Kimberly Ruby
Senior Manager, Meetings and Events; RubyMeetings; Willow Grove, Pa.
Describe your event. This was an incentive for the Yoh Company, a staffing company, for its top sellers and rookie of the year. There were 24 attendees. The event was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas.
Why did you decide to host the meeting at Lake Las Vegas? We were interested in switching locations from Florida and felt as if Las Vegas had an incentive appeal as long as we used upscale properties. Lake Las Vegas hit the perfect balance of an easy airport, it’s not right on top of the Vegas Strip and the upscale location.
What surprised you the most about Lake Las Vegas? The beauty, the versatility of the lake and the shopping.
What did your attendees seem to enjoy the most? They loved the property, food, shopping and ability to get to the Strip without too much hassle. We provided each guest an opportunity to take a limo into downtown with a return trip back—they loved that. We also did a nighttime helicopter ride over the Strip and took our champagne and strawberries with us to the airport and toasted each other before going up. At dinner beforehand, we had to reveal the event, as it was a complete surprise for the attendees. When it was time to serve dessert the staff brought out napkin-covered plates, and I asked everyone to count to three then lift the napkins—underneath there were toy helicopters. At first there was silence, then a gradual roar as they realized what they were going to get to do. Then there was pandemonium and cell phone calls and applause—all before we boarded the bus!
Is there anything you wish you had known beforehand? We placed the whole group in the bridge section of The Ritz-Carlton, and I didn’t realize how far it would be to walk back and forth for things at the property, but they loved being able to use the concierge lounge for breakfast, snacks and drinks.
What would you have done differently? I would have planned a group trip to the Strip for a show and let people know they could change their room location. One lady had a bad foot and it was painful for her to walk so much. I also probably would have liked to do a dinner or lunch on the lake.
What other types of groups would fit well with the property? Incentive and training groups, board retreats, any group, really. I liked that the gambling on-property was not in your face.
What local suppliers did you utilize? I enjoyed working with the Alan Waxler Group.
How does Lake Las Vegas compare to other cities where you have hosted meetings? It had everything the group was looking for in early May, including great weather, gaming, shows and ease with the airport.
Would you return? The group said, "Yes, please!"
Do you have any advice for other planners who might bring a meeting to Lake Las Vegas? Plan on seeing properties outside the Strip. Add some time if you are doing site visits and find out if your group minds the trip to the Strip or wants to be right on it. Make sure the property meets the culture and needs of the group.