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When President Barack Obama said that executives ought not use bailout money to pay for trips to Las Vegas, city and tourism officials went to its defense as a business-friendly destination.
Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009 | 2 a.m.
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If Las Vegas’ tourism officials and elected leaders overreacted to President Barack Obama’s remarks last week about corporate execs inappropriately taking trips here, it reflects how precious they hold business travel as a crucial variable in the city’s tourism equation.
Developing that niche market, they say, has taken decades of hard pitch work in the trenches, where the depth of a Rolodex is more important than how many showgirls can be crammed into a full-page ad or television commercial.
Although Obama’s comments were clearly directed at companies receiving federal bailout money, tourism officials say the president’s words nevertheless created the perception in some people’s minds that corporate travel planners should eschew Las Vegas. Not taking any chances, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will launch a six-figure ad campaign this month aimed at correcting any misperceptions.
The ads, which will run in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and various business publications, will feature testimonials from companies that have held meetings in Las Vegas.
“We’re going to pound away at the whole business message,” said Billy Vassiliadis, chief executive of the advertising firm R&R Partners, which produced Las Vegas’ famous “what happens here, stays here” slogan and is developing the new campaign. “There’s a really strong argument that if you’re not meeting in Las Vegas, you’re not running a smart business. Nothing comes close.”
But that wasn’t always an easy case to make.
It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that entertainment and dining ousted gambling from the No. 1 spot in consumer research.
Karen Gordon, president of Las Vegas-based Activity Planners Inc., recalled a time when companies were wary of sending employees to Las Vegas for company-paid getaways as rewards for good work, a practice known as incentive travel.
She cited the story of a sales manager at the old MGM Grand who was rebuffed for more than two years by a major company that books incentive travel — until one of the company’s major clients, the vice president of a Fortune 500 company, wanted a room at the casino for a big fight. With every room booked, the resort’s sales manager offered the executive his own condo, which he had just bought. Since then, the incentive house has done “millions and millions of dollars” in business here, Gordon said.
The story is illustrative of two points: Las Vegas spent years earning the trust of corporate America — and did it largely though personal contacts.
“What happens here, stays here” might work for tourists nationwide, but appealing to the business crowd requires a customized, more sophisticated approach, said Chuck Bowling, executive vice president of Mandalay Bay, home of the fifth-largest convention center in the country. “It’s sitting down one-on-one,” he said. “It’s asking, ‘How can we accommodate you?’ It’s not a blanket campaign. It’s building up relationships over years.”
As Vassiliadis put it, “Nothing beats direct sales.”
And tourism officials say the perception problem stirred by Obama’s remarks threatens to undo all the hard work. “We are speaking out loudly because we’ve earned this reputation and we don’t want anyone to take it away,” Bowling said. “We want the CEOs and businesses to keep coming.”
To be sure, the effect has been limited — but Bowling has felt the sting. Last Monday, after Obama’s remarks, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said it had moved a three-day conference from Mandalay Bay to San Francisco amid what it called a broad review of its activities. The bank has accepted $10 billion in federal bailout money.
Republican Sen. John Ensign criticized the move as “purely a phony public relations gimmick,” saying the relocation had cost the bank a $600,000 cancellation fee.
The other example: Wells Fargo & Co., which, the week prior, canceled a planned employee recognition conference at Wynn Las Vegas after congressional criticism.
Michael Hughes, associate publisher of Tradeshow Week, said the city had been caught in the political crossfire over the bank bailout. “Will financial services think twice about booking Las Vegas? Maybe,” he said. “But they’re going to think twice about booking anywhere.”
Because of the recession, the corporate meeting and convention markets are weak nationwide, Hughes said. “These are the types of events that are canceled in this environment,” he said.
For example: Last week, State Farm Insurance Co. canceled the sales convention it holds here every three years. The event would have hosted 17,000 agents. Company spokesman Jeff McCollum said the recession was the reason for the cancellation but that the company might reschedule later this year.
“It’s not about Las Vegas. We love Vegas,” he said. “State Farm is a family-oriented, conservative company, and we know Vegas has that fun reputation. But it’s also well-respected for its convention business. It has the facilities and the services to handle a group our size.”
Plus, McCollum noted, many agents bring their spouses and families. “After the meetings, they like to go out to dinner and have fun and go to the shows,” he said.
At the other end of the spectrum is Laborie Medical Technologies, a Canadian equipment manufacturer. Kelly Maginnis, Laborie’s marketing course administrator, said the company, which has U.S. offices in Vermont, hosts four educational meetings in Las Vegas a year, attended by about 16 doctors, nurses and technicians in the urology field.
“Las Vegas is always one of our top choices,” she said. And it’s one of the most popular locations Laborie uses.
The company uses nongaming hotels. (Last week it held a meeting at the off-Strip Platinum.) “It’s almost like we’re not in Las Vegas when we’re in the meeting,” Maginnis said. “But all the casinos and the amenities are within walking distance. Our attendees can mix work and play.”
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has marketed that message in the past. Its current campaign: “Not business as usual.” The authority has even designed a specific Web site for meeting planners, vegasmeansbusiness.com. It highlights the Fortune 500 companies that have held meetings here, adding “that’s good company to be in.” The campaign also cites golfing, special events, dining and shopping.
Gordon, of Activity Planners, emphasizes what she calls “another side of Las Vegas,” meaning horseback riding in Red Rock Canyon, an artist’s reception downtown or a concert performance at UNLV.
“We’ve evolved as a brand,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, the authority’s president and chief executive. “We have proven that serious business is conducted in Las Vegas.”
President Obama needs to do a commercial on coming here to Las Vegas. He continues to bash places where these banks decide to hold meetings, ect. It certainly isn't our fault they picked Vegas. Should we have told the bank no, don't come because you are in trouble? I don't think any city would do that. Everyone is hurting and any business is better than none. I heard they went to San Fransisco instead. I bet they paid at least double there than they would of here for hotels ect. You sure didn't hear Pelosi saying anything about not going there? Take a lesson from her Obama. Keep your nose out of our business.
Note to Obama: We here in Las Vegas don't want you coming here again unless it is for the good of the state. Otherwise, STAY AWAY!!!!!
I heard the police are busting all the prostitutes and really going after any customers of the girls. I think that will really help tourism and should be good news to high rollers. Maybe we should tell the Adult Industry to take their annual convention elsewhere as well. Cleaning up the sex industry will do a lot more than mincing words of the president. Less sex and more gun shows, NASCAR events, and rodeos will get Vegas back on track.
Elizabeth needs to listen again to his words,perhaps then she'll understand why the rest of the country understood his words differently.His strong words were aimed at the CEO's and their junkets to Las Vegas on the backs of taxpayers bail out money they were just given.I for one DON't want these companies spending my tax dollars on Junkets to Las Vegas or any other city with bail out money they just received. You just don't understand the situation this country is in.The greed in Las Vegas was created by Las Vegas.That goes for states like Florida and California as well.We're ALL in this mess together.
This is a joke. The Stimulas bill passed by Reid and Obama will end all conventions in Las Vegas.
If your convention exceeds a $75,000 limit, then the Government will "review" your convention plans.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/020...
This covers every company that has recieved money AND any company that will recieve money this year. If you even think that your business will be involved in a government bailout then you will cancel in advance.
So to all of you Obamites in the Unions who gave money to and voter for Obama and Reid. All I can say is HA, HA, HA.....your about to get what you deserve.
Every union will attack the company if they have laid off workers or cut pay and then go to Las Vegas. President Obama may have delivered the death message to Las Vegas. Watch our unemployment numbers and empty homes grow. We have an amateur in White House and it's going to be a long 4 years. The school is on fire and the children are fighting about who has the most marbles on the playground.
Sell the dream, service the nightmare. VP Bowling should look at how M.B. is accommodating. Sure they will take care of the CEO and meeting planners with lovely amenities, the rest of the group gets the shaft because of under staffing and other cost cutting measures to try and improve An already lousy bottom line. The only thing Las Vegas is offering now is aesthetics, and A mile long line of B.S. from money draining P.R. firms.
Is it starting to sound like "tax dollars" and "Govt' junkets" to Vegas have been keeping Vegas afloat for some time? I don't want my tax dollars going to support Las Vegas. If it costs more to avoid Vegas so be it, and this is nothing against the workers or the legitimate businesses. (Trouble is, it's kinda hard to think of something that's not legit. as long as some Casino ends up with the money.)
"Joe the plumber" could walk into a Casino, with a Megabuck, have his pocket "officially" picked, be accused of winning too much, then tossed in jail and it would all be "legal". A plea bargain would probably set him free, but his pockets would definitely be empty.
Joe might be so happy to be out of jail that he would forget all about the "official pick-pockets". If Joe ends up happy, then everybody's happy, right??
honestly,
S. Daniels
WV
"We have an amateur in White House and it's going to be a long 4 years."
Poor grammar. Let me correct that statement for you...
"We HAD an amateur in White House and it WAS a long 8 years."
There we go. Much better.
Lets not forget what we are talking about here...we're talking about "Bail out" money.Money issued on the backs of ALL tax payers in this country.Money WE all have to pay back.FAXCON doesn't get it....
Did anyone read cnn.com today? There is an article about how Obama thinks air force one is "SPIFFY". The article mention he took his first trip as President on air force one last week to the house Democrats retreat in Williamsburg, Va. If our tax dollars pay the saleries of these house reps, why is it okay for them to go on a retreat on our dime, but the banks can't spend there bail out money in a communtiy that is struggling for the all mighty dollar? No matter how anyone took Obama's words, the fact is companies cancelled out on us with money to spend in our community. and yet, Obama goes to a house democrat retreat on our taxe dollars. Does anyone else have a problem with that?
You can put a Bible College and An Old Folks Home in every
Casino. The "Nevada Gaming Commission", "The Nevada Gaming
Control Board" and "The Nevada Commission on Ethics" will
approve of all of it. I still don't want my tax dollars, and
Govt' decision makers supporting Las Vegas.
You can call the "Dealers" and "The Cage Operators" Reverend.
I still don't want my tax dollars and Govt' decision makers
supporting Las Vegas.
You can start allowing card counting, and stop prosecuting
(honest?) gamblers. I still don't want my tax dollars and
Govt' decision makers supporting Las Vegas.
To make a long story short. You can shut down every
whorehouse and outlaw prostitution in the whole state of
Nevada, and I still don't want my tax dollars and Govt'
decision makers supporting Las Vegas.
honestly,
S. Daniels
WV
I am expecting that Obama is going to destroy the coal mining industry in WV.
He has already started.
Does WV even matter? West V is White Trashville. The gov't gets more money from the city of Las vegas, than the whole state of West V. S. Daniels, your state is a joke. Your opinion is a joke. which means you are a joke. Who wants to go to WV anyway? One more thing, Why are you posting a comment on a vegas newspaper site if you don't like vegas? Honestly!
Good question. I guess it was your mayor wanting an apology from the President.
I think you do have more money, but look at how you get it. I would like to have some.
WV has some pretty nice tourist attractions. Also some very nice Ski Resorts, not to mention the Park System, whitewater rafting and wildlife.
We do take our trash to the landfills, rather than trying to sell it to the tourists who are bringing us revenue.
honestly,
S. Daniels
WV
For the mayor and heads of the visitor center to get nervous is a good idea. Las Vegas has never been properly promoted. Besides the reputation of entertainment and gambling, or rather "Sin City" our city is also the capital of the greatest outdoors with world-class mountain climbing and hiking. No one really ever promoted the breath taking Red Rock, beautiful Spring Mountain Ranch, Bonny String, Lake Mead National Park, Mount Charlston and etc..... only to name a few. The above-mentioned places are only 30 to 40 minute drive from the strip. There are a lot more places if one drives a little further out. Which other city gives us all that natural beauty? Sadly those magnificent places are like hidden treasure, only very few people ever know about them. Now it's time to let people what Las Vegas can offer. General public's knowledge and perception about Las Vegas is only the strip. It's time to change that.
We can offer a lot more. We are also the capital of outdoor activities.
Speaking of strip the prices of restaurants in the hotels and casinos have done sky high in the past years. It is short sighted on the owners side. In today's economic environment hotel casino restaurants should lower prices to attract more customers. Give people good deals and they will come back. to add on the our door activities people would stay an extra day or two.
Maybe the president did us a favor to make the city official realize Las Vegas economy needs diversity. The strategy to put all the chips on only develop casinos maybe need to change.
I forgot to mention. WV doesn't have Casinos so if you really like to gamble, you'll have to jump off of "The New River Gorge Bridge", (with a parachute). There have only been 2 or 3 people killed that I know of, and they do it at least once a year.
honestly,
S. Daniels
WV
"WV doesn't have Casinos "
You have no clue even about your own state.
WV does have casinos and gambling.
Also, WV is number 5 in state ranking of federal dollars received per state tax dollars paid. WV gets more Federal dollars than Federal tax dollars paid.
NV is number 49 in state ranking. We are a donor state. We pay more in Federal tax dollars than we get back.
Obama is going to make a lot of coal mining workers to lose their jobs, too.
It's good that Nev. pays more Fed. Tax than it gets back.
WV could make legal moonshine and sell it if we wanted to pay the Fed. Tax. Since we don't make it, it must be pretty high tax. You probably know, I don't.
I'm wondering what the taxes would be on prostitution. So far WV hasn't considered it. (Unless you know something I don't)
If you get much into tourism, there's real work involved.
honestly,
S. Daniels
WV
dont listen to daniels he hates vegas for some reason...EVERY business... you think vegas is the worst place and that gambling is horrible? NO ONE bats an eye when someone in the country wastes money on materialistic items people dont need but when they spend 400 gambling where they could have some fun and make more money everyone thinks it is a horrible thing. vegas is the free market you can bet small and win small or bet big and go home a winner... You say wv has tourist attractions and outdoor recreation but Las Vegas and Nevada has numerous places to go and do outdoor things... The casinos will wise up one day and make some money on mt charleston and other outdoor rec. by planning and organizing the trips right from the hotel
Yeah, I don't get where daniels is thinking that winning gets you busted in Vegas. For your information, the Strip is very above-board. While there are some backroom deals, the Mob effectively made it so Vegas had to be legit. Haven't you seen Casino?
In any case don't you DARE come onto this website you out of towner and disparage our state and talk trash about our casinos.
Next you clearly have NO idea what you are talking about in reference to casinos, because they are NEVER mixed use environments, ie they don't stack old folks homes onto hotel casinos etc. And as has been mentioned there is Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston, Lake Mead, Lake Las Vegas, and a whole slew of outdoorsy "real" activities.
So in short stay off this site, don't come over to our state, because quite frankly we don't want you or your money. Stay in the sooooo much better West Virginia.
"We do take our trash to the landfills, rather than trying to sell it to the tourists who are bringing us revenue."
Spoken like someone who constantly loses and is convinced it's not his fault.
I just spent the entire weekend gambling the same $20 bill. Probably 4 hours worth total. Seemed like great value to me, even though I only ended up with $11 of the original $20. What is that, the cost of a movie? For a weekend of fun?
Mr Daniels, you should not come here. Please stay away. Please go to the Indian casinos near you instead. No need to waste all the gas money when you could simply give away locally.
It takes a lot of brains to spend the entire weekend gambling 20.00.
I know how the slot machines work in Vegas, you're just lucky I didn't broadcast it.
S. Daniels
WV
Ooooo, do tell the secrets of the slot machines. Incidentally, oh swami of West Virginia, how do you know he was playing slots. That's still a huge category, slots. Which ones? And why do you still care about Vegas, if all you do is spew hater-aid?
The slot machines in Las Vegas work like commodes, you just put a handfull of money in and pull down on the handle.
You could put lucky numbers in the commode one at a time, then pull down on the handle and almost win as much as you almost win playing the slots.
See what I mean?
S. Daniels
WV
Nope, because I've won at slots. And there are different kinds. As far as we know johne just went to a penny slot, went up and down for a bit, and got free booze out of the deal.
And if you don't like gambling, don't do it.
But don't be a prude, drinking Hater-aid, telling people who do gamble that they are dumb.
Guess what I gambled this weekend. I hit a 4 of a kind on a dollar video poker machine. That's 250 right there. Then I went to a blackjack table and added another 50 to that. Wow, I'm such a moron for playing games of luck and coming out ahead.
Do you see what I mean?
If you are unlucky, don't gamble.
And still, stay away from Vegas, we don't want your kind here.
Yeah, you're probably a famous high roller.
You don't even know what a famous high roller is.
S. Daniels
WV
Nope, average joe making average joe winnings.
Unlike you I recognize the money hungry beast for what it is.
When I have the money and the itch, I gamble. Sometimes I lose, most often I win or break even. I know the games to play, and I know the odds.
I'm not some hick from West Virginia bad mouthing a city it sounds like you've never been to.
So keep drinking Hater-aid, and keep doing a disservice to W. Virginia. From the way you spout off, I doubt any of the Nevadans here will want to enter that dead end of a state any time soon.
Oh and by the way, if by famous high roller, you mean a whale.
That's the term for people who stay long term at a hotel and spend buckets of cash.
As for famous high rollers, do you mean Charles Barkley?
High rollers are rich, so I guess Charles qualifies.
Famous high rollers are rich for only a short period of time.
Charles must be just your normal high roller.
(Why you always preachin' hate? Gambling's only stupid)
S. Daniels
WV
The question is why are you hating.
You came to a LAS VEGAS paper bad mouthing gambling (dumb move).
You seem to think all gamblers are dumb.
As for famous high rollers who are there semi-permanently, Johnnie Chan, Helmuth, Goldman, you know those pesky poker players are all high rollers. They made this town, they rebuilt poker.
So if you don't like gambling, don't. And if you don't like Vegas, don't come here, we don't want you.
Those guys you mention aren't gambling they know what they're doin'. They're not stupid. You were talking about funnelin' money in a slot machine, that's stupid.
S. Daniels
WV
No, no, no.
Now you are backpedaling.
Hold'em is still gambling. The house still makes money on it. They still have huge blinds on those tables. You either want to bend the terminology to fit whatever agenda you have, or you are ignorant of what gambling is.
And again, what do you mean by a slot machine? In any case, there are still ways to win and win often with those.
If you don't like gambling don't do it. If you feel that people are stupid for gambling, I hope you are lonely up there on your pedastle.
Just stop putting your money in slot machines and play cards with those guys. When they take your money, you'll see. They're not gamblin', you are, and that's stupid. (probly dummer than puttin' your money in slot machines)
S. Daniels
WV
Wow, that explains why I hold my own in poker. And I'll just call you POT from now on. I really liked "probly dummer than puttin' your money in slot machines". Nice spelling, or were you going for ineffective irony? In any case, don't gamble. I do gamble when I feel like it, and often I do OK. I'm realistic about.
You just seem to hate a place you don't live in, sounds like you've never been, and you are so egocentric that whatever warped values you hold near and dear should be universalized to everyone else. Seriously stay home, and don't come out here, we don't want you.
If you stop preachin' hate, keep your money in your pocket and put your lucky numbers in the commode, (one at a time), and pull down on the handle after each one, you will almost get richer than you would have otherwise.
S. Daniels
WV
Really, I preach hate.
In most of your posts, you have used hateful and disdainful language.
I'll point out again that you came onto a Nevada news site criticizing Nevada's ways. I believe you have called a large segment of our population/visitors stupid, morons, and the like.
You are the one claiming the superiority of your state without any provocation.
You seem to have some perverted sense of what gambling is, and you've wasted time trying to tell the constituents of this state that in varying degrees it is immoral, legal crime, and again stupid.
I wonder who's the preacher of hate. It's either the one who's sticking up for his homeland, or it's the outsider, who I'm sure has never been hear (at least in the last 5-10 years), who criticizes every aspect of this state. I wonder...BTW, "dummer" is spelled dumber (ueber-pwnage).
correction on the last "hear". That's supposed to be here.
"It takes a lot of brains to spend the entire weekend gambling 20.00."
BTW, I took the holiday off and went up to see the new Station casino in Aliante this morning. I'm back up to $53. now. Great breakfast too. For 3 people, $31 with tip.
I'm pretty sure the Casino fun I had this weekend cost me nothing. I'm sure it's my easy going attitude. Which would also explain your problem.
children,children,children !!!! stop the bickering,get back on the subject...and leave WV out of this,has nothing to do with the subject.
I agree with the comment. Most people are looking for something to knock Obama. If any of the CEO's or other big wigs use our tax dollars for a vacation under the pretense of a company meeting they should be arrested. It is time the money steelers pay. If we as a citizen took money from a company and said oh no I can't pay it back oops, we would be in jail. The banks should NOT have gotten any money. It should have went to the people, if 250,000 went to every tax payer with the requirement that the money was to be used to catch up on their house payments and other bills the banks would have gotten there money from the people. The goverment would have gotten some money back in taxes. the people would not be losing their homes. why can't the elected people see whats best for the working class? Oh yeah because they have money.
I love Vegas. I visit a couple of times a year. but if I was laid off and my company paid for the ceo's and other officers to have a big convention in vegas I would be upset.
Its does me great pride to see that this paper deleted my comment concerning Chairman ( or is it President? ) Obama's comment concerning bailout money and Las Vegas. The espousal of socialistic norms are already in full swing!
I don't know what your comment was, but Las Vegas, to my knowledge, hasn't even had a bond hearing yet.
S. Daniels
WV
sdaniels; ya hear that? Thems Crickets.
Now go brush yer tooth & hit the hay.