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Vegas is Testing a Tamer Slogan to Lure Tamer Guests

January 14, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 1 Comment

A rendering of Project CityCenter.

Long-time attendees of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas may have been doing a double-take when then got their room bill at checkout this year. They probably couldn't help but notice that Vegas has gone upmarket, with high occupancy and ever-higher rates.

How long can the hot streak last? The city's marketing mavens are hoping a new betting strategy will extend the good luck. Last week they rolled out a new catch phrase, "Your Vegas is showing."

Apparently meeting planners don't like the wildly successful current one, "What happens here stays here," saying it undermines their efforts. (Hmmmm, last time we checked there wasn't any shortage of conventions in Sin City.) The real impetus though, according to business publications, is all the new hotels on the way. The Wall Street Journal says:

"Some $35 billion in new construction that is under way or planned in Las Vegas is expected to produce more than 30,000 new hotel rooms in the next five years. Vegas needs to attract 200,000 more visitors for every 1,000 new rooms.

In other words, just appealing to the naughty isn't going to be enough. New ads will tout the city's shopping, dining, and other "tamer" attractions. The slogan is being tested in focus groups right now and if all goes well, "Your Vegas is showing" could officially start running in the Fall. Of course, it won't replace the most popular phrase in history "What happens here stays here" but rather run alongside of it.

We say just wake us up when it's over and booking a room doesn't feel like such a gamble.