Vegas Events

Rewind to the 1920s when mobsters were hiding out all over Chicago, defying the prohibition and running underground gambling operations. Allow your guests to experience how Chicago was during its most famous time period, everything from the cigar girls to risky games of black jack!
 
US Poker & Casino Parties is the nation's leading supplier for professional corporate gaming entertainment. This one-stop shop for corporate outings, fundraisers, charity events, team-building and private parties delivers customized, elegant Chicago events with a flawless delivery.

US Poker & Casino Parties can host groups from 10 to 2,000 people. Each event is tailored to the group's individual needs. The company's courteous dealers are happy to provide instructions and rules to event participants to ensure they enjoy their experience. The tables and equipment—from black jack to roulette to slot machines—have superior quality and are comparable to the tables in Las Vegas and Monte Carlo.

The staff of this Chicago event supplier guarantees on-time delivery and full on-site management. Staff members are also able to coordinate other aspects to your event including cigar and show girls, picking and contracting a venue, musical entertainment and much more! This gaming entertainment company is focused on providing the most authentic and realistic experience for their clients, so check them out the next time you want to take your Chicago entertainment up a notch!

It's Halloween weekend, so let's celebrate! As I've blogged in the past, creating a signature cocktail is a great way to save money on drink costs at your events. For your Halloween celebration, check out some of these great themed cocktail options from popular restaurants and bars across the country, according to Nightclub & Bar.

Spook-Tini

NYC restaurant and bar Tenjune is serving this spooky creation at its Halloween 2009 event.

1.5 ounces Absolut
1/4 ounce Grand Marnier
1.5 ounces fresh lime juice
1 tsp. cinnamon water
1 ounce blood orange juice.

Shake all ingredients and pour. Garnish with a fig slice.

Witches Brew

This magical potion will be enchanting the Halloween partiers at New Orleans' Whiskey Blue, located in the W Hotel.

2.25 ounces Bacardi Light
2.25 ounces Meyers Rum
1.25 ounces Bacardi 151
2.5 ounces pineapple juice
2.5 ounces orange juice
1.25 ounces sour mix
1.25 ounces Grenadine

Fill glass with ice and add ingredients; blend. Garnish with Gummi Worms.

Jack-O-Lantern

Served at the N9NE Steakhouse restaurant in Las Vegas, this Halloween libation is fairly involved. But when all is said and done, it's certainly worth the effort for such a tasty and smooth drink.

1. Prepare Vanilla Bean Syrup overnight

Bring 2 cups of water and 2 cups granulated sugar to a boil. Infuse over night with 1 whole vanilla bean, opened and seeded.

2. Blend Pumpkin Puree Mix

15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
2 ounces each: Baileys, Butterscotch Schnapps, caramel sauce, brown sugar
1 ounce Goldschlager
1 ounce vanilla bean syrup
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
Dash of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg

3. Make Vanilla Bean Butterscotch Whipped Cream

Whip 12 ounces heavy whipping cream, 1 whole vanilla bean, opened and seeded, and 1 ounce butterscotch schnapps to stiff peaks.

4. Mix drink

1 ounce Harlem Liquor
0.5 ounces Ketel One
2 ounces Pumpkin Puree Mix
0.5 ounces Vanilla Bean Syrup

Shake ingredients in mixing tin and strain into martini glass lined with crushed graham crackers. Garnish with Vanilla Bean Butterscotch Whipped Cream.

If your annual event needs some livening-up, why not relocate it to the entertainment capitol of the world— Las Vegas! At Bally’s Las Vegas, your attendees can experience the best in Las Vegas entertainment all at the property’s 800 seat Jubilee Theater. During the day, guests can become a contestant in the hotel’s “Price is Right Live” show and earn their way to Contestant’s Row, just like on the popular television game show. All of the classic Price is Right games are featured at this Las Vegas event space, including Plinko, Cliffhanger, and Hole-in-One. If they’re lucky, one guest could even make it to the Showcase Showdown to “name that price” and win prizes such as cars, appliances, or vacations.

The evenings at Bally’s Las Vegas serve up a completely different type of entertainment. Your Vegas meeting attendees can watch “Donn Arden’s Jubilee!” the namesake show at Bally’s theater. According to  reviews, “this glittering spectacle of million-dollar sets and fantastical costumes by Bob Mackie is filled with wonderful music, marvelous dancing and, of course, those beautiful icons of Vegas, showgirls!”

Once the curtains close, guests can retire to one of the 2,814 newly-redesigned guest rooms.  Or, if you are hosting a hospitality event or smaller meeting, Bally’s Las Vegas offers luxurious suites to show your VIPs the best in Las Vegas hospitality.

View more information about Bally’s Las Vegas on the Cvent Supplier Network

Great news for green meetings from Las Vegas. MGM's CityCenter has announced that its two hotels, ARIA Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa, have received LEED Gold certification, making them the first hotels in Las Vegas to to so.

Eco-friendly features at the two hotels include water conservation technology programs, stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas and a large-scale recycling operation. CityCenter has also announced that 97 percent of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel has been recycled.

Designed by world-renowned architectural firm Pelli Clarke Pelli, ARIA will feature 4,004 guest rooms and 300,000 square feet of Las Vegas meeting space. The 18-story Vdara will offer 10,000 square feet of ground-level conference space. Both Las Vegas hotels are set to open in December this year.

CityCenter expects Gold or Silver LEED certification for its other developments, which include the Crystals retail district and Las Vegas' first Mandarin Oriental.

View more information about these hotels and more on Cvent's Las Vegas venue directory.

Yesterday the U.S. Senate passed the Travel Promotion Act in a vote of 79-19. Intended to promote leisure, business and scholarly travel to the United States, the legislation will establish a public-private partnership to actively promote and market the country to international travelers.

Not surprisingly, hospitality professionals and government officials across the country are speaking out in praise of the bill. Take a look at some of the following quotes from leaders across the country:

"Essentially, it means that the United States will be more competitive in trying to lure international travelers to our country. And Las Vegas, of course, is one of the top spots for those international travelers," said Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's Vice President of Public Affairs Vince Alberta.

"The United States Senate today took a giant step toward regaining America’s position as the premier travel destination and strengthening our struggling economy," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, in a statement. "Nearly every company, city, state and developed nation understands the power of promotion. By getting in the global game, America will create tens of thousands of new jobs and strengthen its image in the world as visitors leave with an improved perception of our country and her people."

"Colorado’s tourism industry is an economic engine we must keep strong," Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) said in a statement after the Senate vote. "The Travel Promotion Act will help us market our ski slopes, rivers and parks overseas, boosting an industry that means jobs and prosperity for thousands of Coloradans."

"Tourism is a powerful engine for job creation and economic growth, both in Minnesota and nationally, but today the travel industry is facing many challenges," said Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) in a statement. "By passing the Travel Promotion Act, we will not only boost the tourism industry, but our economy."

"As the global economy sputters our visitor industry suffers, and any help the federal government can provide our number one industry would aid our economic recovery," said Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), according to Pacific Business News. "As the gateway to the Asia Pacific region, Hawaii is uniquely positioned to serve as a hub for international visitors wishing to travel to our islands and then onto the U.S. Mainland. This legislation is an important first step in the right direction."

"From world class vineyards on Long Island and in the Finger Lakes to Niagara Falls to the beautiful Adirondacks and all the attractions of New York City, there is absolutely no place better to vacation than New York, said Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). "During these tough economic times, it is critical that we promote New York's tourism to help turn our economy around and ensure long term growth. I have long advocated for this type of federal initiative into tourism promotion because I believe it holds tremendous economic opportunity for New York State."

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives.

Labor Day is just around the corner, so it's time for everyone to squeeze in one last getaway. Based on more than 30,000 hotel room booking requests made through its Name Your Own Price hotel service, Priceline has released its 7th annual top 50 destinations for Labor Day.

Here are the top 10 destinations Americans will be traveling to this weekend:

1. New York City, Times Square/Theater District
2. New York City, Chelsea Area
3. Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity South
4. Seattle, Downtown/Pike Place
5. New York City, Empire State Building Area
6. San Francisco, Union Square West/Nob Hill
7. New York City, Midtown East
8. Chicago, Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park Area
9. Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity North
10. Boston, Copley Square/Theater District

Quite a few New York City destinations made the list, which is good news for the struggling hotel market there. Brian Ek, Priceline's Travel Ekspert, also notes a few key changes from last year's list. International destinations are back on the list (starting with Vancouver at number 11, Montreal at 16, Paris at 17, etc.) as are many beach destinations.

Last month, the Cherokee Nation completed a $155 million expansion of the Cherokee Casino Resort Hotel, transforming the property into the Midwest’s first Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This re-branding took two years to complete, and with over 125,000 square feet of gaming space and 35,000 square feet of updated meeting space, this Tulsa hotel is ideal for your next meeting or event.

The 350-room hotel and casino has updated all of its amenities, including guest rooms, dining facilities, gaming space, and nightclubs. In true Hard Rock fashion, the hotel is also home to more than $2 million in rock music memorabilia—on display to guests throughout the property.  Your guests can dine at the Hard Rock Vegas-style buffet or try Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar & Grill,” a steakhouse on the 19th floor. Entertainment is also plentiful with an on-site 18-hole championship golf course, a brand new dance club, and the hotel hot spot, the “Center Bar”... not to mention endless gaming opportunities. Get a first view of the brand new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa by booking your group event today!

View more information about the Cherokee Casino Resort Hotel on the Cvent Supplier Network

Last week I blogged about how luxury hotels across the country are dropping rates in order to stay competitive and boost occupancy. In the short-term, enticing guests with the promise of luxe accommodations at a low price works, with most travelers raving about the deals they've found. However, the strategy also has big disadvantages, such as the loss of luxury hotels' hard-earned reputations.

"This is a huge issue," Jan Freitag, a vice president at Smith Travel Research, recently told the Las Vegas Sun. "Rates are a signal of quality in the hotel industry."

Perhaps more pressing is the difficulty hotels will face in increasing their hotel rates in the future following such price drops.

"It hurts the business, it hurts the market fairly significantly, because it will take a number of years to recoup the rates," John Brost, general manager of the Best Western Lakeside in Kissimmee, Florida, told The Orlando Sentinel.

Customers will expect hotels to keep these deals coming, agreed Thomas P. McConnell, a senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield.

"Once you get a $149 rate in Manhattan, it will be difficult to charge $349 for that room next year," McConnell told The New York Times.

This slow recovery has been seen in the past. Take, for example, the nationwide travel slump that followed the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In Orlando, average room prices slid 11 percent and did not recover until four years later, despite occupancy returning to pre-9/11 levels after three years. In New Orleans, hotels are still struggling to recoup room rates as they recover from Hurricane Katrina four years ago.

Interestingly, a recent study by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration of U.S. room rates from 2001-2007 found that "hotels that set their prices higher than direct competitors—in good times and bad—generated more room revenue over time," The Orlando Sentinel reported. Hotels that discounted prices were not able to stimulate sufficient demand to make up for the discounted rates.

"There’s nothing wrong with offering selected discounts, but hotels shouldn't give them away to everybody because their occupancy will still be down," Sheryl Kimes, a professor of operations management at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, told the Sun. "With fewer people traveling, everyone is fighting for a smaller pie."

Still, with occupancy rates for luxury hotels worldwide falling over 50 percent this year, it seems they have few good options.

"The bottom line is the operator is stuck between a rock and a hard place," Richard Maladecki, president of the Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, told the Orlando Sentinel. "They need to fill those rooms because, obviously, yesterday is not going to happen again."

You've probably heard the saying, "Champagne taste on  beer budget" and know that it's no easy feat. You want more, you pay more, right? Well, in today's tough economy, that's no longer the case, including at luxury hotels.

Though the entire hotel market is suffering due to the recession, no segment has been hit harder than luxury hotels. Smith Travel Research has reported that occupancy rates for luxury hotels worldwide fell 57 percent this year through July, a bigger drop than other accommodations. As such, upscale properties are cutting room rates; STR reports that average daily rates of luxury hotels around the globe have dropped as much as 16 percent.

"Most luxury hotels are facing occupancy shortfalls, they are lowering rates to entice consumers to come in," Jeff Higley, vice president at Smith Travel Research, recently told Bloomberg News. "There rarely has been a better time to stay at a luxury hotel than right now."

Take Las Vegas, where high supply and low demand have resulted in a budget traveler's paradise. In fact, back in May, Budget Travel writer Andrew Lincoln took a trip to Las Vegas to see just how low the luxury hotels though would go. On the phone, he got rates as low as $129 at the Wynn Las Vegas, and ultimately booked a room online for $90.

Last week, Orlando hotels were slashing rates just as much. The Orlando Sentinel reported that The Monumental Hotel was offering rooms for $10 one night mid-August. Meanwhile, Marriott's Orlando World Center Resort was running an Orlando hotel deal of 25 percent off for any guest booking a four-night stay.

New York hotels find themselves among those markets suffering the most, and thus are cutting rates quite a bit. For the week of August 9-15, 2009, Smith Travel Research reported that New York saw revenue per available room decreases of 30.2 percent, leading the six markets that reported RevPAR decreases of 25 percent or more.

"I know I could come across sounding like the convention bureau, but New York really is a good buy right now," John A. Fox, a senior vice president at the New York offices of PKF Consulting, recently told The New York Times.

As such, Manhattan hotel operators have responded by cutting room rates by nearly one-third over last year, averaging $200 a night in July, according to the NY Times. New York luxury hotels in NYC saw average daily rates of $289.

Are you looking to book and hold a meeting before the end of 2009? If so, then the Venetian and Palazzo Resort Hotel & Casinos in Las Vegas are the place to go. Through the end of the year, the resort is offering automatic rewards for groups who book and consume meetings in 2009. These guaranteed rewards include one complimentary Luxury Suite per 40 paid suites, one complimentary suite upgrade per 25 paid suites, a 10% discount on in-house A/V equipment usage, and a 10% group discount on entertainment at performances by Blue Man Group, Jersey Boys, Phantom, and Wayne Brady. In addition to these perks, the hotel is flexible on attrition, room rental, and food & beverage minimums for groups booked and consumed in 2009.

Depending on the size of your group, there are even more bonuses available at this Las Vegas resort. For any group with at least 10 suites on peak room nights, you  receive one bonus reward from the The Venetian & Palazzo. Then, receive an additional bonus reward for each additional 100 suites booked. (For example, groups with 101-200 suites receive 2 bonus rewards; those with 201-300 suites receive 3 bonus rewards, etc.).  Choose from bonuses including a complimentary Canyon Ranch Spa Pass per 40 paid suites, a 3% rebate on suite revenue to the Master Account, or 25% attrition slippage.  For a full list of bonus rewards, visit the Venetian’s promotion page.

Between The Venetian, The Palazzo, and the nearby Sands Expo and Convention Center, there are over 2.25 million square feet of accommodating and flexible meeting space to accommodate events of any scale.  The property has up to 298 flexible individual meeting rooms, including a 100,600-square-foot exhibition hall and an 85,000-square-foot ballroom. Book your Las Vegas event today to lock in these exclusive offers for 2009!

View more information about The Venetian and Palazzo Resort Hotel & Casinos on the Cvent Supplier Network

Hotels in Washington, DC got a boost in January thanks to the popularity of Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. However, it looks like that was just a momentary jump in the overall struggling hotel market.

In January, occupancy at luxury hotels in DC was up 2 percent over 2008, while the luxury hotel market nationwide fell 14.4 percent that same month compared to the previous year. But in February, business at DC accommodations dropped below the same time in 2008, and it seems the drag has continued.

The historic Hay-Adams hotel in downtown DC has seen a decline in business following the inauguration. General Manager Hans Bruland told the Washington Business Journal in April that occupancy rates were down slightly over last year. Plus, business travelers aren't buying as much, he said; for example, they book single rooms rather than suites.

Still, even if the effects of the inauguration didn't last, DC's reputation for "strictly business" might be helping its hotels and venues fare better than other so-called luxury or resort destinations such as Las Vegas. As Bill Hanbury, former president of Destination DC, told WBJ, the District is a no-frills alternative.

"[Business travelers] may be sneaking off to Charlie Palmer's, but not to a casino," he said.

Whatever the reason, Washington, DC does seem to be escaping some of the worst of the recession. Two weeks ago, it posted the smallest available daily rate decline in Smith Travel Research's U.S. hotel performance measurements. Its ADR dropped 5 percent to $122.29, while its revenue per available room saw a decrease of 4.7 percent.

As a means of comparison, DC was one of only four markets to see single-digit RevPAR declines. Six markets saw RevPAR declines of more than 25 percent, including New York with a decline of 30.2  percent, Denver with a decline of 30.1 percent, and Los Angeles-Long Beach with a decline of 29.2 percent.

I recently read an interesting article in TIME in which author Joel Stein takes a trip to Las Vegas to see how the "heart of the American Dream" is doing in the wake of a real estate bust. Here's a description of what he describes as the devastation on the Strip:

"As I turn out of my hotel's full parking lot, veering onto the Strip, I come across something rarely seen in Vegas: frozen construction projects. I pass cranes abandoned at the site of the Echelon, a huge, multibillion-dollar project of four hotels that is now just three buildings of nine floors of concrete and steel beams sitting idly on some of the most expensive real estate in the country. I pass three more abandoned sites—63 empty steel floors of the Fontainebleau, a sad unfinished shell that was supposed to be Caesars Palace's Octavius Tower and two cranes halted on a structure that was supposed to be a St. Regis condo building...I never realized an economic defeat could look so much like a military one."

Stein's journey to the suburbs is equally disheartening, as its full of homes for sale, many of which are falling into disrepair or occupied by squatters.

What was especially interesting, though, was that despite the dismal scene, Stein encounters optimism from the people on the street, people who "still talk as if he or she is about to go on a winning streak".

Stein also interviews Sheldon Aldelson, chairman of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., whose stock price dropped from $144 to $1.42 last March, and now stands at about $12. Despite his losses, Adelson is confident that in the long run, the recession won't change the way Americans spend, won't change the viability of Las Vegas.

"There's no way this world will change. There's no way people are going to stop doing things they want to do," Adelson told TIME. "People aren't going to say, 'I'm going to see Old Faithful or the redwoods instead of taking a trip to Vegas. Or I'll go to Cape Cod with a book.' I don't think they're going to do that."

I think it's so interesting to read his comments, especially considering all he's lost in the recession. But at the same time, his thoughts may be ones to take with a grain of salt. After all, I'd hardly say he's hit rock bottom, like so many other Americans have who have lost everything.

What do you think? Will the recession ultimately change Americans' mindset on extravagance? In terms of meetings, do you expect to be going back to resorts, scheduling tee times, and coordinating five-course dinners for your attendees, or have you scaled back for good?

President Barack Obama and the administration are doing a good job of supporting face-to-face meetings, according to Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. The Obama Administration plans to host a retreat July 31 to August 1 where Cabinet officials will "assess the first six months of the administration and lay out goals and priorities for the coming months," said White House spokesperson Kate Bedingfield.

"Face-to-face meetings are often the most productive ways to strengthen relationships, develop strategies, increase productivity and achieve organizational goals," Dow said in a statement. "We applaud the Obama Administration for employing this productive and proven technique to enhance its activities."

Back in February, Obama made headlines in the meetings industry for a different reason.  At a presidential town meeting in Indiana, he made the comment, "You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime."

Though these comments drew ire from Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and industry professionals at the time, Obama has since given his support to global travel. In March, he met with 13 travel industry executives to discuss the business community's concerns about the downturn in meetings and events. In May, Obama made a stop at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, saying, "There's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week."

The upcoming two-day retreat is another step in the right direction, according to Dow.

"The Obama Administration is leading by example and the business community, media and policymakers should take note," Dow said. "During difficult economic times, all expenses should be reviewed, but beneficial travel and meetings must continue."

The 490-room Paradise Tower opens at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas this Friday. The tower, whose leather, wood and silver-studded velvet decor create an "anything-can-happen" feeling, also features a 3,500-square-foot penthouse and 10 pool suites. Part of the Hard Rock's overall expansion, Paradise will be followed by another tower with casino space and 374 rooms set to open in December.

Hard Rock's expansion is just one element of Las Vegas' still-growing hotel inventory. Set to open in late 2009, CityCenter, which finally secured funding back in May, will feature a 4,004-room gaming resort and the city's first Mandarin Oriental and Vdara Hotel, which combined will offer 2,400 residences. In 2010, the 400-room Las Vegas boutique hotel The Harmon is scheduled to open its doors at CityCenter as well.

Not everyone is welcoming these additions with open arms.

"Our view is one more room in Las Vegas right now is too much," Bill Lerner, the founder of research and advisory firm Union Gaming Group, told HOTELS magazine. "I understand someone carving out a niche but it's seemingly impossible to overcome the downward pressure simply from just more supply."

Hard Rock CEO and President Randy Kwasniewski disagrees. He told the magazine that both Hard Rock's expansion and the CityCenter project will help the market grow. It will attract new guests and cater to current guests who stay elsewhere because they want quieter sleeping rooms.

"I lived here for five months, and it can be a little intimidating at 4 o'clock in the morning when it sounds like the middle of the afternoon in your hallway," Kwasniewski said. "It simply goes back to a manner of being creative, and providing a product to the consumer that they've never seen before and never experienced before."

The Las Vegas market isn't all expansion, however. A number of projects have been canceled or put on hold due to the current economic conditions. The construction of the 660-room Octavius tower at Caesar's Palace, for example, has been halted by Harrah's Entertainment until further notice.

A little over a month ago, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas filed for bankruptcy. Now, the $3 billion Vegas casino, hotel and condominium project announced it will cancel a number of meetings and conventions planned there for the first half of 2010.

The cancellations will affect events scheduled from January 1 to June 29. Among those with events planned were the Consumer Electronics Association and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has said it will work to accommodate any meetings scheduled for the beginning of next year at Fontainebleau. The fate of meetings set to be held in the latter half of 2010 remains unclear.

"We fully expect Fontainebleau Las Vegas to be completed so that it can accommodate meetings and conventions. The timing of that opening will depend in large part on the timing of renewed financing," Fontainebleau said in a statement on the matter.

According to the Las Vegas Sun, developers say work on the 3,900-room resort, which was previously set to open in October, is about 70 percent complete.

Looking for a fun-filled destination with world-class entertainment at your next event? Well, look no further. Following a $100 million redesign completed in late 2008, the Las Vegas Hilton hotel’s 59 acres offer a whole new experience to guests in Sin City. 

Located right off the Las Vegas Strip, this luxury hotel is packed with excitement.  Guests can try their luck in the 74,000-square-foot casino or visit the 1600-seat Hilton Theater, where Barry Manilow headlines regularly.  Hungry? Eat at the world’s largest Benihana, a three-story Japanese Hibachi restaurant. After dinner, guests can grab a cocktail or hit the dance floor at Tempo, the Las Vegas Hilton’s up-tempo lounge.

With nearly 200,000 square feet of meeting room space, your next event will be a truly memorable affair at this Las Vegas hot spot.  Offering 16 exceptional restaurants on-site, 50 meeting rooms,  and, and almost 3,000 sleeping rooms — all within a mile of the Las Vegas Convention Center — the Las Vegas Hilton is the ultimate destination for corporate events.

View more information about the Las Vegas Hilton on the Cvent Supplier Network

Cvent will be attending DMAI’s 95th Annual Convention, held Tuesday, July 28, through Thursday, July 30, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. Held annually, DMAI’s show is expected to see over 1,000 destination marketing professionals. Last year’s conference in Las Vegas saw almost 1,300 attendees and over 100 exhibiting and sponsoring companies on a sold-out tradeshow floor.

With over 90 companies, this year’s expo has been limited to allow only the premier companies to showcase. Much like last year, the expo is well on its way to being a sold-out tradeshow floor. Cvent will be at booth 207 during the expo, which is held Wednesday and Thursday. 

Additionally, on Wednesday, July 29, Cvent executives will be hosting a private dinner at nearby Ray’s in the City. If you would like to come to the dinner or set up a private meeting during this tradeshow, please email Eric Eden, vice president of marketing, at eeden@cvent.com.

For more information on Cvent, please visit www.cvent.com.

Another holiday weekend is upon us, which means it's time to find out where everyone will be going. Priceline.com has released a list of the 50 most popular destinations for the 2009 Independence Day weekend, based on a survey of over 30,000 hotel booking requests made by customers.

Here are the top 10:

1. New Orleans, Downtown/Convention Center

2. Las Vegas, Strip Vicinity South

3. Chicago, Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park Area

4. New York City, Times Square/Theater District

5. Seattle, Downtown/Pike Place

6. San Diego, Coastal Area

7. Chicago, North Michigan Avenue/River North Area

8. New Orleans, French Quarter

9. Washington, DC, White House/Downtown

10. Boston, Copley Square/Theater District

Priceline.com's "Travel Ekspert" Brian Ek had this to say about the results: "The big surprise this year is the emergence of New Orleans' downtown/convention center area as the #1 July 4 destination. This is the first time New Orleans is in the top spot for the holiday and could signal the completion of the city's comeback as a tourist mecca following Hurricane Katrina."

He also noted that many of the top locations are reachable by car for large segments of the population, likely due to the current state of the economy.

Did you find any of these destinations surprising? I'm a little surprised not just that New Orleans is number one, but that it actually has two spots on the top 10. I thought Philadelphia was a pretty popular July 4 destination (at least over here on the East Coast it is), so I figured that would be on the list.

Did your July 4 destination of choice make the list?

Read the full list at Priceline's Travel Blog.

Cvent will be attending MPI’s World Education Congress, held Saturday, July 11, through Tuesday, July 14, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. One of the two main conferences MPI hosts, the World Education Congress is held in a different location each year. Last year’s conference in Las Vegas saw over 3,500 attendees and over 450 exhibitors from all over the globe.

This year, the conference is expected to see about 3,500 attendees and over 300 exhibitors. A major focus of the conference is the expo, which features over 300 exhibitors representing a mix of the top destinations and hotels as well as in-demand products and services. Cvent will be at booth 1523A during the expo, which is held on both Sunday and Monday afternoon.

Additionally, on Sunday, July 10, Cvent executives will be hosting a relaxed dinner at nearby Caffe Molise. If you would like to go to the dinner, or to set up a private meeting during this conference, please email Chuck Ghoorah, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at cghoorah@cvent.com. For more information on Cvent, please visit www.cvent.com.

We look forward to seeing you there!

More bad news out of Las Vegas: the Fontainebleau Las Vegas has filed for bankruptcy.

The 3,900-room, $2.9 billion casino resort, which was set to open in October, failed to obtain about $800 million in construction funding from lenders. It had been trying to get this pre-arranged funding since it filed a $3 billion lawsuit in April against 11 lenders including Bank of America and JP Morgan Chase Bank.

The lawsuit has been withdrawn in Las Vegas and moved to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Florida, Miami.

Despite filing for Chapter 11, bankruptcy counsel Scott Baena of Bilzin Sumberg said in a statement, "Fontainebleau Las Vegas will continue to aggressively prosecute claims against these lenders for failing to honor their contractual commitments."

The Fontainebleau Las Vegas was expected to open with 6,000 employees.