The blocks of leisure time are also typically when planners offer their groups the opportunity for gaming. While in years past a poker tournament might form the centerpiece of a Las Vegas trip, now gaming is just one of many options offered to travelers.
"In our company, non-gaming revenues exceed gaming revenues," says Jenn Michaels, vice president of public relations for MGM MIRAGE. "Las Vegas has changed dramatically. It doesn’t mean that people are gaming less, they're still gaming, but the overall array of options that customers can choose from has grown dramatically."
MGM is not alone. In 1998, the scale tipped for Las Vegas as a whole as non-gaming activities overtook gaming and began drawing in the majority of the city's revenue. The trend can be seen in how frequently the term "non-gaming, non-smoking" has been appearing more often in press releases and advertisements, notably in the all-suite Signature Towers at MGM Grand and The Trump Hotel and Tower. Of CityCenter's 18 million square feet, only 150,000 are dedicated to gaming.
For incentive planners, non-gaming venues are an attractive option if many in the group are not interested in hitting the tables, or if the company prefers not to encourage gaming for its official incentive trip. SEI Meetings & Incentives, based in Irving, Tex., recently planned a trip for a telecom company that has a corporate culture policy prohibiting the promotion of gambling in the theme or materials relating to the event.
That said, there are still groups that are interested in gaming. The group SEI took on the wine tasting held a Blackjack and Texas Hold ‘Em tournament at a function room at the Wynn, but for the private event to include gambling, they had to follow a few rules.
"Our idea was a Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament," said Jodi Huber, business development director for SEI. "But Nevada gaming laws prohibited, (a) any use of cash, and (b) any use of the name 'tournament,' so that was our challenge."
So the "tournament" became a "Players Club," "fantasy chips" replaced real chips, and instead of cash, merchandise rewards were given to the winners—including a 26" Samsung LCD HDTV, an Xbox 360, and an Olympus Stylus digital camera.
As Las Vegas continues to reinvent itself, the options for planners show no signs of slowing.
Planner Resources
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority www.lvcva.com
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