Headline News

Caesars Palace expands meeting space by 110,000 square feet

Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah’s has announced that July 11 marked the official opening of the new 110,000 square foot expansion of meeting space at Caesars Palace. The first group to take advantage of the addition, United Franchise Group, utilized a majority of the new space.

The addition includes a 263,000 square foot convention center that connects to the existing meeting space in the property’s Palace Tower. Comprising two levels, the new facility includes two 52,000 square foot ballrooms, several meeting and board rooms, grand promenades and additional banquet kitchen and support facilities. A large terrace with private swimming pools is slated to open in September. This outdoor space will also be available for private events.

The new meeting space puts Caesars Palace in an even better position  to accommodate complex programs with the addition of over 50 breakout areas. With ceiling heights of 26-28 feet and advanced audio visual and data systems, the facility is also capable of hosting a wide variety of product introductions and entertainment productions. Direct access to fiber optic hubs is available for events that require satellite transmission capabilities.

Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah’s is an umbrella organization that offers one-stop planning assistance for seven major Las Vegas properties. In addition to Caesars Palace, they include Bally’s Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Imperial Palace Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas and Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

For more information about Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah’s, call (877) MEET-702, or visit www.lvmeetingsbyharrahs.com.

Read more about Caesars Palace.

Culinary genius, at a reduced cost, at MGM Grand

Joël Robuchon, the culinary master hailed as the “chef of the century” and current holder of an unprecedented 18 Michelin stars worldwide, has re-engineered the highly touted menus at his two MGM Grand restaurants, Joël Robuchon and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. The good news for meeting planners and attendees is that both places are now more affordable, while offering a new wave of creative flair.

Opened in September 2005, Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand was Robuchon’s first fine dining restaurant in the U.S. For 2009, the restaurant has been awarded three Michelin stars - the only Las Vegas eatery to earn that coveted perch - and AAA Five Diamond and Mobil Four Star designations.

The four new menu options, dubbed “Les Selections Gastronomique,” allow diners to choose their selections and number of courses. Ranging from $89 to $195 per person, the menus include appetizer, soup, main course, cheese and desert. Options include octopus and tiger prawn in a seaweed gelee, spiny lobster in a sake broth with turnip and shisho sprouts, beef ribeye with spiced spinach and crispy vegetables, and strawberries and champagne rose over fresh mango granité with crunchy red fruits.

At L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, which earned one Michelin star for this year, Robuchon presents his creations in an informal style that removes the traditional barrier between kitchen and dining room, allowing guests to watch as their meals are prepared. The new menu there, “L’Unique,” allows diners to choose an appetizer, main course and desert for just $39 per person. The new menu features selections such as chilled gazpacho with croutons, lamb kebab with vegetable ratatouille, and pistachio crème brulee with caramelized pistachios.

For more information or reservations, call (800) 929-1111, or visit www.mgmgrand.com.

Read more about Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand.

New Aria and Vdara Hotels now accepting bookings for 2010

Two new highly anticipated properties, the 4,004-room Aria Resort & Casino and the 1,495-suite Vdara Hotel, are now accepting group bookings for 2010 and beyond.  Both hotels are part of the visually stunning MGM-Mirage CityCenter project, an “urban metropolis” set on 67 acres between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 61-story Aria  is scheduled to open December 16. Among its many amenities will be 300,000 sq, ft. of meeting and pre-function space,  150,000 sq. ft. of gaming, 16 restaurants, 10 bars and lounges and an 80,ooo sq. ft. spa. Aria will also feature an 1,800-seat theater that will be home to a Cirque du Soleil production that celebrates the musical legacy of Elvis Presley.

In addition to 10,000 sq. ft. of conference space, the 57-story Vdara will include the Silk Road restaurant, Bar Vdara and the 16,000 sq. ft. Vdara Health & Beauty spa .

Aria and Vdara will be innovative standard-bearers for environmental sustainability. Both properties are seeking LEED® certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more information about Aria, contact Gail Fitzgerald, senior vice president, hotel sales & marketing at (702) 590-7171 or email her at gfitzgerald@arialasvegas.com.  To learn more about Vdara, contact Tara Russell, vice president of hotel sales and marketing, at (702) 590-2328, or e-mail her at TRussel@vdara.com.

Leading DMC Baskow & Associates expands speaker and housing services

Baskow & Associates, an award-winning and highly-credentialed destination management company that serves a global clientele from the Fortune 1000, has added a speakers bureau and expanded its housing and registration services.

“We’ve always booked speakers for clients,” says CEO/owner Jaki Baskow, who founded the company 33 years ago. “But because the role of a speaker is so much more important these days, we decided to provide a speaker booking service every day.”

Baskow’s roster includes Rudy Reutigger, the would-be Notre dame football star immortalized in the hit movie Rudy, and Eva Longoria-Parker, star of Desperate Housewives. “She’s an amazing woman,” says Baskow. “Beyond the woman and the actress is an incredible entrepreneur. She talks about how to win in today’s world.”

An expanded housing and registration division of Baskow & Associates provides turnkey online registration services that can be customized for individual clients. Services include web design, online surveys and web hosting. Clients have access to 24/7 management reports via a secure web portal.

“Clients especially like our call center services,” says Alec Sonenthal, senior account manager for housing and registration. “We act as an extension of their meeting team.”

Baskow also offers on-site registration services.

For more information, contact Jaki Baskow at (702) 547-5101 or by e-mail at jaki@baskow.com.

Hot-dogging the Strip: legendary ‘Pinks’ to debut at Planet Hollywood

Pink’s Hot Dogs, the legendary Los Angeles wiener emporium that has wowed Hollywood celebrities with its simple but divine products for 70 years, will debut a Las Vegas outpost in August at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

“With its celebrity kitsch, quality of food and great value, this is a perfect time to bring the iconic Pink’s brand to Las Vegas,” says Billy Richardson, CEO of the new Pink’s Las Vegas and also creator of LBS: A Burger Joint.

The 1,900 sq. ft. Pink’s Hot Dogs Las Vegas, located inside Planet Hollywood but also accessible directly from the Strip, will offer 14 products, including its time-tested top dogs – the Stretch Chili Cheese Dog, Chicago Polish Dog and Rosie O’Donnell Long Island Dog. In addition to hot dogs, Pink’s will offer classic American burgers and chips and salsa. And in a bow to the culture of its new home, Pink’s will offer alcoholic beverages.

The restaurants will have indoor and outdoor seating.

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