Anthony Olheiser of LAX: Las Vegas enjoys ‘perpetual reinvention’
The one constant about Las Vegas is that it is ever-changing. Buildings come tumbling down, and skyscrapers go up in their place. Hotel casinos are imploded, and gaming palaces arrive on the scene.
Motorists suffer road diversions to make way for new highways and access ways. Sometimes you take the same route to work or play over time, and you suddenly notice brand new construction and mumble to yourself, “I could swear that wasn’t there yesterday!”
Restaurants come and go, and new ones pop up faster than broiling a barbecue burger. Nightclubs open with a regularity that’s more punctual than the U.S. Postal Service.
Change is the constant, and it is an only-in-Las-Vegas phenomenon. Anthony Olheiser, executive director of brand activation at LAX in The Luxor, understands it well:
Change is constant in Las Vegas. Whether it’s opening a new arena or the latest warehouse chain, demolishing an iconic resort or welcoming a national league sports team to a city that has never known one, Las Vegas lives in a state of perpetual reinvention symbolized by the orange traffic cones endured grumblingly by locals and tourists alike.
I grew up in Napa Valley in California. When I was in eighth grade, one of our assignments was to write a resume based on where we saw ourselves in 20 years. While most of the class was pencil fighting or playing Heads Up, Seven Up, I was carefully crafting what would become a roadmap to my career. I had no doubt that Las Vegas was the place I wanted to live and work.
I moved here in 2003, after graduating college, the year audiences were introduced to NBC’s “Las Vegas” starring Josh Duhamel and James Caan and the illustrious Montecito Resort & Casino. There were only a handful of nightclubs and celebrity-driven restaurants at the time. The main reasons people came here were glitz and gambling, the idea of living large and winning big.
What followed was a period of transformation that ushered in development on the North Strip with the construction of Wynn Las Vegas, The Palazzo and Encore; the groundbreaking on CityCenter, the largest privately funded construction project in the history of the United States; and followed by the opening of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts Downtown.
In 2012, I had the opportunity to move to Los Angeles to work with L.A. Live, the city’s quintessential sports-and-entertainment district. During this time, I experienced the Los Angeles Kings winning The Stanley Cup, playoff basketball and awards season, which included the Grammys, ESPYs, BET Awards and more.
While experiencing all of this excitement, I had a creeping feeling that Las Vegas — with constantly fomenting prospects — was where I wanted to be. I have been back in Las Vegas for about two years now and am in awe at the changes that have taken and continue to take place.
The city now has its own sports-and-entertainment district with T-Mobile Arena, The Park and the upcoming The Park Theater, all within a stone’s throw of one another. These new venues not only help us welcome millions more travelers to our city, but also give the local community the “metropolitan” feel that some say it lacks.
The current state of Las Vegas is one that not many people could have predicted 20 years ago. Nongaming revenues have surpassed gaming revenues threefold. Most metropolitan cities have just one major arena, and we now have three, plus multiple midsize theaters and showrooms that are activated year-round.
Las Vegas, once a resort city, has become a major hub for A-list talent of all varieties. Now on the verge of having a major national sports franchise, the city has become a destination for some of the most ambitious, creative and successful people in the world.
The future of Las Vegas is one of amazing optimism and cultural creation. With the emergence of Downtown Las Vegas and Downtown Summerlin, the community has so many opportunities to embrace and support the growth and development that make Las Vegas one of the greatest cities in the world.