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twitterNew campaign targets locals with casino deals
Amid downturn, tourism, business officials team up for ‘Stay and Play’
Amanda Finnegan
Tourism and resort executives are hoping to target Clark County residents with their new “Stay and Play Here” campaign. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President Rossi Ralenkotter, Palms owner George Maloof, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce President Kara Kelley, Station Casinos Chief Operating Officer Kevin Kelley and New York-New York President Cindy Kiser Murphey announced the new campaign in April 2009.
Thursday, April 16, 2009 | 1:52 p.m.
The Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority and Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce announced their "Stay and Play Here" campaign Thursday to target local Clark County residents. The Web site features more than 100 deals for locals.
Beyond the Sun
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has partnered with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce to sweeten the pot for locals during tough economic times.
The two organizations today announced their “Stay and Play Here” campaign to target locals with deals. The campaign’s Web site features special offers for locals in Las Vegas, as well as Mesquite, Laughlin, Boulder City and Primm. Organizers said using a Nevada driver’s license as a “VIP card,” locals will have access to deals on show tickets, spa treatments, nightclub admission, restaurant offers and hotel discounts.
“There’s no better time for locals to take a break in their own backyard,” said Kara Kelley, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. “What’s really great about this, too, is you have an opportunity to support the local economy as well.”
Vince Albert, LVCVA’s vice president of public affairs, said planning for the campaign with resort partners started at the beginning of the year and was launched in conjunction with the start of the summer season. A radio and print advertising campaign will hit during National Tourism Week, which is May 9-17.
“The people who live here are truly the ambassadors for Las Vegas, so we’re asking you as ambassadors to go out, have a great time, enjoy Las Vegas and stay and play here for the next few months,” LVCVA President Rossi Ralenkotter said.
The Web site includes more than 100 bundled offers with participation from major gaming companies, including MGM Mirage, Harrah’s, Las Vegas Sands, Station Casinos, Boyd Gaming, Wynn Resorts, Palms and others. Albert said the LVCVA expects more offers to come when word gets out.
“I think we all need to believe in our city and get positive again,” Palms owner George Maloof said. “We need to get people excited again to live here and that will create a good buzz for tourists who come in. They’ll hear about locals having fun and that’s really important.”
Maloof said at his resort it’s easy to get locals into clubs and restaurants but more of a challenge to get them to stay the night.
“Our local business has stayed pretty strong through all of this but this [campaign] is a way to get local people to stay overnight and take advantage of our rooms,” Maloof said. “Everyone has a few extra rooms to sell right now.”
Cindy Kiser Murphey, president of New York-New York, said although her resort doesn’t come to mind as a locals resort, she hopes the deals, room renovations and corner location at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana will act as a gateway to the Strip.
“We like to call this the pre-boom period,” Murphy said. “We think that it’s a great time for locals to come down and experience the Strip in ways they don’t normally think about doing.”
Station Casinos, a company already targeting local customers, is offering deals such as 30 percent off spa treatments, rooms starting at $50 and a choice of two gift cards to use at its properties.
The company has seen increased competition with new locals resorts like M Resort. Station Casinos is hoping the deals will bring in even more locals with more of an incentive to spend.
“The visitation to our properties is pretty robust but the problem is, like what everyone else is experiencing, customers are cutting back, being a lot more conservative, so our average spend per visit is a little bit less than what we would like it to be,” Kelley said.
Like Maloof, Kelley said casino executives are hoping the deals will draw locals to their rooms, especially during the summer months when there are additional unfilled rooms.
Discussion: 24 comments so far…
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The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
So the Strip properties didn't want our locals business before, or at least didn't care enough about it.
And now they want us to bail them out by filling their empty rooms and playing their tight video poker machines and eating their overpriced food.
They can stuff it. Even Stations can take a hike. Who in their right mind would put even a single dollar in a video poker machine of a company that is pondering bankrupcty and needs every dollar it can get its hands on?
Do you think they're going to give you any chance of winning under those conditions? No way. Save your money, folks.
Also, don't be hooked by this ridiculous concept that it's somehow our "civic duty" as locals to help Las Vegas out of this rough period.
How insulting.
If they were smart, the name of this campaign would be, "We're Sorry, Locals, and We'll Never Take You or Your Business For Granted Again."
Boycott Stations..they are thieves.
Would you want Kevin Kelly or the Fertitta's living next door to you? Didn't think so.
When my sister came from Chicago for a visit she was staying at the NY-NY and I called to get a room for myself - they couldn't care less that I was a local - they wanted $300+ for a Friday and Saturday night stay (each night that is). Now NY NY can stuff it - I wouldn't stay there for free.
And just to clarify - my sister and her friend had their own room at the NY NY and paid regular 'tourist' rates - so it's not like I was trying to get a room for my out-of-town company at a discounted rate -
these people are nuts, like a local really needs a room or a discount at a spa. notice how they say nothing about giving you a better shake in the casino. release some former mob members from jail, they know what gamblers want, a fair shake on casino floor. frequent visitors like my wife and i are coming less because we can get better play closer to home. having just a handful of companies owning all the casinos is the PROBLEM.
I guess we're good enough NOW to go down to the Strip to stay and play!!! My friends from Chicago are always asking if I did this or that down on the Strip (the last time was just recently - did I go down there to see any of the celebs and such for the CMA's). I always tell them we locals CANNOT afford to go down to the Strip so we stay close to home to gamble or to go out to eat. Maybe when they start giving us 50-60% off on all show tickets (and when I say "all show", I mean the first rate entertainer shows like Midler, Manilow, Cirque, etc) - then maybe we'll venture down there to take advantage of the other deals that they are throwing at us. And yes - I agree with ALL the comments about Station Casinos. They started ignoring us several years ago and we haven't forgotten that! At least I haven't. My money is good at Rampart, Arizona Charlies, the Cannery so I don't need Stations any more.
I wonder if NY/NY has changed their policy of having only the locals player points expire after 28 days? Does the Wynn require you to put 500 points on a "temporary" card before you can get a real card, simply because you're a local? The Strip treated locals like fleas for years, and now we can bite back. May they all go the way of the Aladdin....Sorry, employees, but that's the fact, Jack....
I just perused that site that is referenced in this article, the one for locals. No big deal on ANY of the offers. They're going to have to do better than what is offered to bring us locals down to the STrip. The ONLY casino that is giving some deals is The Palms. I received in the mail, addresed to "Our Local Friends", a booklet with a lot of 2 for 1 food deals in it, decent cash back coupons, etc.
Since we locals have been persona non-grata for years now,I patronize local,small businesses owners to help sustain them rather than piss away money in strip and corporate establishments. I guess that $500 bottle service idea wasn't so hot huh?
I just reiewed the site which was referenced in the article. I did not see any real deals for locals. I would suggest they try a little harder if they want my money.
Wow! Just when you'd think the casino execs ba**s were shrinking down a little due to the economy and they're all at the door of bankruptcy, they come up with this hoax. Good grief! Loosen up a machine or two (or maybe even 4 or 5)for cryin out loud and maybe, just maybe, you'll start getting some business back. If I can be so bold as to borrwow from "Judgesmales" They can STUFF IT!!
I agree they will certainly have to do better than what is showing. I dont see any deals here. You casino exec's shut your door on us years ago. I wonder how many unemployed casino workers there are that are reading this. yeah I see you laughing, so am I. Well to the Steve Wynns out there, thanks but no thanks. You see it the gest of everything we made your business what it is today, with our great customer service We brought in the guests, now we gonna watch you fall and fail .... since we were not important enough for you.
You layed me off because of greed! Now that times are even harder you want me to spend my unemployment check to come help bail you out? You have got to be jokeing! And if they think that whats posted on that site is a bargin,what planet are these fools liveing on? Until word of mouth go s out that vegas is the place to be again,no one will come! When the bad reveiws get back home,who in there right mind will come here? Keep telling yourselves these gimics will work and maybe they will? Also maybe try clicking your heals together 3 times and mumble,theres no place like home............
Go to Laughlin and enjoy the prices that locals enjoyed many years ago. The help is friendly and you do not have to have a bunch of drunken punks all over the place. Just do not support the big corporations like Harrah's, as they believe in screwing the people down there just like they do here in Las Vegas. These bimbos that posed for the picture except for perhaps Maloof have no clue what is required to attract people and to get them to come back!
These offers are not just lame, they're insulting.
JudgeSmales hit the nail on the head.
Just the thought of MGM and Harrah's filing bankruptcy makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. These two companies could f-up anything. As usual, the employees will be the ones who suffer not the ones who DROVE THE COMPANY INTO THE GROUND WITH THEIR GREED AND STUPIDITY AND GREED AND GREED....
The Rampart is really the only casino worth going to. (I haven't made it to the M yet but I hear it is great)
The offers really are laughable.
They want to be our friends now!?!?!?!?! Last time I was on the strip six months ago, the bartender charged me $11 (Flamingo) for a microscopic drink. The bartender didn't seem to care if he had a job or not. No incentive to go back, or bring visiting friends or family to the strip.
Give 'em time guys. They simply don't understand yet that the locals are the only customers they will have for a while. Downtown has the right idea, but the Strip casinos are so used to being Kings of the Royal Court they don't realize they are actually the Court Jesters
The offers are junk. 50% off on a bottle of wine? alcohol is cheap here, we can get it at a store we know and take it to a room but, I don't see any discounts on rooms. I would go to a room just to get away from my family and my daily stressers but, not for $200. One show I thought about seeing has restrictions, its during the week and only the 10:30 show. Come on people make me want to GIVE you my money, stop treating me like I asked for a favor, your asking a favor from me!I can get better deals on priceline or cheapdeals.com!! I'm not a gambler but, if I'm in the casino, I will drop a couple of dollars but, you got to get me in there first! There is a lot I want to see in Vegas but, I won't pay the prices. I know you don't have full audiences every night, I got to see a couple a shows for being on performers "will call" list. I could go for that, put me on a list to see those pricey shows and for a 50% discount, I'll help you fill your audience! seat just goes to waste anyway. This town has a 10.4% unemployment rate and the casinos are the biggest employers and the local taxpayers. Yeah, they treated locals like free loaders because we don't pay taxes and most don't gamble that much, I've won more then I've lost. Plus, most locals seem to complain a lot when you meet them in the casinos,who wants a sour puss in their place, drives away the happy gamblers. I don't like meeting locals in casinos, compared to where a lot of us are originally from, this town is great! Some of my family members in California had to cash in their 401k's because they can't get unemployment anymore, my sister worked for 30 years for the county. If the casinos go down, it's not just them, the counsel will use it as another excuse to take more money away from schools, mentally ill and food and shelter for the homeless. The homeless is now some of my past neighbors and my childs school friends. I could be next.
SO CASINO WANT LOCAL TO BAIL THEM OUT SORRY NO MONEY
F STRIP CASINO I HOPE U TASTE YOUR OWN BLOOD HELP CANNERY AND OTHER NEIGHHOOD CASINO
what a sad, obvious, and arrogant display this is.
other than maloof ( who has brilliantly found the perfect hipster/local mix ) none of the people standing in this photo could care one bit about the locals.
these golden parachuters got to keep their jobs while they laid off thousands of people. if ONE of them took a 50% reduction in their weekly pay for a month, it could have kept someone else EMPLOYED for a month.
now they want that person that lost their job because of THEIR greed and arrogance to spend money at their resort so they can make even MORE money?
as they say in the movie "saving private ryan"..."don't shoot, let them burn".
i'll stick to the fireside lounge at the peppermill where i can get a $18.00 scorpion ( enough liquor for the entire night in one yummy drink ), a place to sit, and no line.
"pre-boom"? hahaha! more like "post-bust".
instead of spending $100 on the strip, buy food for your neighbor that's out of work. trust me, that feels better than any spa treatment.
No pity for the casino industry as casinos have used employees and spit them out at their whim. I still say the entrance of the ticket in/ticket out machines have produced tighter slots and the new carnival games in table games are promoted to confuse the novice gamblers, all the while gaming holds are increasing. The fair shake in gaming is gone. It's ok for the casinos to rip off players, but it is illegal for players to seek assisance in their attempts at winning. When the casino placed overwhelming odds against the players, the players walked. Now the casinos are crying and beg for you to return, yet do nothing to level the playing field.
Maloof is obviously a smart guy, and very humble. You never hear about the Palms having financial problems, and not only is it a celebrity hotspot, but locals seem to enjoy gambling there too. I wish him nothing but the best.