Trop in trouble; Sands has a plan; Super Bowl to Vegas?

It’s not exactly news that without convention business the Strip is screwed. What does comes as a revelation is that Las Vegas Sands set up a 296,000-square-foot mock convention space to convince Sisolak that larger-scale meetings (the current ceiling is 250 attendees per hall) can be held safely. Held quietly last month, the pseudo-convention “took the governor and meeting industry representatives through the entire trade show process, from arrival and registration to exhibit halls and vendor booths. The expo center also staged food courts and general sessions with updated protocols,” reports Global Gaming Business, which has the in-depth technical details. In a formal statement, Sands Expo Center sales supremo Chandra Allison put it plainly: “Meetings are at the heart of the Venetian Resort, and we recognize the importance of bringing meetings back in a safe and responsible way,” including on-site testing. MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts have been quick to fall in line with initiatives of their own. Only Caesars is lagging (again).

Sands test-flew its new protocols and technology by hosting Shark Tank tapings over the summer that proved Covid-proof. Ironically, the news breaks just as one of Sands’ marquee clients, Global Gaming Expo, kicked off its virtual 2020 trade show. Sisolak seems to have been impressed by what he saw at Venelazzo, proclaiming, “I know you may be considering locations in other states [for meetings]. But before you make a decision, understand that Nevada is not only open for business, we plan to be open for the long term.” According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, the convention business is in deep trouble. “About 88 percent of events originally scheduled in the second quarter were canceled; the remaining 12 percent were postponed and some of those events may eventually be canceled as well,” it reported.

Most show producers, such as Cirque de Soleil, were positive but extravagantly noncommittal about the effect of increasing the attendance ceiling. Impresario David Saxe, who manages a gaggle of Miracle Mile showrooms, chafed at the difficulty of making ends meet for small-venue shows like The Mentalist. Sir Harry Cowell, exiled to his native Britain, was even less enthusiastic, saying, “I can’t come home. These are very odd times. Getting a phone call in the middle of the night and hearing what the governor said was exciting and wonderful news, but reopening is not what I’m seeing here. We’re locked down and we’re not opening.” Only Hanoch Rossen‘s Extravaganza at Bally’s seems headed for resumption, with Rossen maintaining that 250-person audiences can pencil out. In many cases, the mandated 25-foot separation between audience and stage will make reopening darn near impossible. As Saxe fumed, “There are a lot of things put on us and I’m trying to make sure we can deliver all of that the right way. We’re trying to get clarification on exactly what we have to do and how we have to do it, and then [the] phase is, is this even commercially viable?” And that is the multi-billion question hanging over Las Vegas.

For relief, the industry is looking again to our nation’s capitol, where Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D) and Kevin Cramer (R) have introduced the Hospitality & Commerce Job Recovery Act. It would direct aid to the casino industry, in part, “While gaming’s responsible reopening is well underway, the sustained economic damage has jeopardized our ability to sustain jobs and drive much-needed tax revenue that will be essential to our nation’s economic recovery,” said American Gaming Association President Bill Miller, endorsing the proposal, which “will enable the gaming industry to retain employees and jumpstart nongaming elements of our business, like meetings and conventions, which account for the majority of our revenue in markets like the Las Vegas strip.” Time is running short in the Senate but we could really use the help.

Now for some good news for Sin City, it is in the running to host the 2024 Super Bowl. Thanks to the NFL‘s greed-fueled decision to go to a 17-game season, that pushes “the Big Game” into conflict with Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where the ’24 Super Bowl was originally to be held. Throw in the 2022 Pro Bowl and that same year’s NFL draft, according to CBS (which has a vested interest, due to its Caesars alliance) and Las Vegas becomes a front-rank football city in nothing flat.

Speaking of Caesars (and greed), paid parking is coming back. The Roman Empire’s excuse is that it’s giving the money to charity, although we’ll make our charitable donations to whom we damn well please, thank you very much. Oct. 30 is the date certain for resumption of this odious practice. Also, Caesars will only donate the “profits” to charity, presumably leaving plenty of moolah for itself. All casinos are effected except Planet Hollywood, which reverts to paid parking next year. Nevada residents, Platinum and higher loyalty members and hotel guests are exempted. Vital Vegas’ Scott Roeben thinks it has nothing to do with 501(c)3s and everything to do with security, an impost to ward off the riff-raff currently afflicting the Strip. Roeben thinks this will set off a domino effect at nearby resorts and we’re hard put to disagree with him.