HERE’S TO SUCCESS: 2010 Las Vegas Educational Experience participants and Las Vegas Meetings by Caesars Entertainment employees celebrate after a successful community service project with St. Jude’s Ranch for Children (left). The final-night gala din- ner hosted by Las Vegas Meetings by Caesars Entertainment (below).
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OST FAM TRIPS INVOLVE SITE TOURS AND SALES PITCHES tempered with a bit of entertainment. The 9th Las Vegas Educational Experience, “Diamonds Are a Planner’s Best
Friend” — for which Las Vegas Meetings by Caesars Entertainment is asking interested industry professionals to save the date — is not among them. The three-day, fully hosted educational event is sched- uled to take place from Nov. 10–13. The Las Vegas Educational Experience was launched to provide planners with an opportunity for professional and personal develop- ment while showcasing the diverse offerings available through Las Vegas Meetings by Caesars Entertainment. “This event is not like a typical FAM trip,” said Michael Massari, vice president of meeting sales and operations. “We like to describe it as an ‘un-FAM,’ because our objective has always been to provide planners with a forum for education and networking first, and then let them know more about who we are and what we can do through the experiences they have with us over the course of the weekend.” Jordan D. Clark, vice president of sales, corrobo-
rated Massari’s comments, adding that the Las Vegas Educational Experience has become increasingly popular with meeting planners. “It has really grown over the past five years,” he said. “For our first event, we worked incredibly hard to get about 50 attendees. Our event last year had nearly 400.” Previous Educational Experience topics have
included green meetings, social networking for business, generational differences, and relationship- building. A diverse array of speakers have been showcased, including Roger Dow, president of the U.S. Travel Association; Vincent Papale, a former football player and subject of the recent Disney feature film
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“Invincible”; and Rudy Ruettiger, whose story was made famous in the movie “Rudy.”
At a Glance
Meeting space: One million square feet across eight resorts — Bally’s Las Vegas, Caesars Pal- ace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Imperial Palace Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino — plus a wide variety of unique alternative venues
While the event’s core goals remain the same, its content contin- ues to evolve. Last year’s Educational Experiences introduced a community- service element: helping to maintain the cottages and grounds at St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, a facility for abused, abandoned, and neglected chil- dren. This year, an op- tional half-day for site tours will be added. As a bonus, planners who participate in the entire program can earn CMP and CMM continuing- education credits. For additional information about attending the Las Vegas Educational Experience, go to www.Caesars.com/ LVExperience. ■