With consumer spending and visitation numbers apparently reaching bottom, some companies are content to declare this a “New Normal” and accept diminished revenues as a permanent fixture. Others see opportunity in this new era of lower room rates and increased competition and seek to expand their market share during the economic recovery. Nevada Gaming Xchange’s training seminars will equip these-forward thinking companies with tools to help their sales professionals boost earnings in a time of decline and stagnation.

Each of NGX’s six training programs include pre-training assessment as a prelude to three to four hours of customized education that, depending on the program, will help sales professionals focus on combating negative perceptions, increasing their referral rate, and drive their sales. Post-session assessment guarantees that the educational session has added value. In addition to the group instruction curriculum, all seminars can be augmented with one-on-one coaching sessions.

“If the convention industry can use the strategies developed by NGX to increase their sales by 10-15 percent, that will go a long way towards reversing the economic decline of the past two years and returning confidence to Las Vegas,” notes Nevada Gaming Xchange Consultant David G. Schwartz.

According to Schwartz, decreases in convention travel from meetings backlash cost Las Vegas approximately $2.1 billion in lost visitor spending alone in 2009. About $735 million of that loss was because of questions of perception.

NGX training seminars are:

• Conducted by top instructors with years of experience in the field
• Completely customized for each client and audience
• Built to give tourism industry professionals the tools they need to do their jobs better

Nevada Gaming Xchange is a multi-faceted public relations, marketing and tourism company committed to assisting the meetings industry in preventing convention negative perception. Company executives have over 30 years of experience.

Posted February 3, 2010 3:14 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Southern Nevada Public Television (SNPT) and Vegas PBS today announced that Reggie Burton was elected president of the Southern Nevada Public Television Board of Directors, the non-profit organization whose mission is to provide financial support for Vegas PBS.

Other newly elected officers of the SNPT board include Kelly Peterson of Bank of America, vice president, Jim Dionizio of NSTec, treasurer and Lori Lea of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, secretary.

"I am delighted to be among this group of community leaders committed to securing valuable funding so that we may continue delivering cutting-edge and innovative programming to Southern Nevada,” Burton said.

Burton thanked immediate past president Lisa Dove-Swisher for her enthusiastic leadership. During her tenure as president, Dove-Swisher worked to bring new members to the board, chaired the Vegas PBS 40th Anniversary Gala and conducted a strategic retreat to create a roadmap for positioning Southern Nevada’s public television station as a distributor of programs and services to support the community.

Burton, president of public relations firm Reggie Burton Communications, and a former gaming executive with MGM MIRAGE, was elected in 2006 to serve a three-year term on the Southern Nevada Public Television Board. During this time, he served as the organization’s vice president and chair of the Advocacy Council.

About Vegas PBS

For more than 40 years, Vegas PBS has provided Southern Nevada with quality, commercial-free programming, media and media delivery technology. Vegas PBS provides broadcast TV and cable over seven channels with an additional six educational channels provided directly to the Clark County School District classroom. Vegas PBS local productions include Nevada Week in Review, Inside Education, Recession Rx, Homework Hotline, Varsity Quiz, Remembering the Holocaust: Las Vegas Survivors Tell Their Stories, Building Vegas GREENer, Fit Kids, Active Families, School Matters and election debates. In 2009, Vegas PBS completed construction on its Educational Technology Campus, a model for sustainability and green building practices. The campus will house Vegas PBS studios and offices, Clark County School District’s Virtual High School, Educational Media Services, the Emergency Response Data-casting System, public meeting rooms and training facilities. Visit www.VegasPBS.org for additional information and programming highlights.

Posted February 2, 2010 1:08 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

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An oldie but a goodie that just resurfaced. The correction came as a result of Las Vegas Review-Journal Real Estate Editor Chuck Baker's liberal interpretation of "journalism" circa 1990.

Posted December 11, 2009 3:54 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Recently-retired Major League Baseball pitcher Greg Maddux, a shoe-in for the Baseball Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible in 2014, is doing what he loves most with his newfound free time. It’s all about family, golf and community now.

So when he received the request to donate his time for an auction package to raise money for Lied Discovery Children’s Museum in Las Vegas, he willingly obliged.

“If my being on the golf course helps the kids in my hometown, then that’s where I need to be,” said Maddux, whose own charity, the Greg Maddux Foundation, will also benefit from whatever is ultimately raised.

The children’s museum, which serves more than 100,000 visitors a year and is the only one of its kind in Las Vegas, recently put together an “exclusive dream trip” package that is highlighted by a round of golf with Maddux at Cascata Golf Club, one of Southern Nevada’s most prestigious and exclusive golfing experiences.

Through the generosity of US Airways, Luxury Suites International, On Demand Sedan & Limousine, and Wolfgang Puck, the museum was able to create a package people from outside Las Vegas might find irresistible. Maddux played in Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles, so the museum is hoping fans from those markets might compete with each other for the honor of teeing it up with Maddux.

“eBay is the perfect instrument to get this unique, one-of-a-kind experience out to as many people as possible,” said Linda Quinn, the museum’s executive director.

Go to eBay and search “Greg Maddux Golf” to see the package.

Posted October 21, 2009 9:43 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

After "Timmy The Greek" went ballistic last college football bowl season by going 30-4 against the spread on his picks for all 34 bowl games, the public went nuts trying to get their hands on his picks this season. Well folks, TTG has agreed to share his picks. Here you go. Come back weekly for more of the same.

Baylor -10.5 vs. Conneticut

Western Michigan -17 vs. Miami (OH)

Colorado -7 vs. Wyoming

(Note: these are not recommendations and are intended solely for entertainment purposes)

Posted September 17, 2009 12:37 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Findlay Volkswagen General Manager Jim Krumme lauds the 2009 Jetta Diesel.

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta diesel has proven multi-faceted and very popular as evidenced by recent statistics released by Findlay Volkswagen in the Valley Automall.

The vehicle equipped a 2.0 liter turbo four-cylinder skyrocketed in the month of June as gas prices began to increase again.

“What’s even more interesting is that prices of diesel are less now 10-20 cents less than regular fuel,” explained Michael Halladay, a 27-year year old native of Southern California who has been with the dealership for the past four years. “This is a clean diesel meaning that the engine has been updated immensely over previous years.

“The issues with diesel from the past such as the black soot, excessive noise and exhaust smell have all been eliminated by Volkswagen’s new clean diesel technology. In fact, the car won the “Green Car of the Year” award presented by the Green Car Journal with a list of panelists that included Jay Leno and Carroll Shelby among others. Volkswagen has come light years in their technology.”

The analogy comes as a personal touch considering that Halladay was a U.S. Marine for four years from 2000-2004 and drove diesel trucks all over the world. He spent so much time driving the truck that the last thing he wants to experience now is the smell formally affiliated with the diesel.

Dealership General Manager Jim Krumme said nearly half of the store’s overall sales in May were Turbo Direct Injection. In fact, Krumme drives a 2009 Jetta diesel daily putting on more than 60 miles each day.

“I like the car especially because of fuel mileage and performance,” explained Krumme, who formerly worked as a technician at Findlay Oldsmobile for ten years before going into management. “Just driving back and forth to work is a big test. It has great torque, great power and handles like a dream.”

Krumme and Halladay each say the Jetta diesel gets better mileage (33 city and up to 47 on the highway) than a hybrid and simply makes better sense considering it’s much cheaper to operate.

“I have customers that say the car gets even better mileage than that, too,” Halladay said. “Then, too, it’s so environmentally sound especially considering that the owner doesn’t have to worry about the batteries that are needed with a hybrid.”

The Volkswagen diesel comes in two models including the sedan and sportwagen. It is priced from about $21,990 and comes with a three-year, 36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper Carefree Maintenance program.

The vehicle’s power plant generates 140 horsepower and 236 horsepower. It also qualifies for the Alternative Fuel tax credit. At the end of the first year of ownership, the owner gets a $1,300 tax credit on their Federal Income Tax.

Further information can be found at www.findlayvw.com or by calling 702-558-6600.

Posted July 20, 2009 10:02 AM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Farts, Burps, and Hurl Capture Kids' Attention and Imagination

Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body, a traveling exhibition exploring the good, the bad and the ugly about how your body works, is currently on display in the Cultural Gallery at Lied Discovery Children’s Museum through September 7, 2009.

Grossology is a collaboration between Science World, Advanced Exhibits and Sylvia Branzei, a teacher, microbiologist and author of the best‐selling children’s book of the same name. The exhibition uses creative animatronics and interactives to teach about runny noses, body odor and other unmentionables. Visitors will be able to learn how your nose acts as an air filter and mucus producer, mimic the buildup of acid indigestion at a burp machine, and climb on large replica of human skin.
As the museum’s summer spotlight, Grossology takes the place of the highly successful Adventures With Clifford the Big Red Dog exhibition and becomes the third science‐based addition to the facility in 2009. The Green Village and It’s Your Choice core exhibitions were added earlier this year.

“Lied Discovery Children’s Museum is a center for science in the Las Vegas Valley,” executive director Linda Quinn said. “Grossology makes science fun for children and families, which is why it’s a perfect fit. We are fortunate the support of the community continues to enable the museum to bring bigger and better science exhibits and educational opportunities to our members and visitors.”

Grossology is locally sponsored by Cox Communications.

Lied Discovery Childrenʹs Museum is located at 833 Las Vegas Blvd. North in downtown Las Vegas and features more than 100 interactive exhibits in the arts, sciences and humanities for children and families. For more information, visit www.ldcm.org or call (702) 382‐3445.

Posted June 12, 2009 1:42 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

It’s “Business As Usual” for Southern Nevada’s Top GM Dealership

General Motors sent pink slips to roughly one out of four of its dealers nationwide this month. Findlay Chevrolet, one of the newest and most successful dealerships in the Las Vegas Valley, was not among them. Just last week, Findlay Chevrolet received “the other” letter from GM. This one asked the dealership “to be part of ‘the new GM.’”

“Findlay Chevrolet has been affected by the economy just like virtually every other business, but we are determined to weather the storm,” General Manager Justin Findlay said. “We are happy that GM feels the same way about us.”

GM determined that the overall performance of the company would benefit from a reduction in the number of dealerships that were - in many cases - competing with each other within the same market.

More than 1,100 “underperforming” stores, as GM put it, were targeted to ensure the automakers’ future retail networks will be stronger down the road.

Mark LaNeve, GM’s North American sales chief, said the dealer cuts were needed to match the shrinkage in the company and in the U.S. auto market.

Late last year, two Chevrolet dealerships in Southern Nevada abruptly ceased operations and shut down, reducing the total number of Chevrolet dealerships in Southern Nevada from five to three. One has since re-opened under new ownership, bringing the total to four.

“If we hadn’t had that attrition earlier in the year, who knows what would have happened here,” Findlay said. “But four seems like the right number. We basically have one in each corner of the market.”

Also last month, Integrity Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep, the dealership adjacent to Findlay Chevrolet in the Southwest part of the valley near 215 and Rainbow, announced it was closing under the strain of the economy. Chrysler Corporation also announced it was not renewing several franchise agreements in Southern Nevada, creating a shockwave through the local auto industry and doubt amongst Southern Nevada GM and Ford dealers, who comprise the balance of the “Big Three” in domestic auto sales.

For GM dealers like Findlay Chevrolet, the doubt can now be put behind them.

“Now we are focused solely on what’s in front of us,” Findlay said.

Findlay Chevrolet opened in December 2007 and became the No. 1 GM dealership in Southern Nevada within its first year of business. It is one of 14 dealerships within the Findlay Automotive Group.

Posted June 11, 2009 5:08 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Heller Companies, a Las Vegas-based commercial real estate development and management firm, has implemented a new strategy to deal with waste at several of its multi-tenant business parks, including Valley View Business Center, one of the largest multi-tenant office/industrial flex projects in Southern Nevada.

The Valley View Business Center development, located at South Valley View Blvd. and Sunset Road, has more than 554,000-square feet of office, showroom and warehouse space, which accommodates more than 200 tenants. Heller Companies principal Jay Heller estimates those tenants produce 2,784 cubic yards of refuse each month.

“We started to analyze ways of incorporating more green practices in our projects and realized that when companies normally think green, they tend to look towards energy efficiency and alternate sources of energy,” Heller said. “But there is equally as much green potential in recycling the materials we use on a daily basis.”

Wanting to leave less of a carbon footprint, Heller set out to correct the problem by adopting and implementing a waste management program for all of his company’s multi-tenant business centers. The program went into effect May 1.

To make the program work, Heller Companies enlisted the assistance of a local recycling company, NVCCU, which consulted with Heller throughout the changeover and supplied the necessary recycle-only bins. The new bins handle all waste material except food waste. Special bins are in place specifically to handle the food waste. The recyclable materials are all co-mingled in the bins and require no additional effort from the tenants to sort.

“As odd as it sounds only the food waste needs to be separated out, which in the entire facility is minimal,” Heller said. “All the co-mingled recyclables go to a special facility owned and operated by NVCCU, where they are then sorted, baled and sent off to be recycled.

“The majority of the waste generated at our developments are recyclable, material such as paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, etcetera, and previously it was all just going to the land fill. Now the majority of our trash is being recycled.”

Because the bins are twice the capacity of previous garbage bins, they are emptied less often, further decreasing the overall carbon footprint of the business park. It also means lower operating costs for Heller Companies, and ultimately the tenants.

“It’s a win-win situation. Everything about this initiative makes sense,” Heller said.

For more information on Valley View Business Center, or other Heller Companies projects, visit www.hellercompanies.com.

Posted May 29, 2009 10:28 AM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This

Born to fill a void in Truckee’s (Calif.) affordable housing market, Hopkins Village, earned the award for “Best New Subdivision in the United States” at the 2009 Manufactured Housing Institute’s National Industry Award ceremony during the industry’s National Congress and Expo for Manufactured and Modular Housing at Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas last month.

The subdivision is comprised of two-story, multi-family units that look and feel like town homes that belong in the alpine village located across the California border roughly 30 miles west of Reno.

“This was a unique situation because the product had to fit two criteria that are not usually consistent with one another,” said Leo Poggione, a 1992 graduate of UNLV (Business Administration) and president of Reno-based Craftsman Homes. “They had to be completed within a relatively tight budget, but also be attractive enough so they would not detract from the surrounding area.”

Hopkins Village is located between three world-class golf courses and Northstar, an upscale community that features world-class skiing, a country club, high-end residences and a host of celebrity neighbors.

A greater challenge was the small window of time allowed to complete the project. Because of the unpredictable weather that Truckee is known for, a project of this magnitude - if it were site-built - might take up to 24 months to complete. As modular units that are constructed in closed, controlled environments, shipped and assembled on site, that window was reduced to just 90 days.

“This project presented a lot of challenges that we would not have been able to overcome if we were building these units from scratch,” said Poggione, who also was honored as the 2009 National Retail Person of the Year.

The National Industry Awards are presented annually. Entries submitted for awards were judged by an independent panel of professionals within the planning, community development, Realtor and homebuilding professions.

Craftsman Homes is a 10-year-old Reno company that specializes in the sale of homes from a variety of different manufacturers. To view pictures of these homes you can visit www.forahouse.com or call Craftsman Homes, Inc. at 775-853-3004. For information on the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), go to www.manufacturedhousing.org.

Posted May 26, 2009 2:45 PM by Blogging Vegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | Email This