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Planners and attendees say it over and over again. One of the reasons Las Vegas is a perennially popular meeting destination is that it is forever evolving. There is always something new to discover there — everything from sold-out music and sporting events to multimillion-dollar hotel renovations to golf, shopping, gambling and other one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences. No matter how often a group holds its events in Las Vegas, it’s pretty much guaranteed that attendees will be in for a surprise each and every time.

On the Mark, Off the Strip

In recent years, more and more groups have been exploring accommodations off the Strip, noting that this helps in keeping everyone on property to network and relax together. One example is the Durango Casino & Resort, which opened at the end of 2023 and offers striking views of the legendary stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard less than 10 miles away.

In February, meeting and event specialist Caroline Snyder was involved in a program hosting 120 attendees at the Durango. Working for an organization that identifies solutions for a wide range of client needs, she says Las Vegas is a great fit for her group based on location, cost and quality of service.

“Being off the strip was ideal as it was a more relaxed atmosphere without lacking the luxury and attention to detail of an upscale resort that Las Vegas hotels are known for,” Snyder says. “Our group is known to be high touch, as they like to explore and enjoy the activities and outlets a hotel has to offer. The service level was top-notch, and everyone raved about the employees and amenities.”

Snyder says the fact that the hotel was brand new was a factor in the group’s decision to meet there. Amenities and location also factored into the decision. “It has a boutique hotel feel with the grandeur and luxury that you experience at larger resorts,” she says. “The updated amenities were appealing to our team, and as a planner, I noticed that the updated banquet equipment was both effective and visually pleasing. The future additions will make it even more appealing,” Snyder notes. “And our HelmsBriscoe representative was also a huge factor in our decision as she was able to speak about the quality of service and experience.”

As for Durango staff, Snyder raves about the event and sales managers assistance during the planning process. “They were great at communicating and assisting with changes and questions along the way,” she says. “The event manager made the planning process easy, as she was professional and extremely knowledgeable about her product. We would definitely want to meet there again in the future.”

Snyder also has high praise for the AV team. “I enjoy working with Encore as they are super professional and always have great team members and equipment,” she says. “Their quality is what stands out.”

For planners considering Durango Resort & Casino, Snyder says: “The resort’s team is second to none. They are confident, friendly and professional. They want your meeting to be flawless, and with that they set you up for success during the planning process. That care carries on onsite. I am so thankful for my experience at Durango … as not only was the meeting a hit, but it also reinforced the standard that we, as planners, should be seeing at other hotels.”

Another Amazing Experience

Only about 12 miles south of the Strip, the M Resort Spa Casino in Henderson is just a short ride from all the action Las Vegas has to offer. The hotel is currently undergoing a major expansion — including a new tower — that began in late 2023 and is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026. Paper First Affiliate, LLC, held its annual convention for 300 attendees in 2020 and 2023 and is booked for 2026.

“We meet in Las Vegas frequently,” says event coordinator Sue Jereczek. “It’s a good fit due to location, accessibility of flights in/out for all of our attendees. The M Resort offers a beautiful property, reasonable rates, great food and an attentive staff. Our participants always give [it] high marks in our feedback survey.”

Jereczek adds that the hotel always makes her group feel important, even though its event isn’t very large. “We couldn’t be more pleased with our experiences at the M Resort,” she says. “From start to finish, the team [there] went above and beyond to ensure our event was seamless, professional and memorable. I recommend this property to anyone planning a meeting. All team members … are truly exceptional. Their attention to detail, responsiveness and hospitality made all the difference. From the sales and events team to the catering staff and hotel operations, everyone was invested in the success of our event. Their professional and friendly demeanor helped create a welcoming environment for our attendees.”

Jereczek also points to the catering and range of menu items as a high point, noting that the food was fresh and of high quality. “Our attendees consistently complimented the meals and refreshments provided throughout the conference,” she adds. “It’s such a pleasure to host our events at this venue. As the meeting planner, it makes my job so much easier and fun!”

The group also used the resort’s function and conference space. “The event spaces were not only modern and spacious but also thoughtfully laid out to support both our conference sessions and trade show exhibits,” she says. “The flexibility of the meeting rooms, along with the AV capabilities, made it easy to transition between keynote sessions, breakouts and morning and afternoon breaks. Guest accommodations were equally impressive: clean, comfortable, well-appointed with great views and excellent in-room amenities.”

According to Jereczek, she can’t recommend M Resort highly enough.

“We’re hosting our 31st annual conference and tradeshow [there] for the third time in 2026, and I feel confident and at ease with the team,” she says. “The M Resort offers the perfect blend of luxury, convenience and functionality. It’s an ideal venue for corporate gatherings, and we highly recommend it to other organizations planning conferences or tradeshows in the Las Vegas area.  We look forward to our return in 2026.”

A Wealth of Options

Wherever you decide to meet in Las Vegas, with multiple venue options and price points available, the city offers everything a planner could possibly want or need. This fact was not lost on Sharon Boothe, vice president of programs at Mass Torts Made Perfect (MTMP) LLC. Her company typically hosts two conferences each year for 1,700 attendees, and while Wynn was chosen for a spring 2025 event, the Bellagio Resort & Casino is a favorite.

“MTMP hosts an annual conference every October at the Bellagio,” Boothe says. “Las Vegas is a great destination — easy to get to for most of our attendees, easy access to an airport and amazing restaurants and entertainment for attendees to enjoy. The cost of the hotel rooms is quite good considering the quality of the hotel.”

Boothe also believes that Las Vegas helps boost conference attendance. “It continues to be a destination that our audience likes,” she says. “There are attendees who come to the conference every year, but Vegas always has new things to explore. It’s always adding new attractions such as The Sphere. The Bellagio is also a destination hotel, and our attendees want to stay at the nicest properties in Vegas.”

“We’ve been using the Bellagio for over 15 years, and our attendees love it. It’s a beautiful hotel with many nice restaurants, and the Bellagio fountains are legendary — they’re an attraction for sure,” Boothe adds. “The size of the hotel is also a factor. Ten years ago, when our program was much smaller, we fit nicely into the hotel. Now that we’ve grown substantially, we’ve taken over more event space and hotel rooms. It’s been a good fit for us because we’ve been able to grow, and the Bellagio has been able to accommodate our growth. The location of the Bellagio is also perfect, right on the Vegas Strip and easy access to many attractions and restaurants.”

Boothe insists that her relationship with staff at the hotel is a huge positive. “My … sales director at the Bellagio … and I work really well together,” she says. “She has been my partner through good and bad — good like growing the conference, bad like COVID. [She] doesn’t just book my program and hand me over to my CSM. She works with me throughout the process, and that is unusual. I think that this partnership has benefited [our] seminar because [we] problem-solve. We collaborate, not just during the sales process but during the entire six months that I work on the program.”

According to Boothe, the entire Bellagio team is invaluable to her and her team. “We work so well together… I really believe that the entire Bellagio staff … is the best asset of the hotel,” she says. “They care so much. They don’t treat us like just another corporate event. My entire team and I feel like our Bellagio team is right there with us throughout all of the inevitable challenges.”

Boothe doesn’t hesitate to recommend Bellagio — when it’s the right fit. “[It’s] a beautiful hotel with an excellent staff. You cannot go wrong holding an event there … If you’re looking to put on a conference … with first-class service and a fantastic staff, the Bellagio is a great choice,” she adds. “It depends on the style and needs of your group. I think the Bellagio is a great fit for many groups because the staff really understands the needs of a large convention group. They know how to take care of you.”

Something New

Down the Strip, The Venetian Resort is another desert gem with plenty to entice planners, including its convention center, which is undergoing a $188 million renovation that will include innovative new technology, luxury lounge spaces and more, all based on feedback from planners, exhibition customers and others in the event industry. The first completed floor was unveiled last August, with the remainder to be finished in stages through 2026.

As director, travel and meetings for a global advisory and consulting firm, Jeanette Kilrea recently brought a group of 600 to the newly opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas. “This is the first time our company has been in Vegas since COVID, and it was nice to get a group back there,” she says. “With attendees coming from across the country, the airlift afforded the ability to have direct flights for all … and affordable airfare.”

Kilrea says the group was fortunate to be staying at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. “It was an amazing experience. The hotel is beautiful, and the C-suite executive for the meeting could not say enough about the property — and same with the attendees,” she says. “Due to the several meeting and venue options onsite, we were able to keep all of our events in-house. The outdoor patio space was a perfect indoor/outdoor space to host an event. We brought in a local DMC to assist in enhancing the space.”

Before the pandemic, this event was held yearly, but this was the first time since 2020 that this group had gotten together. “The goal was networking and spending time getting to know colleagues and making connections,” Kilrea says. “Due to the location of the hotel, I do believe it helped keep people on property, using the center bar space to meet and connect versus going out on the Strip in the evenings.”

She also believes the city itself is a draw, and points out that they had many other options. “I think the ease of getting to Las Vegas does draw a larger attendance, and we find that many people extend their stay for leisure,” Kilrea says. “Out of several options in different cities, we chose this hotel and location for ease of flights and the hotel itself. Our event utilized 625 rooms over two peak nights. We did find our pre-night oversold by a large margin as many people wanted to come in early for leisure. The hotel was great at accommodating all of our requests.”

Additionally, Kilrea notes, the meeting space worked well. “All of our meeting space was on one level and very easy to navigate, and it was easy for attendees to find the space,” she says.

Staff at the hotel was another positive. “Our CSM was one of the best I have worked with — very proactive during the pre-planning process and always available once we were onsite. That made the planning process seamless. The banquet staff were also extremely attentive. They went out of their way for both attendees and staff and always asked if anything was needed.”

So Many Improvements

When it comes to new offerings, there’s a lot going on at MGM Resorts. MGM Grand Hotel & Casino recently launched a $300 million remodel, slated for completion in December. Meanwhile, Bellagio has unveiled a refresh of its rooms in an Italianesque style, also adding a slew of new and/or renovated dining outlets.

At Wynn Las Vegas, a renovation of the brand’s Fairway Villas is well underway. With the first phase wrapped up, a second phase is scheduled for completion by the end of this year. In addition, new concept restaurant Pisces Bar & Seafare will open soon. It will include a private dining space, with full buyouts considered on a case-by-case basis.

A replica Eiffel Tower stands proudly in front of Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Howard Sandler / Adobe Stock

Caesars properties are also high on every event planner’s list of top Las Vegas hotels. The company has big news, as it is teaming up with reality TV personality Lisa Vanderpump to transform the Cromwell — a boutique hotel with 65,000 sf of meeting space — into the Vanderpump Hotel, where “sexy elegance” will be the focus. The project is expected to wrap up next year. Caesars also recently completed its transformation of Horseshoe Las Vegas’ Jubilee Tower into the elegant Versailles Tower at Paris Las Vegas, adding 756 luxury guestrooms.

In addition, Resorts World Las Vegas has recently built eight new meeting rooms to create more space for smaller programs and more breakouts for larger ones. A new restaurant, Stubborn Seed, is also now open. It offers private dining, and planners can arrange a partial buyout of the lounge and patio for receptions.

With so many incredible options, it’s no surprise that Las Vegas remains one of the most desirable meeting destinations for corporate groups of all types, whether you have just a few attendees or a few thousand. One thing is certain: Every time you meet in Las Vegas, you can be sure there will be plenty of new experiences to surprise and delight your attendees. C&IT