| EXHIBITORLIVE 2015

Trade Show Blog

Lesson #215 | The Only Constant is Change

Lesson #215 | The Only Constant is Change

Tips from a Townie

January is CRAZY in Las Vegas! CES and PPAI just finished. Up next is SHOT Show, International Builder’s Week, and World of Concrete. Blink once and it will be February. Blink again… EXHIBITORLIVE!

Several years ago, I shared my VEGAS LOCALS perspective on places to eat, shows to see, and things to do while at EXHIBITOR. A lot has happened since then, and I wanted to suggest some new places. These are not your standard tourist fare and many are (thankfully) outside the Hacienda Triangle (Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur). Part 1 — Dining Options in Las Vegas.

Dining Options

Down Las Vegas Boulevard from Mandalay Bay is Michael’s Gourmet Room at the Southpoint Casino. It’s a longtime locals favorite and a hidden gem. Michael’s is a throwback to the glamour of the Rat Pack era with captains, uniformed staff, velvet banquets, intimate size, and exquisite service. The old school menu features forgotten dishes like saltimbocca, escargot, chateaubriand for two, and a signature intermezzo of sorbet with Dom Perignon champagne. The food, the service, and the setting… It all works here.

On the opposite end of the strip is The Top of the World Restaurant at the Stratosphere. It’s perched 844 feet above the city and revolves in place, rotating a full 360 degrees every 80 minutes for a birds-eye view of Las Vegas. The view attracts tourists, but it’s the menu of re-imagined classics that makes it hard to get a reservation. In addition to a generous helping of ambiance, the menu boasts delectable seafood, prime-cut steaks, and decadent specialties. While there, you can visit the observation deck. The Stratosphere boasts several thrill rides that are not for the faint of heart. My recommendation, make a choice… rides or restaurant and stick to it! The two aren’t very compatible.

Vegas EatsAt the center of the strip, there’s the new LINQ area. I’ll get to the High Roller (the fancy ferris wheel you’ve heard so much about) in Part 2. This time around (no pun intended), we’ll focus on the eateries. Guy Fieri, of Food Network fame (graduated from UNLV don’t ya know) opened his first Las Vegas Restaurant, appropriately named Vegas Kitchen & Bar. Yardhouse has an installation here too, as well as Brooklyn Bowl, Tilted Kilt, and Sprinkles Cupcake ATM. Yep, you can now get your cupcake fix 24/7 in Vegas! Chayo Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar, Haute Doggery, Flour & Barley, and F.A.M.E round out the line-up of eateries in this lively new section of the strip.

Finally, there’s the buffet. The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar’s Palace is the “sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll” of Vegas buffets. Bacchanal Buffet is what happens when you throw $100 million budget at a buffet renovation. The Bacchanal Buffet is not only a feast for your tummy but also for your eyes. The dining room is broken into air, water, or wood-themed sections. And then you have the more than 500 daily offerings many of which are prepared in front of you. The menu changes daily depending on products, season, and chef’s whims. Must tries include fried chicken and waffles, red velvet pancakes, mini Wagyu sliders, Japanese curry, and a made-to-order dessert crepe.

Bacchanal

I’m not going to lie, it’s a little spendy as buffets go ($52+ for dinner) but Groupon has a deal going right now that will get you breakfast buffet and mimosas for 2 plus VIP line passes for $65 total. The catch is that it is only valid Monday- Friday but might be a good option for Thursday if you have an afternoon flight.

Depending on your culinary mood, you might want to give these Off-The-Strip Delights a try:

Okay, I’ve done my best to get you going in the right direction. Let me know what you think and please add your own suggestions.

In the meantime, don’t forget registration for EXHIBITORLIVE 2015 is OPEN! Click Here to access registration and receive an Exhibits Only pass courtesy of Classic Exhibits.

In case you missed it, here’s my What To Do in Las Vegas during EXHIBITORLIVE blog post.

Jen LaBruzza
Western Regional Manager (and Vegas Local)
jen@classicexhibits.com

**********************************************

Based in Portland, Oregon, Classic Exhibits Inc. designs and manufacturers portable, modular, and custom-hybrid exhibit solutions. Classic Exhibits products are represented by an extensive distributor network in North America and in select International markets. For more information, contact us at 866-652-2100 or www.classicexhibits.com.

[subscribe2]

Filter by Category

Filter by Year

Recent Posts

The 3 Essential Trade Show Marketing Questions

These are questions every designer should ask their client before designing the ideal trade show display. If the client walks in just thinking about the nuts and bolts of the project, they may miss an informed conversation on why they are exhibiting in the first place and that can fundamentally affect the design of a booth. The Why can greatly impact the How in Exhibit Design.

What You Should Know about Exhibit Marketing

Exhibit marketing is all about marketing your products or services to buyers at expositions, conferences, and trade shows. A successful exhibit marketing program will be rewarded with increased revenues, referrals, and industry networking. The goal is to understand how exhibit marketing differs from the other types of marketing.

Managing Your Trade Show Budget

Trade shows are expensive, and some costs are often puzzling to exhibition newbies, but there are multiple ways to manage those expenses with a little planning and some assistance from an experienced trade show professional. Don’t be afraid to tap into that expertise.

Why Are Trade Shows Important for Business Growth and Branding

With the rise of online meetings and ecommerce, business experts have predicted the death of trade shows and live events for 40 years. Yet, the benefits of trade shows and events have never been more important for businesses. There were over 13,000 separate events in North America in 2025 alone.

Best & Biggest Convention Centers in the US for Trade Shows

What are the biggest and best convention centers in the United States? And does overall size and location matter when it comes to a convention center? Unless you’re a trade show nerd (like me), you’ve probably never wondered if the Las Vegas Convention Center is bigger than McCormick Place in Chicago. Or if the Orange County Convention Center is in FL or CA?

10 Online Tools for Classic Exhibits Distributors

At a recent Shared Knowledge University, we reviewed ten online tools available to all Classic Exhibits Distributors. The attendees told us that these tools are invaluable to their sales, marketing, and customer service teams and are unique within the exhibit industry. 

Why Small Businesses Fail to Grow by Jay Goltz

Excerpt from the “Art of Running a Small Business.” Many, if not most, Classic Exhibits distributors fall into the small business classification as defined by the Small Business Administration. Small businesses have challenges that larger businesses do not.

Top 12 Trade Show Bad Habits

All animals, humans included, are creatures of habit. We learn how to survive, then follow those routines day after day. Trade shows are no different. Exhibitors and attendees find their safe space and get comfortable: same shows, same people, same message.

Your Trade Show Marketing in 2026

When it comes to trade shows, many exhibitors don’t have a detailed plan on how to market their company. They purchase a display, which they think is the key to a successful show. Your exhibit may be the star of the show but it’s only one element in a comprehensive strategy.

IMEX America Hosted Buyer Lounge (Condensed Version)

IMEX America 2025 brought together 17,633 participants, including more than 6,000 buyers from 75 countries, reinforcing the event’s position as a high-value marketplace for the global meetings industry. At the center of this ecosystem was the CORT Events’ Hosted Buyer Lounge, designed as a dedicated environment.

40 Weird Things You Do @ Trade Shows

Trade shows can be a strange world whether you are an exhibitor, attendee, or an industry insider. While many behaviors might seem normal to you as a member of the trade show community, others are downright bizarre to those who rarely set foot in a trade show hall.

Why Are Companies So Bad at Trade Show Marketing?

Some companiees will hint at it. Then there are the ones who are honest. They simply don’t understand trade show marketing. That’s not surprising. It’s rarely taught on the undergraduate or graduate level. At best, it’s mentioned in passing in a marketing textbook.

10 Things Zombies Can Teach Us About Tradeshow Marketing

Single-minded Focus. You may not appreciate their all-consuming desire to eat your flesh, but they are committed to the task. They let nothing get in their way, except an ax to the brain. Your next trade show will be wildly successful, if you make it a priority, not an afterthought.

10 Things To Ask When Renting Trade Show Furniture

Selecting trade show rental furniture is a critical step in your exhibit planning timeline and it should happen well before your move-in. Ideally, you’re confirming your exhibition rental furniture several weeks (if not months) in advance.