Lets go ahead and skip through all of the cliche Vegas sayings that you have heard a billion times and get to the bare bones of this right away. Last week our company spent 7 days in Las Vegas setting up and holding a large trade show, and for me personally it was my first time in Vegas but not my first show. I want to tell you about my Vegas experience while also talking about the pros and cons of event management in Vegas.
Lets talk about what you will experience personally when you go to Vegas to work on a trade show. If you have worked on trade shows or conventions before, then there won’t be much of a difference in your time management. You will be on your feet working from the time you wake up until you get to your room to go back to sleep, as is the life of any event management employee. The big difference is that you will most likely be spending your 7 days indoors in the same building your hotel room is in because the hotels and convention centers are all in one. You will get up and walk from your room for about 12 mins to your expo center, never stepping outside once. This isn’t a terrible thing considering Las Vegas probably averages around a trillion degrees outside everyday.
What could be a terrible thing is if you’re seduced easily by what Vegas has to offer inside their hotels (Casino’s and Restaurants Everywhere!) If you do find the time to grab a bite or have a little fun after your day is over I highly advise it! The food in Vegas is very much above average and if you can control yourself, spending a few dollars on some blackjack or craps isn’t a bad thing. If gambling and food isn’t your thing, there is plenty to do in Vegas in the form of golf, ferris wheels, and amazing shows! As a worker it will be hard, but don’t drop the chance to enjoy Vegas a little.
Now lets talk about the pros and cons of having an event in Vegas compared any other place in the US.
Pros:
- The offsite fun is unbeatable! As I mentioned in another post, your attendees will have no shortage of things to do when they are out of meetings and when the day ends. From gambling to Broadway-esque shows, they will have something to do.
- No shortage of space. If you want to make sure you need lots of rooms and lots of space for you show, meetings, and places for your attendees to stay, Vegas has you covered. The square footage is almost unlimited and there is going to be times where you have extra space to fix up with eating stations and extra booths.
- Great staff. The expo centers and hotels are very professional and will help you out when you need it.
- (Prepare to see this in the cons) Weather! Don’t have to worry about it being cold or raining much! Great for sunshine and warm weather.
- Everything is close by! The strip is small, and taxis are plentiful. You need to get to the airport easy! Need to get to your golf corse? No problem. Everything is at most a 10 min taxi ride away (traffic depending of corse) Heck! Most of the time the thing you are looking for is in your hotel already.
Cons:
- Weather (I warned you!) It’s hot in Vegas, really hot. Don’t expect to walk to far anywhere in Vegas without breaking a sweat from the heat. Luckily everywhere is air-conditioned, but don’t go out in any long clothes and think they won’t be soaked by the end of your day.
- There is a lot of distractions! From the gambling to the now legalized marijuana scene, Las Vegas can suck you in and spit you out quickly. Keep yourself and your co-workers on track or you could lose them.
- So expensive. Hey you want some coffee? That will be $99 a gallon, before taxes or any other fee. Sandwiches? $20 each if you are just having PB&J. If you want something fancy like BLTs, $36 dollars each. If you are planning to have hold your event in Vegas, don’t expect it to be cheap. In Vegas everything has a price tag and its usually three dollar signs long $$$!
Are there more pros and cons to holding your event in Vegas? Yes, probably, but those are going to be diffrent for everyone. Vegas is a great place to hold your events, but can be a femme fatale if you don’t keep close attention. Take these pros and cons on event management to heart and enjoy your event!
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