com).
Truth is, it doesn’t matter what size group you have: Vegas wants your business. These days, most of the Strip hotels are either
owned by Harrah’s Entertainment, MGM-Mirage or Wynn Resorts. Of these, Harrah’s sells all of its meetings through one channel (lvmeetings@harrahs.com), while the others sell from each property independently. Nearly every hotel in town has at least one ballroom and most have several dozen meeting rooms. After all, in what other city can you find a whopping 133,000 hotel rooms and 9 million sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space, all in a fully controlled, adult-style Disneyland with entertainments and amenities galore?
More good news for planners is that many of these luxe properties are catching
on to the importance of the meetings market, as it fills the gaps between the resorts’ busy party weekends. Incidentally, the hot summer months and November and December tend to offer the slowest and most negotiable dates in Las Vegas.
If you’ve got a massive meeting to put together, the Las Vegas Convention Center (managed by the LVCVA; lvcva.com) offers a whopping 3.2 million sq. ft. of meeting space, including 144 meeting rooms. The Mandalay Bay Convention Center (mandalaybayconventions.com) is a four-level property with nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space, including four ballrooms up to 100,000 sq. ft. And the Sands Expo and Convention Center (sandsexpo.com), behind The Venetian, has more than 1.8 million
sq. ft. of combined meeting and event space. Some 40,000 hotel rooms are within a ten-minute walk.
Las Vegas offers every possible entertainment in the world, from the many Cirque
du Soleil shows to Broadway hits like The Producers (at Paris) and Monty Python’s Spamalot (coming to the Wynn in 2007), Phantom of the Opera (at The Venetian) and Mamma Mia (at Mandalay Bay). Groups can enjoy discount tickets and backstage tours. Other possible activities include cooking demonstrations and golf tournaments.
It’s not just the Vegas Strip that’s booming: the master-planned community known as Summerlin has a fancy JW Marriott and the new Red Rock Casino Resort, and Lake Las Vegas (lakelasvegas.com), located about 20 minutes from the Strip by car, is home to a Hyatt Regency and a Ritz-Carlton, among others.
And if you’re also looking to head out into the real Nevada while in Las Vegas, rest assured, the desert is close at hand. Several outfitters offer Jeep tours into the desert, and you can also take bus trips out to Hoover Dam, plus hiking trips in nearby Red Rock Canyon and other rustic areas. There’s also Boulder City (VisitBoulderCity.com), which is just 30 minutes from Vegas but bills itself as “A World Away for a Day.”
To learn more about Las Vegas, see lvcva.org; vegas.com; or visitlasvegas.com.
And be sure to check out Smart Meeting’s monthly column, “View from Vegas.”
LAUGHLIN t
Located about 90 miles south of Las Vegas on the banks of the Colorado River (across the waters from Arizona), the town of Laughlin welcomes about 4 million visitors every year. While many pass through en route between Vegas and the Grand Canyon, others come to Laughlin to go boating, water-skiing, fishing or off-roading because the town is a gateway to recreation on Lake Mohave, Lake Mead, Lake Havasu and the Colorado itself.
Laughlin is growing as a destination, and is already well-equipped to handle groups of all sizes, with a total of about 11,000 rooms (mostly in large casino hotels). Additionally, there are multiple golf courses and regular appearances by big-name acts, though, in general, the town has a more country twang than Las Vegas. Many visitors to Laughlin take at least one trip on a river tour boat, which can be chartered for an unusual meeting or special event.
Much of the meetings business in Laughlin is handled by the Las Vegas CVA, which recently launched a new ad campaign to promote meetings in Laughlin focused on the “SMERF” market (social, military, educational, religious and fraternal groups). For more information, see visitlaughlin.com or lvcva.org.
RENO t
Like Las Vegas, Reno is also attempting to bill itself as a destination with more to offer than gaming. The Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (RSCVA; visitrenotahoe.com) recently developed the slogan “America’s Adventure Place” to bring attention to the outdoor activities available in the area. Located about four hours east of San Francisco, in northern Nevada, Reno has quick access to the ski resorts around Lake Tahoe in the winter, and golf, river rafting and mountain activities in the summer.
So why go to Reno instead of Las Vegas? For starters, Reno has not (yet) crossed the threshold into hyper-luxury as the Las Vegas Strip casinos have, so rooms and other costs tend to be considerably lower. Plus, with 1.2 million sq. ft. of meeting space (and growing), the city is more than capable of handling groups of any size.
To get started, visit the web site of the RSCVA, visitrenotahoe.com, which has a cool guide for planners with tons of useful information. Conveniently, the RSCVA manages several facilities for groups looking to get out of their hotel for a gathering. The Reno-Sparks Convention Center has recently undergone an expansion, and now offers more than 565,000 sq. ft. of exhibition and meeting space. The Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center has 35,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, a climate-controlled indoor arena seating 6,200, and a lighted outdoor arena seating 9,000. For a more unusual alternative, the National Bowling Stadium, known the “Taj Mahal of Tenpins,” is also an excellent location for a meeting or event.
And for those hours outside of meetings, Reno and environs have a huge array of adventure-based options, including mountain biking, hot-air ballooning, golf, hiking, or even kayaking right in the heart of downtown. The city is also a great winter destination; 18 ski resorts (and seven cross-country resorts) are between 30 to 90 minutes’ drive away.
LAKE TAHOE t
Located about 60 miles southwest of Reno, Lake Tahoe is the third deepest lake in North America. It’s also a massive, beautiful body of water surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks that afford mountain biking and world-class skiing, among other activities. It’s one of the few places that can offer a day’s worth of team-building experiences in the forests or on the ski slopes, followed by an evening’s bonding session at the craps and blackjack tables.
Technically, only half of Lake Tahoe is located in Nevada; the state border with California runs right through the middle. But most of the hotels (not coincidentally) are found in Nevada’s gaming zones. The north shore of Lake Tahoe, including Incline Village/Crystal Bay, is located only about 30 minutes from Reno. The south shore and the bustling town of Stateline, which has the largest casino hotels, are located about an hour or two from Sacramento, Calif. The two areas are a 1/2-hour drive apart.
The sun shines at Lake Tahoe during 75 percent of the year, or 274 days, but snowfall has been recorded in every month of the year. Summer temperatures range from about 75 degrees during the day to the low 40s at night, and winter temperatures average from a high of 40 to a low of 20 degrees.
For a good introduction to the area, check out the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (800-288-2463; bluelaketahoe.com). Meeting planning services are also provided by the RSCVA (VisitRenoTahoe.com).
In addition to the hotels, event sites around the lake include Thunderbird Lodge (thunderbirdlodge.org), a historic shoreline estate with 5,400 sq. ft. of meeting space; the Shakespeare Festival Stage (tahoebard.com)—not surprisingly, the home of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival—which can seat up to 1,000 people; and Zephyr Cove Special Event Center (zephyrcove.com). There are also team-building programs; for example, the Tahoe Adventure Learning Institute (tahoeadventurelearning.com), which offers training and outdoor adventures like ropes courses among towering cedars and pines.
For the best pricing and to avoid crowds, plan a meeting during the week in the winter months, or consider a shoulder-season meeting. Great deals can be found at properties around the lake between Easter and June 15, and again between Labor Day and Halloween.
CARSON CITY AND VIRGINIA CITY t
Located about 30 miles from Reno, Carson City is the state capital. The town has a friendly frontier atmosphere, but there’s also a solid infrastructure for group gatherings, including more than 1,700 hotel rooms.
“We cater to a lot of meetings of 250 or less," says Janet Jones, CMP, director of sales for the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. "People come here because we're conveniently located. We're half an hour from Lake Tahoe, Virginia City and Reno. It's a small town with a lot of historic character. Plus, we have nine golf courses." Back to Top
Golf: With its reliable sunshine and dry weather, Nevada is heaven for golfers. Reno has more than 40 courses within an hour and a half drive. Carson City is known for its “Divine Nine,” nine different golf courses. Tahoe has golf galore. And Vegas, too, has tons of easy (if not always inexpensive) courses in the area.
Skiing: About 22,000 acres of fantastic ski terrain are accessible at 18 ski resorts within 90 minutes of Reno. They’re much closer if you’re by Lake Tahoe. Even Las Vegas is within an hour of a ski slope. For nonskiers, snowy activities include sleigh rides, snowshoeing and snowmobiling (skicentral.com/nevada.html).
Entertainment: Whether you’re in Vegas, Reno, Tahoe or Laughlin, chances are there’s a performer in town that folks in your group will have heard of. The biggest names in the business make regular appearances at Nevada casinos, so pick an act to suit your attendees’ tastes, then ask the host property about group rates, behind-the-scenes tours and other possible tie-ins.
Dude Ranch: For an authentic Old West experience, head to one of the state’s dude ranches. The 71 Ranch, near Elko, is on 38,000 privately owned acres amid Nevada’s wide open spaces, but it also has Wi-Fi access. For a full list, contact the Nevada Commission on Tourism (travelnevada.com). Back to Top
Yet to understand the full experience offered by Nevada today, one need look only at the tourism map presented on the web site of the NCOT (travelnevada.com), which neatly divides the eighth-largest state in the union, measured by square miles, into five tidy regions: Reno-Tahoe Property, which is basically a skinny strip along the western border; Las Vegas Property, which geographically speaking, is a minor corner in the southwest; and lastly, everywhere else. Spanning more than 100,000 square miles from north to south, these three areas are dubbed: Cowboy Country, Pony Express Country and Pioneer Territory.
In other words, Reno, Tahoe and Vegas: Modernity. The rest of the state: The Wild West.
Many of these seemingly remote towns have all that a small group would need for a memorable gathering, with tons of activities that can’t be found anywhere else. Imagine putting together a team-building weekend of cattle wrestling on a desert dude ranch, or setting up a cowhands’ dinner in an Old West ghost town. Organize a wild and woolly executive retreat with mountain climbing, river rafting and golfing under sunny skies, with nary a swimming pool or casino in sight. Heck, if you decide on Carson City, your group could even hold its meeting in the Assembly Chambers of the 1860s-era State Capitol Building.
Below, we offer an overview of the array of meeting spots in Nevada. And yes, we do focus on the bigger destinations up front. But if you’re planning a Nevada meeting, remember that there’s a whole lot more state out there, in addition to these fine cities. And there’s a reason the Nevada Tourism Commission’s latest theme to attract visitors isn’t promoting luxury or pampering; rather, it’s adventure.
No matter where you go, all five of Nevada’s tourism territories guarantee tons of sunshine, expansive skies and warm hospitality. Saddle up, pardner, it’s time to explore.
LAS VEGAS t
With three of the largest convention centers in America within a few miles of each other, no city in the world is better suited to host the largest groups than Las Vegas. The fastest-growing city in America hosts more than 22,000 meetings each year. More than two-thirds of those are small business meetings, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA; lvcva.com).
Truth is, it doesn’t matter what size group you have: Vegas wants your business. These days, most of the Strip hotels are either
owned by Harrah’s Entertainment, MGM-Mirage or Wynn Resorts. Of these, Harrah’s sells all of its meetings through one channel (lvmeetings@harrahs.com), while the others sell from each property independently. Nearly every hotel in town has at least one ballroom and most have several dozen meeting rooms. After all, in what other city can you find a whopping 133,000 hotel rooms and 9 million sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space, all in a fully controlled, adult-style Disneyland with entertainments and amenities galore?
More good news for planners is that many of these luxe properties are catching
on to the importance of the meetings market, as it fills the gaps between the resorts’ busy party weekends. Incidentally, the hot summer months and November and December tend to offer the slowest and most negotiable dates in Las Vegas.
If you’ve got a massive meeting to put together, the Las Vegas Convention Center (managed by the LVCVA; lvcva.com) offers a whopping 3.2 million sq. ft. of meeting space, including 144 meeting rooms. The Mandalay Bay Convention Center (mandalaybayconventions.com) is a four-level property with nearly 1.5 million sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space, including four ballrooms up to 100,000 sq. ft. And the Sands Expo and Convention Center (sandsexpo.com), behind The Venetian, has more than 1.8 million
sq. ft. of combined meeting and event space. Some 40,000 hotel rooms are within a ten-minute walk.
Las Vegas offers every possible entertainment in the world, from the many Cirque
du Soleil shows to Broadway hits like The Producers (at Paris) and Monty Python’s Spamalot (coming to the Wynn in 2007), Phantom of the Opera (at The Venetian) and Mamma Mia (at Mandalay Bay). Groups can enjoy discount tickets and backstage tours. Other possible activities include cooking demonstrations and golf tournaments.
It’s not just the Vegas Strip that’s booming: the master-planned community known as Summerlin has a fancy JW Marriott and the new Red Rock Casino Resort, and Lake Las Vegas (lakelasvegas.com), located about 20 minutes from the Strip by car, is home to a Hyatt Regency and a Ritz-Carlton, among others.
And if you’re also looking to head out into the real Nevada while in Las Vegas, rest assured, the desert is close at hand. Several outfitters offer Jeep tours into the desert, and you can also take bus trips out to Hoover Dam, plus hiking trips in nearby Red Rock Canyon and other rustic areas. There’s also Boulder City (VisitBoulderCity.com), which is just 30 minutes from Vegas but bills itself as “A World Away for a Day.”
To learn more about Las Vegas, see lvcva.org; vegas.com; or visitlasvegas.com.
And be sure to check out Smart Meeting’s monthly column, “View from Vegas.”
LAUGHLIN t
Located about 90 miles south of Las Vegas on the banks of the Colorado River (across the waters from Arizona), the town of Laughlin welcomes about 4 million visitors every year. While many pass through en route between Vegas and the Grand Canyon, others come to Laughlin to go boating, water-skiing, fishing or off-roading because the town is a gateway to recreation on Lake Mohave, Lake Mead, Lake Havasu and the Colorado itself.
Laughlin is growing as a destination, and is already well-equipped to handle groups of all sizes, with a total of about 11,000 rooms (mostly in large casino hotels). Additionally, there are multiple golf courses and regular appearances by big-name acts, though, in general, the town has a more country twang than Las Vegas. Many visitors to Laughlin take at least one trip on a river tour boat, which can be chartered for an unusual meeting or special event.
Much of the meetings business in Laughlin is handled by the Las Vegas CVA, which recently launched a new ad campaign to promote meetings in Laughlin focused on the “SMERF” market (social, military, educational, religious and fraternal groups). For more information, see visitlaughlin.com or lvcva.org.
RENO t
Like Las Vegas, Reno is also attempting to bill itself as a destination with more to offer than gaming. The Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (RSCVA; visitrenotahoe.com) recently developed the slogan “America’s Adventure Place” to bring attention to the outdoor activities available in the area. Located about four hours east of San Francisco, in northern Nevada, Reno has quick access to the ski resorts around Lake Tahoe in the winter, and golf, river rafting and mountain activities in the summer.
So why go to Reno instead of Las Vegas? For starters, Reno has not (yet) crossed the threshold into hyper-luxury as the Las Vegas Strip casinos have, so rooms and other costs tend to be considerably lower. Plus, with 1.2 million sq. ft. of meeting space (and growing), the city is more than capable of handling groups of any size.
To get started, visit the web site of the RSCVA, visitrenotahoe.com, which has a cool guide for planners with tons of useful information. Conveniently, the RSCVA manages several facilities for groups looking to get out of their hotel for a gathering. The Reno-Sparks Convention Center has recently undergone an expansion, and now offers more than 565,000 sq. ft. of exhibition and meeting space. The Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center has 35,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, a climate-controlled indoor arena seating 6,200, and a lighted outdoor arena seating 9,000. For a more unusual alternative, the National Bowling Stadium, known the “Taj Mahal of Tenpins,” is also an excellent location for a meeting or event.
And for those hours outside of meetings, Reno and environs have a huge array of adventure-based options, including mountain biking, hot-air ballooning, golf, hiking, or even kayaking right in the heart of downtown. The city is also a great winter destination; 18 ski resorts (and seven cross-country resorts) are between 30 to 90 minutes’ drive away.
LAKE TAHOE t
Located about 60 miles southwest of Reno, Lake Tahoe is the third deepest lake in North America. It’s also a massive, beautiful body of water surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks that afford mountain biking and world-class skiing, among other activities. It’s one of the few places that can offer a day’s worth of team-building experiences in the forests or on the ski slopes, followed by an evening’s bonding session at the craps and blackjack tables.
Technically, only half of Lake Tahoe is located in Nevada; the state border with California runs right through the middle. But most of the hotels (not coincidentally) are found in Nevada’s gaming zones. The north shore of Lake Tahoe, including Incline Village/Crystal Bay, is located only about 30 minutes from Reno. The south shore and the bustling town of Stateline, which has the largest casino hotels, are located about an hour or two from Sacramento, Calif. The two areas are a 1/2-hour drive apart.
The sun shines at Lake Tahoe during 75 percent of the year, or 274 days, but snowfall has been recorded in every month of the year. Summer temperatures range from about 75 degrees during the day to the low 40s at night, and winter temperatures average from a high of 40 to a low of 20 degrees.
For a good introduction to the area, check out the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority (800-288-2463; bluelaketahoe.com). Meeting planning services are also provided by the RSCVA (VisitRenoTahoe.com).
In addition to the hotels, event sites around the lake include Thunderbird Lodge (thunderbirdlodge.org), a historic shoreline estate with 5,400 sq. ft. of meeting space; the Shakespeare Festival Stage (tahoebard.com)—not surprisingly, the home of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival—which can seat up to 1,000 people; and Zephyr Cove Special Event Center (zephyrcove.com). There are also team-building programs; for example, the Tahoe Adventure Learning Institute (tahoeadventurelearning.com), which offers training and outdoor adventures like ropes courses among towering cedars and pines.
For the best pricing and to avoid crowds, plan a meeting during the week in the winter months, or consider a shoulder-season meeting. Great deals can be found at properties around the lake between Easter and June 15, and again between Labor Day and Halloween.
CARSON CITY AND VIRGINIA CITY t
Located about 30 miles from Reno, Carson City is the state capital. The town has a friendly frontier atmosphere, but there’s also a solid infrastructure for group gatherings, including more than 1,700 hotel rooms.
“We cater to a lot of meetings of 250 or less," says Janet Jones, CMP, director of sales for the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. "People come here because we're conveniently located. We're half an hour from Lake Tahoe, Virginia City and Reno. It's a small town with a lot of historic character. Plus, we have nine golf courses." Back to Top
Getting There
• Nevada has more than 20 airports, even in remote towns like Lovelock, Jackpot and Winnemucca, so if you are thinking of exploring the real Nevada, you won’t have to endure a five-hour drive across the desert. Getting to Las Vegas, Reno or Tahoe, of course, is easy: the Reno-Tahoe International Airport (renoairport.com) offers 180 daily flights from about two dozen destinations, and at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (mccarran.com), the flights never seem to stop. Back to TopNot To Be Missed
Gaming: Gaming is still the #1 draw in Nevada. About 90 percent of visitors to Las Vegas gamble at some point during their stay, and even the smallest towns across the state usually have at least a few slot machines, if not a full casino. Encourage your attendees to gamble responsibly. Also, consider setting up gambling lessons (offered at many casinos) or tying in business themes.Golf: With its reliable sunshine and dry weather, Nevada is heaven for golfers. Reno has more than 40 courses within an hour and a half drive. Carson City is known for its “Divine Nine,” nine different golf courses. Tahoe has golf galore. And Vegas, too, has tons of easy (if not always inexpensive) courses in the area.
Skiing: About 22,000 acres of fantastic ski terrain are accessible at 18 ski resorts within 90 minutes of Reno. They’re much closer if you’re by Lake Tahoe. Even Las Vegas is within an hour of a ski slope. For nonskiers, snowy activities include sleigh rides, snowshoeing and snowmobiling (skicentral.com/nevada.html).
Entertainment: Whether you’re in Vegas, Reno, Tahoe or Laughlin, chances are there’s a performer in town that folks in your group will have heard of. The biggest names in the business make regular appearances at Nevada casinos, so pick an act to suit your attendees’ tastes, then ask the host property about group rates, behind-the-scenes tours and other possible tie-ins.
Dude Ranch: For an authentic Old West experience, head to one of the state’s dude ranches. The 71 Ranch, near Elko, is on 38,000 privately owned acres amid Nevada’s wide open spaces, but it also has Wi-Fi access. For a full list, contact the Nevada Commission on Tourism (travelnevada.com). Back to Top
What's New?
Big Gets Bigger | Get ready for a gigantic addition to the meetings scene in Las Vegas. The new Palazzo Resort Hote...
Vegas’ Biggest Yet | The Palazzo Las Vegas will celebrate its grand opening this weekend, starting Thursday, January 1...
Yet Another Game In Town | InterContinental Hotels Group announced plans to build a new 386-room Crowne Plaza near the Las V...
iMacs for the Masses in Las Vegas | The Fontainebleau Las Vegas, slated to open in fall 2009, has reached an agreement with Apple to ...
The King of The Strip? | New York-based developer FX Real Estate and Entertainment recently revealed its intentions to cre...
CityCenter Unveils ARIA Casino Resort | MGM Mirage has announced that the much-anticipated name of their massive new casino resort proper...
Back to TopFast Facts
| Population | 552,539 |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 2,000 ft |
| Temperature | 28°f - 107°f |
| Nearest Airport | McCarran International Airport |
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