Vegas News September 19, 2021

A “big” Vegas Cancellation

NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show was canceled earlier this week. It will return to Las Vegas next April. The cancellation of the broadcasting expo wasn’t much of a surprise, even if it is considered a “big” Vegas Cancellation. Sony and a couple of other large companies had already pulled out of the expo. 

While NAB canceling is disappointing for many, other conventions and expos are moving forward in Las Vegas. G2E is still on and SEMA expects to be the largest trade show in the country this year. Smaller conferences and meetings are still taking place. 

Lots Of Conferences

Conferences aren’t all canceling. Like the rest of the public, convention attendees will have to adjust to life with COVID-19 still lingering. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) re:Invent 2021 conference will still take place from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3. Similar to G2E, all attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear a mask. Read more here. 

Things can change quickly in this COVID-19 world and there’s no telling what the future holds. While Lady Gaga tickets surprisingly remain unsold, Life Is Beautiful is expecting about 170,000 people during the three-day festival in downtown Las Vegas. 

For the time being, COVID-19 guidelines in Las Vegas casinos remain the same. Let’s get to the news in and around Las Vegas.

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Las Vegas Quick Hits

Before we get started, here’s a fun read about Norm MacDonald in Las Vegas. 

Good morning ☀️ ☠️ pic.twitter.com/velZ91WAJa

— Marc (@MeltzVegas) September 13, 2021

• This was a big week for football fans in Las Vegas. The Raiders played their first regular-season game in front of fans on Monday Night. This capped off a great first week of the NFL season. I (eye?) am sure not everyone enjoyed the Raiders eyepatch on the Sphinx at Luxor nearly as much as I did. 
• Resorts World Las Vegas now has a self-guided tour of the artwork in the property. You can read the press release here and see the highlighted art here. While this is a cool idea there’s much more eye candy at Resorts World.
• Speaking of Resorts World, the Awana Spa is now open. In addition to traditional bodywork, there’s a large wellness component at the spa. Read more here. 
• Sammy Hagar is performing at Beer Park outside of Paris Las Vegas this week. Read more here.
• Two notes here about MGM Resorts plans. 1) It looks like the company will start renovating hotel rooms next year. 2) It sounds like MGM won’t be buying the Cosmopolitan.
• A Barbie exhibition will take place at Crystals mall next to Aria in October. Read more here.
• Speaking of Crystals, Toca Madera, a modern Mexican restaurant, will open inside the mall next year. Read more here.
• Now that we’re talking about Mexican food let’s move over to Palace Station where Tacos and Tequila will open in December. If the name sounds familiar it’s because the restaurant was popular when it was open at Luxor. Read more about the new location here.
• Here’s a nugget I missed. It seems like M Resort might be getting a second hotel tower someday. Read more here. 
• Chickie’s & Pete’s will finally open at SAHARA Las Vegas on October 6. Read more here.
• Gene Simmon art gallery is opening at The Venetian in October. Seems like it would be a better fit at the Miracle Mile Shops at PLANET HOLLYWOOD Las Vegas Resort. This is where the KISS residency will be. Read more here.
• Barry Manilow is extending his residency at the Westgate. Read more here. ​​
• Rumor of the week: Tiki Bar Overlooking The Mirage Volcano. This idea sounds legit since casino operators are always looking to monetize every inch of real estate nowadays. Wherever the location, I’m into this concept and look forward to dropping $27 for a tiki drink. 
• A couple of Boyd Gaming notes here. 1) Eastside Cannery may reopen in Jan. or March. 2) The company is operating with 60% of its pre-COVID staff. 
• While we’re talking about Boyd Gaming, it looks like the company removed the good video poker games at Main Street Station when it reopened. See the updates here. This is too bad, I know many people that visited the casino just for the great video poker games.
• Piero’s will be reopening for daily service later this month. Read more here.
• I can swear this is old news but the date for this article is from this week so I’m sharing info about the Virgin Hyperloop that may have been tested this week. Read and see more here.
• Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter will box at Mandalay Bay on Nov. 20. Read more here.
• Aero is a new semi-private airline that will be flying to and from Las Vegas. Read more here. 
• You can see EDC Week events here.
• You’re going to have to reserve a time before going for a ride at Red Rock Canyon’s Scenic Drive. Read more here. 
• The historic Mount Charleston Lodge about 30 minutes from the Vegas Strip burned to the ground on Friday. That sucks but I was more impressed that the firefighters were able to keep the whole forest from burning. Read and see more here.
• To the moon! (in Las Vegas)! The idea of creating a casino resort with the moon in mind goes all the way back to 2002 (read this). This Vegas Dream is back with a video (below) detailing the idea of this property. Read about it here and here and check the video below.