Here’s a few reasons I feel Las Vegas has become popular:

Clarity of Offer Every time I tell someone I am visiting Las Vegas (LV) on business, their first comment back is ‘What happens in Vegas..’ LV provides tremendous clarity of offer, the consumer knows exactly what they are getting into, how they will spend time, resources, and money. Think for a minute about visiting Las Vegas, what kind of activities will you participate in? Gambling, shopping, and shows come to mind. These activities come to mind because LV’s strong Clarity of Offer has established that. Now, think about visiting other Southwestern locations that compete for tourism travel: Phoenix, Albequrque, and

Perceived Value All aspects of Las Vegas seem ‘affordable’ for most households. Because of the heavy supply of flights in and out of McCarran International Airport (LAS) most round trip tickets from the east coast are between $250-$350. (Further reading about the airline pricing in this NYT Article) Hotel prices also follow supply and demand. With the recent downturn of business travel, conventions are down in numbers, and prices are dropping on empty rooms. Naturally, if you are staying in a hotel, you are more likely to participate in the prime time gambling hours, and spend more. Consumers will usually under budget any vacation, and Vegas is no different. It is easy to turn a $1,500 vacation into a $5,500 one, just by making a few more bets on that Roulette wheel.

Product Placement If you’ve watched a Hollywood movie, or television program over the past few years, you have run into product placement for Las Vegas. That’s right, America’s most materialistic city is a product, and Hollywood is consuming it. MTV’s “The Real World” recently went back to Vegas, and has experienced the most dramatic ratings spike in recent seasons. The city breathes excitement into any program format, and therefore makes a topical shooting location. The casinos & hotels gladly play host to the network crews. For a city that is famous for upgrades and comp’s, one can imagine the wool pulled over the eyes of network execs ‘location scouting’.

These were just some general ideas. Viva Las Vegas!

Facts Tell & Stories Sell Throw away the percents, figures, and facts. In this market, as in most, detail rich stories will always convey your message better.

Friends in Common When adding a new friend on Facebook, the first thing I check is who we both know. This helps identify what groups this person is in, and how we connect. Similarly when marketing to the new elite form bonds by discovering shared pursuits and interests.

“Reliability is the new trust” & “Hone your Elevator Pitch”