LAS VEGAS — Resilience, meeting security and collaboration were the themes of this year’s Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) in Las Vegas, an initiative focused on advocacy — something that is even more crucial in a post-pandemic world.
The Las Vegas event, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), featured a panel of industry luminaries: Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority; Michael Massari, chief sales officer of Caesars Entertainment; Chandra Allison, senior vice president of sales and marketing for The Venetian Resort Las Vegas/Las Vegas Sands Corp.; Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and senior vice president of sales for MGM Resorts International; and Chris Flatt, executive vice president of hotel sales and marketing for Wynn Las Vegas.
The event was the first to be held in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s new, state-of-the-art, 1.4 million-square-foot West Hall, a $989 million addition that joins the existing 3.2 million-square-foot campus. Trade Fair Manager was present at the roundtable discussion held in the new annex, with chairs six feet apart and a mandatory temperature check before entering the building.
The panelists were optimistic. “We’re getting past this, we’re getting close to the end of this period. We’ll be able to get back to normal sooner than we thought,” Hill said. Given the energy in the city in the days leading up to GMID, Hill is right.
“We see light at the end of the tunnel,” Massari said. “It’s never been more important to understand the meetings and incentives and to advocate for the industry.”
The economic impact of meetings, conventions and trade shows was highlighted like never before as the industry came to an abrupt halt last March. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Hill said.
If bookings are any indication, that absence is now a thing of the past. The pent-up demand for in-person meetings is palpable, and bookings are following suit. “We’ve had more bookings in the last 12 months than we’ve ever had in our industry,” Massari says.
Allison, of The Venetian and Las Vegas Sands Corp., agrees. “The second half of 2021 is very strong, even compared to pre-pandemic levels,” she said.
Wynn’s Flatt agrees. “There’s more pent-up demand than we could ever imagine,” she said. People miss the camaraderie that comes with a trade show. “It’s the energy you get in the room when you’re with people. They’re here to have a good time, to work and to do business. The face-to-face interaction helps build relationships,” she added.
While they may seem like strange bedfellows, they are not. All stakeholders have collaborated during this unprecedented time like never before.
“This is our regular Thursday meeting. We haven’t kept any information to ourselves. We’ve worked together for the good of the industry,” Glanzer said.
One area of vital importance for information sharing is health and safety. Every resort company represented on the panel has implemented enhanced cleaning protocols. They’ve even gone further by arranging for employees and their families to be vaccinated on-site.
“Trade shows are more important to any region’s economic revitalization plan. I think the COVID-19 shutdown has shown how critical these gatherings are to the economy, to innovation and to doing business. EAST “We are honored to join Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas as we unite to champion our industry on Global Meetings Industry Day,” said Gabrielle Weiss, vice president and editor-in-chief, Trade Fair Manager magazine. “With over 80% of our trade show manager readers also being responsible for smaller side meetings of two thousand people or less, attending this year in solidarity with meeting planners was a great way to demonstrate EAST“The company’s commitment to supporting the community.”
The city is preparing to host its first citywide event since the COVID-19 lockdown: World of Concrete. “This will be our first real group with a large audience coming to town in early June,” Hill said. “By the time they get here, everyone should be confident that enough people are vaccinated.”