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B M & T ••• September/October 2019 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 47 MEETING IN NEVADA OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE B Y B U C K S A M U E L S Two of Nevada's top outdoor attrac- tions are located within a few hours of the state's biggest urban area, but their atmospheres couldn't be further apart. Death Valley National Park, less than three hours from Las Vegas, is the driest and hottest spot in America. Hoover Dam, just one hour from Vegas, feeds the waters of Lake Mead, the center of major recreation site. Situated in the Colorado River Valley at the junction of Nevada, California and Arizona, the city of Laughlin is surround- ed by the Black Hills, Spirit Mountain and Grapevine Canyons. Laughlin also is home to 10 major hotels and casino resorts. Reno's gaming casinos may be its most popular attractions, but the city also boasts some notable historical and recre- ational sites. Bethel A.M.E. Church stands as Nevada's oldest surviving African-American institution. For the out- door enthusiast, the area offers mountain hikes through the Sierra Nevada, cruising on Lake Tahoe, kayaking and whitewater rafting on the Truckee River. • • LAS VEGAS • • Las Vegas draws millions of visitors each year to attend meetings and con- ventions in the city's growing inventory of spectacular venues. For example, open- ing in 2020, Caesars Entertainment is building CAESARS FORUM, a state-of- the-art 550,000-sq. ft. conference center with a 100,000-sq. ft. outdoor plaza. As spectacular as this new project is, it is not the only impressive Caesars property in Las Vegas. There's also the 3,960-room iconic Caesars Palace, 1,622-room Harrah's Las Vegas, the LINQ Hotel & Casino, with 2,545 rooms including 270 suites, the Flamingo Las Vegas, boasting 3,460 guest rooms, and Planet Hollywood, which offers endless options of A-last entertainment, dining from celebrity chefs and a bustling nightlife. Another major Las Vegas player, MGM, offers the MGM Grand with its new 850,000-sq. ft. Conference Center, the Mandalay May Resort & Casino, fea- turing more than 2 million sq. ft. of meet- ing space and 900,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, the 2,700-room Park MGM, and the ARIA Resort & Casino, which houses a 500,000-sq. ft. convention space. The city offers an array of cultural and historical attractions that highlight its diversity, including the Walker African- American Museum and the Hispanic Museum of Nevada, the new Asian Culture Center. Anchoring Las Vegas' meeting infra- structure is the Las Vegas Convention Center, located adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip, encompassing approximately 3.2 million sq. ft. with exhibit space of 2 million sq. ft. and meeting space of nearly 250,000 sq. ft. in 144 rooms. The facility is one of the busiest centers in the world - centrally located within three miles of over 100,000 guest rooms. Other major meeting venues include the Sands Expo Center and Venetian Congress Facility (1.8 million sq. ft. of exhibit and event space), Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino (2 million sq. ft.), and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (0ver 502,000 sq. ft.). • • RENO TAHOE • • With all the quality, convenience and after-event activities of much larger locales, Reno Tahoe provides a first-tier experience without the expense and red tape that often is associated with large metropolitan areas. From versatile ven- ues to team-building adventures to cre- ative off-site events, you'll find that Reno Tahoe has everything meeting planners need to inspire business results. Reno Tahoe offers cutting-edge tech- nology, upscale accommodations, and the convenience of multiple venues with- in minutes of Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The Reno Tahoe area is home to more than 100 places to stay, ranging from hotels in downtown Reno to vaca- tion rentals near Lake Tahoe, totaling 16,200 hotel rooms in all. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Reno Sparks CVA – (775) 827-7600 www.visitrenotahoe.com AREA GUIDES • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Aria Resort & Casino 4,004 Bally's Las Vegas 2,812 Bellagio 3,933 Caesars Palace 3,980 Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas 3,033 Excalibur Hotel & Casino 3,981 Harrah's Las Vegas 2,540 The Linq Hotel & Experience 2,253 Luxor Hotel & Casino 4,400 Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Resort & Casino 3,211 MGM Grand Hotel and Casino 4,968 The Mirage Hotel & Casino 3,044 The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino 4,024 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Las Vegas Convention Center total exhibit space 2 million sq. ft. meeting rooms 144 largest ballroom 16,855 sq. ft. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Las Vegas CVA – (7002) 892-0711 www.vegasmeansbusiness.com N E VA D A Caesars Palace Exterior photo credit: Las Vegas CC