With G2E 2016 just around the corner, Las Vegas has been on my mind.  I’ve been traveling to Las Vegas my entire life and can actually remember when the Mirage was first opened (November 22, 1989!) and it was the latest and greatest property on the strip.  I also remember when Vegas shifted its messaging from an adult playground to a family destination (remember the MGM Grand theme park?) but over time the messaging shifted back to its original “Sin City” roots.

Vegas has gone through so many phases since I’ve been traveling there, but only now have I started to notice real change, a shift from old school Wynn and Adelson mentality to a new one more like Jim Murren’s.  I also predict the gambling industry will notice a lot of change at G2E this year, but we still have a way to go before the sea of slot machines on the expo floor will be reduced and replaced by something new.

Outdoor venues for food, drink and fun

One of the most obvious changes to Las Vegas over the past year was the opening of “The Park”, MGM Grand’s “pedestrian experience” located between the Monte Carlo and New York, New York properties.  I actually stumbled across The Park when I was in Las Vegas this past April and couldn’t believe what I was seeing- a grassy strip of outdoor bars, restaurants and entertainment, accessible only on foot.  What a nice change from the dark, windowless, smoky inside of a casino, I was thinking.