Black Meetings and Tourism

THE SILvER STATE SHINES BY NORMAN MAYERS Nevada, the Silver State, is one of the largest states in the US, which means you will find plenty to do here. It's one of the only places you can ski world-class runs in the morning, then walk world-class greens in the afternoon. You can bike or hike the Tahoe Rim Trail, navigate a kayak on the Truckee River through downtown Reno, take an ATV up Sand Mountain near Fallon and snowmobile miles of wide-open terrain near Elko. And no one can forget the world-class gaming, dining, and hotels of Vegas! LAS vEGAS Las Vegas, the city of massive casinos and mega hotels, has suffered greatly under the failing economy, but now more than ever the city remains committed to being the premier destination for meet- ings, conventions and trade shows. There is no other place where your attendees can experience top-tier meetings facili- ties in such close proximity to some of the world's most fabulous hotels, restau- rants, shopping, live entertainment and themed attractions. The city of Las Vegas boasts more than 9 million sq. ft. of convention and meeting space with a large chunk of that found at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The LVCC is one of the most modern and functional facilities in the country with more than 3.2 million sq. ft. of exhibit and meeting space. More than 2 million sq. ft. are available for exhibit space, while 144 meeting rooms handle seating capacities ranging from 20 to 2,500. A grand lobby and registration area of more than 225,000 sq. ft. link existing exhibit halls with new meeting rooms. The center is also conveniently located within three miles of more than 78,000 hotel rooms. Situated on a 55-acre site, Cashman Center is just minutes from downtown Vegas. The facility offers two adjoining divisible exhibit halls providing 98,100 sq. ft. of contiguous climate-controlled exhibit space. Twelve meeting rooms yield another 17,500 sq. ft. of space. The complex also includes a nearly 2,000- seat Broadway-style theatre and an outdoor stadium with a capacity of 10,000. For many visitors to Vegas, the strip is the main attraction, so hotel convention facilities are an invaluable resource, and Vegas delivers on this front in spades. The city has 15 hotel properties with over 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The most impressive is hands down the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino with nearly 1.7 million sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space. The MGM Grand is anoth- er magnificent facility with it 594,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and 171,000-sq. ft. casino. Planners should not overlook Fitzgerald's Hotel & Casino, the first casino in Las Vegas owned by an African-American – Don Barden. Las Vegas is a mere 4-hour drive from Los Angeles and is accessible via air through McCarran International Airport. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Las Vegas CVA - (702) 892-0711 www.lvcva.com RENO-SPARKS You may not know as much about Vegas' sister to the north but that doesn't mean that the Reno-Sparks area is not worth your time. In addi- tion to the area's spectacular beauty, Reno-Tahoe offers an extraordinary mix of history and culture, world- class ski and golf resorts, 24-hour gaming and entertainment, a mild cli- mate with four distinct seasons, a healthy, diverse economy, and com- munity spirit as strong as ever. This second tier convention destination offers first tier amenities and services with a price tag that you can afford. For meetings the Reno-Sparks Convention Center features five con- tiguous exhibit halls with 381,000 sq. ft. of space. The Mt. Rose Ballroom furnishes evenly planners with 30,000 sq. ft. of column-free multi-purpose space for formal dining functions, subdivides into seven smaller break- out rooms. Fifty-three meeting rooms, accommodating groups from fifty to more than 3,000 compliment the Convention Center. Air travel is through the Reno- Tahoe International Airport. Who You Gonna Call? Reno-Sparks CVA - (775) 827-7600 www.visitrenotahoe.com AREA GUIDES NEvADA Black Meetings & Tourism June/July 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 61 One of the newest attractions on the strip Photo Credit: Las Vegas CVA

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