Meeting News - May 25, 2009 - (Page 22)

Dateline: Reno, Nevada By Matt Alderton Revitalized Reno Uses Sky Bridge, Savings In Bid For Groups The “biggest little city in the world” will now feel even larger to groups thanks to a new sky bridge connecting the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. The bridge allows meeting planners to pair the hotel’s meeting facilities with the convention center’s for seamless access to nearly 550,000 square feet of cumulative meeting space, according to John Farahi, chairman and CEO of Monarch Casino & Resort, operator of the Atlantis. “In most major cities, the hotels surrounding the convention center are connected to it by skywalk,” Farahi said. “By connecting to the convention center, we’ve given our guests something they’ve been wanting for years—a skywalk that makes two properties feel like one.” Financed entirely by the hotel, the $12.5 million Atlantis sky bridge opened in November after nine Reno’s sky months of construction. At 18 feet wide, the bridge spans 650 feet and is outfitted with imported marble flooring, custom carpeting that was loomed in Ireland, and heatstrengthened, hurricane-resistant tinted glass windows through which pedestrians have views of the Sierra Nevada foothills to the east and Mt. Rose to the southwest. “The sky bridge has placed the convention center among the top eight in the country with a direct connection between the convention center and hotel facilities,” said Ellen Oppenheim, president and CEO of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. “It’s a very functional and attractive feature that gives meeting planners more flexibility. It even gives them extra space, because it’s possible to put exhibits along the sky bridge.” While many cities have had to press pause on projects that would expand or enhance their hospitality infrastructure, Reno hasn’t, according to Oppenheim, who said the city has seen a dramatic increase in hospitality investments leading up 22 MeetingNews May 25, 2009 Bowling Stadium, and the new, 32,655-sq.-ft. Reno Ballroom—that give meeting planners new and unique venues in which to host and entertain their attendees. Even so, it’s Reno’s long-standing tradition as a value destination that has been driving demand among groups in a down economy, according to local meeting planners. “Reno has always been a really savvy negotiator,” said Carey Bachman, former national sales manager at Reno’s Silver Legacy Resort & Casino and the current director of sales for Red Carpet Events & Design, a décor and destination management company. “We’ve always been aggressive because we’re a second-tier city that’s always been in the shadow of Las Vegas. Reno wants, needs and appreciates your business, so they’ll do whatever they can to get it.” bridge stretches from Atlantis to the convention center. “Reno and Lake Tahoe have always Several hotel expansions and renovations have been very flexible working with groups,” said Alayrecently been completed in Reno. In December, na Alariana, director of sales for Tahoe/Reno Expethe 1,635-room Peppermill Hotel Casino opened rience, a local destination management company. a new $400 million, 600-room all-suite hotel “They’ve always been willing to negotiate rates to tower with a 30,000-sq.-ft. spa and a 62,000-sq.-ft. fit groups’ budgets whenever possible. Yes, they’re ballroom that is the largest in northern Nevada. being asked to do it more right now, but Reno has The 1,995-room Grand Sierra Resort and Casino always been very open to negotiating rates.” completed in February 2008 a $90 million renoAccording to Bachman, Reno hotels most vation of its guest rooms and public spaces, commonly are negotiating meeting space including a $3.5 million makeover of its 200,000- upgrades, audio/visual discounts, guest room sq.-ft. meeting and convention space. The 1,000- rebates, cash credits to planners’ master accounts, room Atlantis last year completed a $50 million and suite upgrades, so that they can show off expansion that tripled the size of its spa and dou- recent renovations. More coveted concessions, bled the size of its meeting space to nearly 50,000 however—things like room rates and attrition square feet on one side of the new sky bridge. clauses—are being negotiated less often because “The hotel product in Reno has really taken an terms are already so favorable. enormous leap forward,” Oppenheim said,“which “Reno hotels have always offered really great is a real positive for meeting planners.” room rates,” Bachman said.“Reno has always been Also positive are a slew of civic improve- really good with attrition, too. Many hotels don’t ments—including a new 9,100-seat Triple-A even have attrition—unless you’re booking a realbaseball stadium, the new 65,000-sq.-ft. National ly large room block—which is incredible.” r www.meetingnews.com to and during the recession—of which the Atlantis sky bridge is only one. “If you look at the investments made in the last handful of years, it’s close to $2 billion that’s been invested in this destination,” Oppenheim said. http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - May 25, 2009

Meeting News - May 25, 2009
Contents
Newsmakers
MeetingNews Research
Viewpoint
Meetings Tech
Meetings Spotlight
Construction Cites
Meeting People
Incentive Insider
Travel Dashboard
Dateline: Reno, Nevada
East Regional
Dateline: Texas
Mid-America Regional
Golf Meetings
Resort Showcase Contents
Atlantis
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino
Bellagio
Harrah’s/Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino & Resort
The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas
Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa
Special Section: Florida

Meeting News - May 25, 2009