Influential travel writers group to return to Las Vegas for convention
It’s a convention that isn’t very big by Las Vegas standards, but the impact it could provide to Southern Nevada, particularly downtown Las Vegas, could be huge.
The Society of American Travel Writers will return to Las Vegas later this year for the organization’s 60th anniversary convention, it was announced Thursday.
The Downtown Grand will be the host hotel for the event, which is expected to draw 450 writers, photographers, broadcasters and travel publicists to the city. The event is planned for Oct. 4-9.
The organization will focus its attention on downtown Las Vegas. The group was in Las Vegas for its 50th anniversary convention in 2005, well before major changes came to the downtown area. Over the past 10 years, several hotel properties have changed hands, most have experienced remodelings and overhauls, the Downtown Project has taken hold and developed the Fremont East district and the Container Park and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts has opened.
Thursday’s announcement was made in conjunction with National Travel and Tourism Week, a salute to the city’s $50 billion tourism industry that its leaders have been observing this week.
When the travel writers last came to Las Vegas, they focused their attention on the Strip. Officials with the organization said more than 600 people attended, making it the best attended convention in the organization’s history.
Following the convention, hundreds of stories about Las Vegas emerged from the writers who attended.
“I think it’s interesting how much downtown Las Vegas has changed,” said Peggy Bendel, who heads the group. “The downtown Las Vegas story has legs for other downtowns across the country. As in Las Vegas, change has happened in other places thanks to a large group of young people with new ideas coming into the area and helping to create an enjoyable experience.”
David Swanson, secretary of the Society of American Travel Writers, said October’s event would include more than 65 tours for writers to experience.
Swanson was a self-admitted Las Vegas avoider for years until he came to the event in 2005 and discovered some of the city’s back stories that made him a true fan.
Swanson and Bendel noted that this year’s show is likely to be quite different than the one 10 years ago because of the rise of social media.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman welcomed the organization to the city in a program at the Fremont Street Experience. She was joined by her husband, Oscar Goodman, chairman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s Host Committee, who presented Hospitality Hero awards to downtown Las Vegas industry workers.
“We’re excited to welcome these writers who are going to tell the world that Las Vegas is the best city ever invented,” Oscar Goodman said.
In Las Vegas, Travel and Tourism Week was marked with a Tuesday rally at The Linq. But it also was marked by two major tourism industry stories — the closure of the Riviera to make way for the Las Vegas Global Business District project and the ground breaking for the $4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas resort.
Contact reporter Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find @RickVelotta on Twitter.
