Vegas Events

Bette Midler announced that the critically acclaimed Las Vegas show, The Showgirl Must Go On, will have its last performance on Sunday, January 31, 2010. The show will have several more performances before wrapping its stint as a pillar attraction in Las Vegas. This Vegas event spent two successful years at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Midler stated that her run has been fabulous and she thanks both Caesars Palace and AEG Live for "the best partnership a showgirl could imagine."

"Like every one of her performances, the approaching finale of Bette's two-year engagement leaves us applauding for more," said Gary Selesner, president of Caesars Palace. "Bette always will have a home at Caesars Palace."

The Divine Miss M was chosen as Best Singer (Reader's Pick) and Best All-Around Performer (Staff Pick) by Las Vegas Review Journal's Best of Las Vegas 2009. With an act that is poignant, tacky, and altogether fabulous, Bette was an honorary Las Vegan and she will be missed.  

Before the curtain falls on this Las Vegas event, why add an evening performance to your meeting agenda? Groups of 20 or more can arrange for group tickets through the Colosseum group sales office at 702-731-7208. Planners can also take advantage of the Dinner and Show packages, which include a three-course meal at one of Caesars' gourmet Las Vegas restaurants: Bradley Ogden, Restaurant Guy Savoy, Mesa Grill, Neros or Raos.

Good luck Bette! We wish you "Big Business" in all your future endeavors.

Las Vegas continues to position itself as the best culinary destination in the world. Presenting the best and brightest chefs, vintners, and restaurateurs from all different backgrounds, Las Vegas unites legacies with remarkable newcomers on the global culinary scene.  

ARIA at CityCenter is slated to open December 16, 2009, and will feature Masayoshi Takayama, the world-renowned chef of the famed Masa in New York City, and Shawn McClain, celebrated executive chef and partner at three of Chicago’s top restaurants. Famed chef Michael Mina, who conceived and manages MGM Grand’s Nobhill and Seablue establishments, will also be on the menu at CityCenter with his American Fish restaurant.

In addition to these news Vegas restaurants, planners and tourists can also look ahead to Vegas Uncork’d. This 4th annual food and wine festival presented by Bon Appetit magazine has been scheduled for May 6-9, 2010. Sources tell me that this spring will feature a full plate of activities including the return of the Celebrity Chef Blackjack Tournament, the Grand Tasting at Caesars Palace, plus a whole slew of new surprises on the expanded schedule.

Las Vegas event planners are fortunate to have these culinary resources at their disposal, so make sure to take advantage at your next event!

Thanksgiving isn't even here yet, but it's quite apparent that Christmas is right around the corner, and there is so much to do! Let design pro Christopher Todd Hall of Christopher Todd Design put all your holiday party planning worries to rest!

CT has you covered, from food and event decor to invitations and entertainment. He even does Las Vegas corporate event planning. 

If you are looking for more of a do-it-yourself route, CT is hosting a class at Whole Foods Market Las Vegas Boulevard in Town Square on December 3 from 6 PM to 8 PM. This class will prepare you to host whatever type of holiday party you have in mind. He is fun, engaging, and has quite the sense of humor!

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from a seasoned design expert, who has been featured in the November issue of Luxury magazine. Specializing in artistic design for floral and table settings, he continues to impress me with his artistic talent and eye for detail.

Getting around Las Vegas without a car can be frustrating and time consuming. Public transportation isn't ideal, and the taxi lines are notorious for being extra long, especially during events and conventions.  

I always incorporate shuttle service and transportation for Las Vegas events that I plan. It is just a necessity given all the attractions in Las Vegas. As such, I'm looking forward to Celebrity Coaches Grand Opening Celebration next week. They are showcasing their new location and using it as an opportunity to give back to the community at the same time. The event includes a fundraiser for Valley High School, The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism.
 
A female minority owned business, Celebrity features eco-friendly buses and great customer service. I have every confidence in them, no matter what the size and scope of my event. Other resources I have used are Bell Trans and CLS, which are also professional Las Vegas transportation providers with solid fleets. They are certainly good options as well, but you know when you just have that warm and fuzzy feeling about a business relationship?  I have that gut feeling with Celebrity, and they have never let me down. I can't wait to see their new digs!

Find these Las Vegas transportation suppliers and more on the Cvent Supplier Network.

Weddings in Las Vegas can range from the uber elaborate to the ultimate in cheesy. With options like the 1940s Hartland Mansion (set of the film Casino, starring Robert DeNiro and Sharon Stone) to the world-famous Drive Up Wedding at A Special Memory Wedding Chapel, Las Vegas invites newlyweds-to-be to create their own memories with their own style.  
 
No matter what your modus operandi, you can find a plethora of wedding venues in Las Vegas to suit your tastes. As such, people from all over the world choose to celebrate their nuptials in Sin City. You have your celebrities who get married here: Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere, Pamela Anderson, Bette Midler, and who could forget the 55-hour pop princess marriage at the Little White Wedding Chapel? I have personally witnessed an Elvis wedding, a helicopter wedding, a Bonnie Springs old western wedding, and one where the bride and groom switched attire!
 
I hope that one day, Wayne Newton expands his Casa de Shenandoah to hosting weddings. With his Arabian horses and mansion on 55 acres, I might have to get remarried if he does that!

To find more Las Vegas wedding reception venues and hotels, visit the Cvent Supplier Network

Annual meetings - each year many of us are charged with planning at least one to rally the troops and motivate the team. The challenge this year? Produce the annual meeting on a smaller budget, without compromising the bells and whistles. Here are a few budget-tweaking suggestions that will make even the guys in Accounting smile:

Hit the slopes - in the summer.

By all means, book your meeting into a wonderful resort location, but go out of season to get the best rates. In the last few years we’ve scored some amazing meetings packages in Stowe, Vermont, in May; Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in June; Phoenix and Las Vegas in August. Better yet, our team got bragging rights about the amazing resorts they stayed in for the meeting.

Work backwards.

Once a banquet manager has received your RFP, traditionally they’ll send a list of their standard meeting menus. Problem is, your numbers and theirs may be miles off the mark. If this is the case, then work backwards – start from the amount per person you are willing to spend, and ask the vendor to come up with a combination of menu items to meet that price - including tax and gratuity - and all below-the-radar charges associated with the event(s) in question, such as fire marshals, delivery-to-seminar-room charges, bartender-to-guest ratios, etc.

Ban the bottle.

Save money and the planet by knocking bottled beverages out of your budget. The most inexpensive way to keep liquids flowing throughout the day is to limit the beverage selection to those that can be easily decanted in urns and pitchers instead of individual bottles, such as coffee, tea, lemonade and ice water.

Oops, I did it again.

Things being what they are these days, rather than overestimating the number of attendees and potentially getting stuck with a larger bill than you can afford, underestimate the number of guests by five percent. Vendors are usually fairly happy to increase quantities at the last minute depending on your contract. Dropping the numbers at the last minute? Um, not so much.

If you talk to anyone in Las Vegas about sandwich shops, Capriotti’s will always come up in the conversation. Did you know that they also offer Las Vegas catering?

There are about 20 Capriotti's locations in the Las Vegas Valley, my location of choice being in Southern Highlands. The sandwich selection includes vegetarian "meat" sandwiches and a selection of hot and cold subs.  

My personal favorite is the "Bobbie."  It has been described as "the day after Thanksgiving special," and I give thanks every time I eat one! Complete with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayo, all on a tasty fresh baked roll.  Oh, it is so yummy.  

A lunch catered by Capriotti’s will not disappoint. I have used them for Las Vegas corporate meetings, sports events and personal gatherings.  Their family atmosphere and friendly customer service are a joy to work with for any Vegas event. The Southern Highlands location also has a selection of Nothing Bundt mini cakes, which are a perfect complement to the perfect sandwich.

Luxury hotels have had an especially tough time in today's economy, with occupancy rates falling as much as 57 percent this year. It's led some hotels to give up their upscale ratings— but not all. In fact, AAA recently announced that it awarded Five Diamond status to 113 hotels for 2010, which is, impressively, an increase from 103 last year.

"The past year has presented many challenges for the travel industry," said Michael Petrone, director of AAA Tourism Information Development, in a statement. "To achieve and maintain the highest level of hospitality during these difficult economic times is a significant accomplishment."

The new Five Diamond award winners are:

• The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale
• The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
• Acqualina Resort and Spa on the Beach in Sunny Isles Beach
• The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas
• Encore Las Vegas
• The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas
• The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, California
• The Grand Del Mar in San Diego
• The Plaza Hotel in New York
• The Pierre New York
• Mandarin Oriental Boston
• Encantado, An Auberge Resort in Sante Fe, New Mexico
• The Ritz-Carlton Dallas
• The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort in Punta Mita, Mexico
• Rosewood Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Mexico
• Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya

Other noteable achievements:

• The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin, celebrated a quarter-century as a Five Diamond winner
• The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado; The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; and Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Scottsdale have maintained a Five Diamond rating for 34 consecutive years

Visit AAA to view more Diamond Rated hotels and restaurants.

Great news for Las Vegas: For the first time since July 2008, convention attendance was up in the city. According to the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority's Executive Summary for September, Las Vegas meetings attracted just over 400,000 attendees, an increase of 12.2 percent over the number of attendees at  the same time last year.

LVCVA reports that part of the increase is thanks to two shows, MAGIC Marketplace and Las Vegas Market.

Las Vegas has certainly seen some tough times recently. It had 340 group cancellations in the first three months of 2009, for example. In May, the city continued to see declines in both meeting attendees and the number of conventions and meetings.

Despite the uptick in attendees, the actual number of meetings and conventions held in Las Vegas in September was down from 1,69 to 1,794, a 5.3 percent decrease compared to last year.

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.