Most people recognize the tail end of the newly adopted slogan.. STAYS IN VEGAS…
But what is it that people in fact DO in Vegas that should in fact STAY there???
Las Vegas, Nevada – Sin City yes, but more recently “Vegas” has adopted a much more upbeat and politically correct nickname: The Entertainment capital of the world!
In this very opinionated wiki, in is in my humble opinion that Las Vegas is quite frankly the beginning and the end of what Event and Facility management is all about in its growth within obviously gaming, hospitality, and convention industry, but also within a city planning and infrastructure perspective that is forced to evolve as a result.
A few statistics to understand a little bit more of the phenomenon that is Las Vegas according to The Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada in a research study of 2006:
Almost 40 MILLION Visitors had spent almost 40 BILLION DOLLARS in economic impact.
There are Over 132,000 Hotel Rooms which in 2006 had an 89.7% occupancy rate at an average of $119 a night.
Seventeen of the 20 biggest hotels in the U.S. are in Las Vegas.
Almost 11 BILLION DOLLARS have been contributed through gaming.
Over 8 BILLION DOLLARS were contributed to the city through conventions.
What makes this place so popular throughout the years? Lets Go over the history:
Las Vegas: (English: "The Fertile Valleys") was named by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo party, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. Vegas was established as a railroad town on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres (44.5 ha) owned by Montana Senator William A. Clark's San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, was auctioned off in what is now downtown Las Vegas.
With the growth of the railroads, Las Vegas became less important, but the completion of the nearby Hoover Dam in 1931 resulted in substantial growth in tourism, which, along with the legalization of gambling in the same year, led to the advent of the casino-hotels for which Las Vegas is famous.
Following World War II in 1945, lavishly decorated resort hotels and gambling casinos offering top-name entertainment come into existence. Tourism and entertainment took over as the largest employer in the valley.
During the 1960s with a population just over 125,000 citizens, a phenomenon led by Howard Hughes, occurs in Las Vegas. Corporations are building and/or buying hotel/casino properties. They have the capital necessary and the profitability makes entrance into the casino industry extremely attractive. Gambling becomes "gaming" and starts the transition into legitimate business. Corporations continue to invest in the hotel/casino industry. Gaming becomes a legitimate business and some properties have stock traded on the market.
Starting in the mid 1980s, a period of unprecedented growth begins. Annual population increases averaging nearly 7 percent causes the city's population to almost double between 1985 and 1995, increasing from 186,380 to 368,360, a 97.6 percent increase. That is equivalent to building a city larger than Reno in 10 years! At the same time, Clark County's population increases from 562,280 to 1,036,180, an increase of 84.3 percent
In 1989 the first Megaresort called the “Mirage” opens on the “Strip” of Las Vegas. It hosts 3,039 rooms. The city has nearly over 250,000 inhabitants in the Metropolitan Area. In the next few years, the Excalibur (1990, 4,032 Rooms), Luxor (1993, 2,526 Rooms), and Treasure Island (1993, 2900 Rooms), and MGM (1993, 5,005 Rooms) all open up to establish land markings on the strip.
In 2000, The US Census reports the population of the city of Las Vegas is 478,434 over a land area of 113 square miles. There are over 500 churches and synagogues, 799 acres of parks, 7 television stations, and 12 radio stations (4 AM and 8FM). Las Vegas is the largest metropolitan city in the U.S. that was founded in 20th century.
Wynn Las Vegas opens April 28, 2005. At $2.7 billion, the resort becomes the most expensive hotel and casino in the world and has fused the “old” and “new” strip. As well the famous tagline “what happens here, stays here” is developed and catches wind for years to come . In 2006, the population of Las Vegas is just over 550,000 people with the greater metropolitan area over 1.7 Million.
In 2007, the city begins to lure major sports corporations such as the NBA into the city and hosts the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. Currently in 2007, there are 2 major pushes for a major sports franchise either from the NBA, or NHL, and is pushed by the conceptual designs of 2 major sports arenas that continue to be discussed.
Las Vegas continues to evolve at a record pace. It is now becoming more common to see a “local” who has lived in the area all their lives as opposed to the “transplants” from around the nation 10-20 years earlier. Soon enough Las Vegas will “legitimatize” itself with the addition of a major "4" sports franchise to go along with the major television and movie production over the past few years including: "CSI: Las Vegas, Casino, and Leaving Las Vegas". This city is truly the epitomy of event and facility management and continues every day to show its refinement and evolution of the industry. One could even argue that in the correct context the city itself is an event every waking hour of every day.
Another Example of the re-growth and expansion currently on the horizon:
Some more interesting Tidbits about Last Vegas:
In the Chinese culture, the number four is considered bad luck. High-rolling whales from China are very important to the gambling industry in Vegas. With this in mind, Wynn Las Vegas and Rio have no tower floors that start with four. The elevators count 38, 39, 50, 51 etc.
There have been 14 implosions in Las Vegas since 1993
Las Vegas' McCarran International climbed one spot to become the nation's fifth-busiest passenger airport in 2005 with 44,280,190 passengers
Prostitution is not legal in Las Vegas or Clark County despite the rumours. Prostitution is not legal in Las Vegas or any other part of Clark County
The original Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 and is made of wrought iron pieces which are fastened together with 2,500,000 rivets. The one in Vegas outside the Paris hotel is Made from welded steel and is stronger structurally and has "fake rivets" to duplicate the look of the original.
Finally Some more Number that make the Show go on:
Centennial: Vegas By the Numbers
As any gambler will tell you, it's all about the numbers, and in Vegas, we have plenty of numbers. From the $165 million it cost to create KÀ(4th Cirque De Soleil) to the 128,250 couples who got married in Las Vegas in 2004 (roughly 5.5 percent of all marriages in the United States take place in Vegas), Las Vegas is definitely a city of unusual numbers, and here are just a few.
5,034, the current number of rooms at the MGM Grand . The MGM Grand is the second-largest hotel in the world; only the Ambassador City Jomtien in Thailand at 5,100 rooms is larger.
1.2 million, the number of alcoholic beverages served each month to guests at the Excalibur hotel-casino.
25 million, the number of shrimp cocktails served between 1959 and 1991 at the Golden Gate Casino.
$832,500, the estimated amount per week that Celine Dion received performing at Caesars Palace in 2004.
369,286,977, Clark County gaming revenue in 1970.
$8,710,976,000, Clark County gaming revenue in 2004.
$545, average gambling budget reported by visitors in 2004
A View of the strip from Google Earth
A "Basic" Show list:
http://cber.unlv.edu/tour.html
http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/FactsStatistics/history.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/tidbits.htm
http://www.vegastodayandtomorrow.com/meeting.htm
http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas/features/fun-facts/index.jsp
http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas/features/history/index.jsp?page=news1990
http://www.lvol.com/
http://www.vegas.com/lounge/centennial/numbers.html
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