Viva Las Vegas

Well, my last night in Vegas was quite the adventure.

Nothing crazy. A lot of walking.

I really enjoy the theming of each casino. They really stay true to their theme through a lot of mediums.

The Venetian especially. There is a canal that runs through the property and shops align it as if you were actually in Venice. Many of the gondola drivers sing as they push their guests through the property's canal.

The fountains, the marble, the carpet, the signs, the furniture - everything says Venice.

It's like Disney World for adults.

Seriously!

Looking for EPCOT's World Showcase? There's Italy to be found at the Bellagio (oh boy did I gush when I went there, I'm a HUGE Ocean's Eleven fan) and the Venetian. And Roman look a-likes at Caesar's Palace. And, of course, the Paris Casino!

The sleek feel of EPCOT is noticeable at Stratosphere and the Cosmopolitan (one of my favorites).

Hollywood Studios: MGM Grand with it's hollywood-like atmosphere and New York, New York (even complete with a rockin' roller coaster, definitely check it out) which resembles the "streets of America" found within the park.

Animal Kingdom- exhibits at the Mandalay Bay (sharks) and MGM Grand (lions). There's also Circus Circus with hosts acrobatic acts (Festival of the Lion King show, anyone?).

Magic Kingdom? Advenureland at Treasure Island. Frontierland at Bill's Casino. Fantasyland at Excalibur. Let's keep it current and assume no toon-town. And tomorrowland at Stratosphere.

I couldn't help, but let my Disney nerd run loose. My apologies.

I learned a lot about IHG at this conference and where they are going with the Holiday Inn (google "The Hub") and even rebranding Crowne Plaza.

There were also lots of strategies on increasing revenue, stregnthening branding, and taking care of people.

One notable one was from Trayce Robbins on dealing with our generation. Crazy generation Y.

She wanted the company to accept that we were not going to be "lifers," but also to understand that this is not such a bad thing. She emphasized how important it is to maintain post-job relationships. In essence, don't let them leave on a bad note, because they will leave, accept it, but they will also possibly be future customers and, more importantly, refer friends to the company as employees.

And if they were a great employee, won't their friends be, too? Plus, with our generation moving so much, each of us has a wide variety of experience and diversity to bring to the table everytime we move. I truly hope the current industry leaders really take this to heart and understand that constant shifts aren't so bad afterall.

Well, it is time to get back into the swing of things and get some homework done. I need to get to work on the student portion of my "spoiled student" lifestyle.