2009 … Las Vegas' Most Important Year
December 31, 2008
2008 is almost over, and it could not have come a moment too soon.
Having a front row seat to the worst year in the history of Las Vegas is something that I will probably never forget.
However, unlike most people, I do not think that it was a bad thing in and of itself. This town was long overdue for a pants-down spanking, and the punishment should not end until we earn it.
I think the middle-class tourist should keep twisting the arm of this town until it cries uncle, and NEVER AGAIN forgets that you can’t fill over 100,000 hotel rooms with high prices, terrible odds, and shitty service.
The loyalty of the middle class and working class MUST be won back, or this town is doomed to a depression of epic proportions.
I’ve been told on countless occasions “Rex, you’re crazy! The middle class didn’t build this town, it was built by the wealthy, and it has always been a playground for the wealthy!”
Truth be told, these critics would be absolutely right.
If they were making these statements in 1969.
How many moneyed elite do you think want to stay in the Imperial Palace, Treasure Island, Tropicana, Flamingo, and Monte Carlo?
Vegas 2.0, which started with the massive explosion of the themed mega-resorts was built solidly on the back of the middle class. This town CANNOT survive on the backs of the Paris Hiltons, Lindsay Lohans and trust fund babies of the world.
At least not unless you knock down 3/4ths of the existing hotels.
Back in 1999-2001, this place was all about value, bang for the buck, service, and most of all … fun.
6:5 Blackjack did not exist. Neither did service personnel who couldn’t speak English, doorman shakedowns, or forty five minute lines to check into your room.
For a brief period we were the “it” town which could do no wrong.
People blame the national economy for our woes, and that does have some effect, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Even during the tech industry crash of the early 2000’s, the town continued to grow by leaps and bounds.
We were declared … altogether now … “recession proof”. Had we continued our early 2000 level of service, we would no doubt be doing far better than we are now.
The first rule of show business is to never, EVER, believe your own hype and publicity.
Unfortunately, we were being run by beancounters who have no idea that the entire town is, indeed, the world’s largest actor. Las Vegas pretends to play roles that it isn’t (ie. an anonymous place with no repercussions once you leave) … and the only thing we have to sell is perception.
People can drink elsewhere. People can gamble elsewhere. People can fine-dine elsewhere. People can go to strip clubs elsewhere.
The only way that we can get people here, is to make them PERCEIVE that this is the best place on the planet to do all of the above.
For a long time, we did very well, but the corporations pushed and pushed, and sometime in 2007 they finally crossed the line.
As 2008 draws to a close, some serious self-reflection is in order, and some drastic changes need to be made.
That being said, 2009 offers some very promising opportunities to recapture some mindshare … especially in the second half of the year.
The fall of 2009 will usher in the official beginning of Vegas 3.0beta, and it will in all accounts, determine where this town heads.
I am speaking of City Center and to a lesser extent, Fontainebleau.
City Center
City Center
City Center
City Center
City Center
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau behind Sahara
City Center is arguably the most anticipated property since the Mirage, and its success or failure will almost single-handedly determine whether Vegas 3.0 is adopted by the public like VHS, or discarded like Betamax.
Non-themed office building casinos have worked for limited markets like Wynn, but will they work across the board? I have my reservations, but if they pack some innovation into those modern-looking buildings, it could happen.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again … the thing that Las Vegas DESPERATELY needs more than anything else is innovation.
We need creativity, we need divergence from the norm, we need unique ideas.
Opening a snazzy building with the same games, the same odds, and the same service isn’t going to cut it anymore. Sure, the Encore is nice, but unless you find “attention to detail” innovative, you are not going to be excited. I don’t care about sculptures, I don’t care about chandeliers, I don’t care that the waiter delivers my check in a binder made of fine Italian leather while Sinatra music plays in the background.
This town has been jerking off to Elvis and Frank for the past 30 years. The only people still obsessed with Presley and Sinatra are “Swingers” wannabes, and people well into their 60’s. We can’t keep riding those ponies and expecting people to keep the same level of enthusiasm.
We got sloppy and we got lazy.
“Sin City” is going to have to start living up to its name. I get sexier waitresses at the Hooters in Milwaukee than I get at the Mandalay Bay. Skin will need to return, and prostitution will need to be legalized and brought out of the dangerous shadows in Clark County.
New games will need to be created, and the games should be not only fun, but fair. Of course the house will always have the edge (as well they should), but a real chance of winning is what compels people to gamble in the fist place, and having tight machines suck $200 out of a plumber’s wallet in less than an hour is NOT FUN. Hitting a natural Blackjack and receiving $12 on a ten dollar bet is NOT FUN. It’s insulting.
The casinos need to realize that this is a tourist destination, and actually start making people feel welcome. If a tourist pulls out a camera in a casino … have security smile and say “Thank you, please share the pictures of our fine property with your friends and family!”
No more shakedowns, and no more ripoffs. The Taxicab Authority needs to make arrangements so that a good driver can receive a fair wage for a fair day of work so they don’t feel the need to long-haul, divert, or complain when a passenger only wants to go two blocks. All cab drivers should speak fluent English, and should be intimately familiar with the city.
A transit system must be built. We have only a few roads near the resort corridor, and we have no room to build any more. If Vegas 3.0 succeeds, Las Vegas Boulevard will be wholly incapable of handling the traffic congestion, and a convenient people-moving system must be put into place.
Stop nickel-and-diming, and embrace technology wholly.
Bring back the themes. Vegas had its largest boom period with theming. People showed that they like themes. If you are going to take away things people like, replace them with something of equivalent interest, if not better. Sculptures don’t qualify. Put a casino in the Shark Reef and let people play games six feet from live sharks, have all dealers/cocktail servers/hostesses be women wearing nothing but a thong and high heels, and put electronic basic strategy screens on Blackjack tables so that people always know the correct play for any given hand. If they want to deviate and gamble, they can, but real-time strategy screens will bring more players to the Blackjack tables.
Wi-fi is insanely cheap to implement. Any casino that currently does not offer free internet access throughout its properties is being penny-wise and pound foolish. The first casino to offer full wireless access to anyone and everyone will make huge news. It may well draw more people on a daily basis than the Bellagio Fountains. It is the peak of stupidity that someone has not already thought of this very cheap and basic concept to attract people into their property.
Give people access to EXCLUSIVE content through your Internet access point. Whether that is access to special online tournaments, proprietary video, or whatever … make them want to come to you without having to build an exploding attraction on the sidewalk.
Innovate, innovate, innovate.
2009 may very well be the most important year yet in the history of Las Vegas. It may be the defining year. We may look back and say “2009 is when it all turned around” or “2009 is when it all went to hell”.
Here’s hoping that it will be the former instead of the latter.
Written by Liz on January 2, 2009 at 11:52 am
Rex, your intellect makes you just about the hottest guy on the planet.
Written by Rex on January 2, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Thanks, Mom!
Written by Redbone on January 2, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Although we don’t see it today, the leadership at Harrah’s and MGM are in complete agreement with your thoughts – Make the Vegas visitor experience unique to the world.
there have been discussions about delivering local T.V. content to rooms (if you are from London you get U.K channels), sharing phone videos, pics between rooms at different properties from your room, using digital signage to customize what you see as you walk through the property. What if Vegas was a high tech Disneyland for adults?
IMHO you are spot in the fact that Vegas has ignored the middle class and focused on the wealthy in the last 15 years. But, the facts are that the small % of wealthy make up the majority of revenue.
There are 2 problems they need to over come to fix this.
1 – Every property (except Wynn/stations) is apart of a larger corp (MGM/Harrahs) and thus every property CEO is responsible for delivering THEIR profits – no teamwork
2 – Every property has now segmented their revenue. The pool, kiosk, lease space to restaurant/bar owners must make a profit.
Once the large companies drive the independent properties they own to work together Vegas will have a unique offering. – i.e. all MGM pools should work together to provide unique experiences for and one staying at an MGM property
FYI – reading column for years – don’t always agree -love your passion and thoughts