Meeting Planners and Attendees Break Out of the Ballroom With Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment
Source: Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.
Feb 11, 2008 - 5:03:17 AM
Innovative New Option Allows Planners to Use Alternative Venues for Group Functions and Apply it Toward Food and Beverage Minimums
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment announced today a unique new option to help meeting planners enhance the dynamic Las Vegas experience for their attendees. Planners can now utilize alternative venues, such as restaurants and night clubs, for their events across all seven of the company's properties -- including venues at Bally's Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace, Paris Las Vegas and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino -- and have it apply toward their food and beverage minimum.
In mid-2005, following the merger of Harrah's Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment, the formation of Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment created a revolutionary new opportunity for meeting planners, allowing them to "cherry-pick" meeting venues, such as ballrooms and meeting rooms from any or all of their Las Vegas properties with the convenience of one contact, one contract and one food and beverage minimum.
This gave planners a new level of flexibility in offering their attendees a diverse Las Vegas experience, while making it simple for them to do.
Today, the company has shifted the paradigm even further. Under the new, one-of-a-kind program, planners have the option to not only mix and match different meeting venues across the seven properties, but also alternative venues such as restaurants or lounges, while still enjoying the ease of one contact, one contract, and one food and beverage minimum. This lack of restriction is unparalleled in and out of the Las Vegas market, and gives the company's customers true freedom of choice to leverage their spending at an extensive variety of venues.
"Before, we said, 'You can have your guest rooms at Flamingo, your opening reception in the Skyview Ballroom at Bally's, your lunch in the Champagne Ballroom at Paris, and your closing reception in the Augustus Ballroom at Caesars.' Now we're saying, we don't care where you meet. You can have your opening reception at VooDoo Lounge at Rio, your lunch at Mon Ami Gabi at Paris, and your closing party at PURE at Caesars Palace, and your spending will still help you achieve your food and beverage minimum," said Michael Massari, vice president of meeting sales and operations for Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment.
"This is an incredible opportunity for me and for my attendees," said Faith Ferguson of Faith Ferguson Productions, Inc, whose clients include Sony Electronics, Inc. and Best Buy, Inc. "All my years in this business, suppliers have worked really hard to convince me that I needed to not only stay in one hotel, but had to stay in the ballrooms, stay in the meeting space. And, we always have. When Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment launched their program a couple of years ago, allowing customers to use different meeting venues across all their properties, and still work with one person and have a single, all-encompassing contract as well as one F&B minimum, that was a breakthrough for us. It expanded our options and gave us a lot of flexibility. Now, they've extended that same idea to include any facility within the walls of their seven properties, whether it's a restaurant, or a nightclub, or whatever. That means I have total freedom to give my attendees a really unique and engaging experience with the same level of ease as if I were working strictly with the meeting space at only one property."
"Our goal has always been to listen to our customers, respond to their needs, and make it easier for them to achieve their objectives and execute a successful meeting," said Massari. "This new program is another option for planners to that end. And when they are successful, so are we."
About Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada nearly 70 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions, and now owns or manages casinos on four continents. The company's properties operate primarily under the Harrah's(R), Caesars(R) and Horseshoe(R) brand names; Harrah's also owns the London Clubs International family of casinos. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership. More information about Harrah's Entertainment is available at its website: http://www.harrahs.com.
About Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment
The 2005 merger between Harrah's Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment launched a groundbreaking philosophy aimed at offering more choices to meeting planners by unifying the meeting sales and operations of seven distinctive Las Vegas properties into a single city-wide operation under one leadership umbrella. This unique concept led to the creation of Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment, which comprises some of Las Vegas' most notable properties: Bally's Las Vegas, Caesars Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah's Las Vegas, Imperial Palace, Paris Las Vegas and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The combination offers 1 million square feet of cumulative meeting space, 18,000 guest rooms and suites, and countless options for dining, entertainment and leisure. The distinct advantage for the meeting planner is the convenience and leverage of one contact and one contract, combined with the access and freedom to enjoy the wide variety of venues and amenities across all seven Las Vegas properties.
Property Summaries:
Bally's Las Vegas
-- 2,814 guest rooms and suites -- 175,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
Caesars Palace
-- 3,348 guest rooms and suites -- 240,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
(4,013 in 2009) (300,000 in 2009)
Flamingo Las Vegas
-- 3,565 guest rooms and suites -- 73,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
Harrah's Las Vegas
-- 2,550 guest rooms and suites -- 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
Imperial Palace
-- 2,640 guest rooms and suites -- 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
Paris Las Vegas
-- 2,916 guest rooms and suites -- 140,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
-- 2,563 guest suites -- 163,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
For information on Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah's Entertainment call 1-877-MEET-702 or email lvmeetings@harrahs.com. Visit our website at http://www.lvmeetingsbyharrahs.com.
