Las Vegas, famously known as the Entertainment Capital of the World, could also be billed as the Convention and Corporate Meeting Capital of the World. Annually hosting over 19,000 conventions on average comprised of more than 4,000,000 delegates, Las Vegas is promoted as the leading destination for all types of meetings including corporate, incentive, conventions and tradeshows. Combining convention, group and meeting attendees with leisure travellers, Las Vegas reportedly hosted over 36,000,000 visitors last year.
Early history of Las Vegas
Las Vegas has one of the richest histories in the country. The Southern Paiute Indian tribes were the first known inhabitants in the area with Spanish explorers later arriving in 1776 and other European scouts following over the next several decades. John C. Fremont, a famous American military officer, explorer and politician, led an expedition through the west passing through Nevada in 1844.
In 1855 the first Mormon settlement arrived in Las Vegas and established a fort which they inhabited for just a short time with Octavius Decatur Gass taking over the old Mormon Fort and establishing Las Vegas Rancho. President Lincoln admitted Nevada to the Union in 1864 with the town of Las Vegas establishing in 1905.
Gaming legalized in Nevada
In 1931, gambling was legalized in Nevada. In 1941, with a population of just over 16,000 residents, the El Rancho Vegas opened on the Strip. The El Cortez Hotel opened in the downtown area of Las Vegas. One of the more colorful and famous characters in Las Vegas history, Bugsy Siegel, opened the Flamingo Hotel in 1946. By the early 1950’s Las Vegas was a raucous, wild and exciting destination. In addition to the powerful draw of gambling, neon lights, and 24 hour action, entertainment became a main focus, as well. With world renowned performers such as Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Elvis Presley, Liberace, and later on, the Beatles, Las Vegas was THE city to visit.
End of the century brings class to Las Vegas
The 1990’s into the next century brought evolution to Las Vegas with the construction of 4 and 5 star mega resorts on the Strip. With the opening of the Mirage in late 1989, many new resorts followed over the next 15 years including MGM Grand, Venetian, Palazzo, Wynn and Encore. Old casino hotels were imploded such as the Dunes, the old Sands, Hacienda and Desert Inn to make room for the new generation of casino resorts in Las Vegas.
Meetings and Conference Facilities and Services
In addition to large conventions, Las Vegas has become a choice location to hold corporate and incentive events. Large corporations as well as smaller companies frequently book their meetings in Las Vegas giving their attendees an opportunity to travel to and visit the famous city.
The majority of Las Vegas hotels on the Strip offer meeting and conference facilities which typically include space, food and beverage, A/V equipment and other meeting related services. Many companies utilize local event planners and destination management companies to handle their conferences and events. Having a Las Vegas expert event company taking care of all the details ensures a smooth, enjoyable and memorable experience. Most corporate and incentive group attendees seek activities outside of their business hours for the opportunity to enjoy all Las Vegas has to offer. An established event planner in Las Vegas has the contacts, experience, staff and capability to handle all details for a business conference.
About Augustus Collection
Founded in 2011, The Augustus Collection is a travel industry B2B Sales and Marketing consultancy, generating revenue of £2.3 million in 2012 to a dynamic client portfolio of independent hoteliers, travel technology firm BookingCore, the world’s largest hotel services organization Magnuson Worldwide, and global leader performance marketing company AffiliRed.
Augustus Couture, an Augustus Collection brand dedicated to fashion featuring “Style Me” personal shopping services in London, an online fashion store “The Look”, and online fashion blog “Couture Novus”.
For more information about Augustus Collection, visit its website at http://www.augustuscollection.com
