The sound of mega-musicians coming back up and down the Las Vegas Strip is music to meeting professional ears. Big name entertainment in town helps sell event tickets, simplifies VIP experiences and adds that wow factor. The good news is that the attraction could hold even more widespread appeal as classic and up-and-coming acts are being booked in more stadiums than before the pandemic.

Synchronicity

Case in point: IMEX America brought some 10,000 event professionals together in Las Vegas in November. That week, Caesars hosted groups of 25 press people to join the sold-out crowd at the 4,300-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace to see Sting perform a live concert at the very beginning of his Las Vegas residency.

Read More: IMEX Came Back Big Time.

Stephanie Byrd, marketing specialist at Caesars Entertainment, who spoke with Smart Meetings about both corporate and entertainment events returning to Caesars’ Vegas venues, explained the connection. “The value of bringing folks back to entertainment in-person excites and engages attendees and delights,” she said. “That in-person excitement is really fantastic to have as we keep on the path of bringing back face-to-face meetings and events.”

Musician Sting onstage performing with a guitar

In fact, Caesars staged an encore when it hosted Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) Convening Leaders conference at Caesars Forum in January. Festivities featured live shows from “America’s Got Talent” finalist Daniel Emmet and the acclaimed male vocal group, Tenors of Rock.

More Venues and Acts to Love

While Sting won’t be back until this June, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced a slew of live shows coming soon.

The largest, tallest and freshest venue on the Strip, Resorts World Theatre opened June of 2021. The theater boasts 5,000 sq. ft. of LED screens and fits 5,000—not one concertgoer seated more than 150 feet from the stage. “One of the most technologically advanced venues in the city, the Resorts World Theatre has an immersive and state-of-the-art lighting, sound, video and automation systems and one of the largest and tallest stages on the Strip,” said Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella in a statement.

Celine Dion has been in residency at the venue since November and will be performing until early February. “Teenage Dream” singer Katy Perry is arriving at Resorts World Theatre in early March and will be back this May through August. She will be followed by Michael Bublé in April and Carrie Underwood in March, April and May.

Newly renovated as of September 2021, The Theater at Virgin Hotels can seat 4,500. Multi-platinum guitar-metal band Incubus is booked for a special two-night show there in March.

MGM Resorts boasts multiple stages and styles. Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano is coming to Dolby Live at Park MGM, The Black Keys will be at MGM Grand in July and comedian Carrot Top is a popular residency at Luxor Hotel & Casino.

John Legend performs at Caesars’ Zappos Theater, the 7,000-seat space at Planet Hollywood Resort, starting late April. This June, Shania Twain will appear at Zappos Theater and again from August through September.

“Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton is back in Vegas on a longer-term residency at The Wayne Newton Theater at Bugsy’s Cabaret at Caesars’ Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and will be performing each month from January to June.

The city’s wide range of musical genres attracts crowds of all ages and lyrical preferences. Vegas knows part of its charm is in the accessibility of its entertainment.

Safety Measures Open Doors

As Covid safety protocols remain a priority at concert spaces, opportunities for no-plan entertainment at and around events in Vegas are growing.

Shows at Caesars venues require masks at all events. The Sting performance required proof of vaccination. Some shows, such as Adele’s Las Vegas residency initially set to begin at the end of January, will also require a non-at-home Covid test within 48 hours before showtime. Since Adele announced the postponement of her residency after half her team fell ill with Covid the day before its intended first concert, no new show dates have been released. But Keith Urban will be stepping up to the Colosseum stage in her place and will perform on several dates from March 25 through April 2—a testament to the versatility and opportunity Vegas presents to event planners. With so much talent in one place, there’s always someone to call for a show and a place to host.

AEG Presents partnered with Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World and The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and both venues maintain strict mask policies and require proof of vaccination at every event. MGM Resorts events require masks as well and may require vaccination proof on an event-to-event basis.

Easy Incentives

Events in Vegas offer the option to planners to buy concert tickets for VIPs or let attendees find their own shows nearby to see on incentive travel or in those after-event hours. Proximity also makes it easier to invite an artist to the major corporate event you’re planning for a break-time performance.

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