G2E is (almost) over!

Yes, the Global Gaming Expo has come and nearly gone. So what were the highlights?

Lots of new slot machines, for one. I'm bummed that I didn't get the chance to see Bob Denver promoting the Gilligan's
Island one, but hey, we don't get everything we want in life.

Lots of vendors: people were there hawking everything from new tables games to the new $20 bill. Yes, there was
actually a PR firm there that is representing the new $20. I don't know why we need to hire PR people to get people excited about money, but they are doing a great job.

Not a lot of free stuff: I think the nicest thing I got was a cap from Casino City Press.

At the big sessions, important people talked about gaming expansion in positive terms.

Larry King had some rather stupid remarks to make. I do not see what he brought to the table. If it was my conference, I would have had Sacha Baron Cohen, who does "Da Ali G Show," moderate--that would have been priceless.

Read about it in the LVRJ.
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On the Moon

A few months ago, a developer proposed a 10,000 room casino hotel called "the Moon" at a vague location in Las Vegas. The idea generated a little heat and then evaporated, probably because casino projects need small things like land to build them all. Well, the Moon is back. This morning I got this press release in my email:

September 18, 2003

MOON Resort and Casino: Project Development & Team Update

NEW YORK, NEW YORK--Today Michael R. Henderson, Creator of MOON, shared
additional development information on the exciting MOON Resort project.

In addition to the previously announced information and within the main hotel
superstructure, MOON will now comprise 8000(1000 sqft - 93sqm) Hotel suites,
4000(1000sqft - 93sqm)(208,000 weeks) Vacation Ownership suites, 250(4000sqft-
372sqm) Penthouse suites and 650(3000sqft-279sqm) Apartments. The enormous
superstructure will now be 100 stories tall with an overall height of some 1200
feet (366m), easily making it the tallest and largest hotel in the world. The
complete MOON project will now be located offshore on a series of man-made
islands. The main resort island will be linked to the shoreline by way of a
stilted bridge some 1.2 miles (2km) in length. This island will comprise the
main hotel and resort complex together with the 7500 yard (6858m) PGA
championship golf course. In addition, and within the golf course boundaries,
will be sighted five huge glass spheres some 200ft(61 m)in height, housing in
total 1000(5000sqft-465sqm)luxury Condominiums. Three additional stilted bridge
linked islands, will form a tidal breakwater surrounding the main island and
will house an additional 10,400(5000sqft-465sqm) glass sphere luxury
Condominiums. The overall project will be some 3 x 3 miles (5 x 5 km) in
overall dimension. Additional features will include various aquatic adventures,
diving, water skiing, and a huge living aquatic adventure. The massive complex
will be home to all manner of watercraft and will provide moorage privileges
for thousands of vessels. Rounding out the project will see four islands in the
shape of the MOON logo, designed for Nature Conservation, and two crescent MOON
islands which will house additional geographically relevant attractions. "Moon
has always been an exciting project to develop, however with the latest
additions it will secure its spot in history as the most spectacular resort and
real estate development ever created," said Henderson.

The MOON project team also announced the appointment of the following
additional professionals. "I am delighted with the standard of world class
professionals the MOON project is attracting. This is the group who will bring
the dream to reality," Henderson commented.

There is a website with Star Wars laser noises a virtual tour of the concept.

I have no idea where they want to build the artificial islands, but I'm sure they are looking for investors.
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That's all for today. I'm off to an interview with KVBC-3 here in Las Vegas, and then tonight I have the book signing at the Summerlin Barnes and Noble. Las Vegas City Life did a great review of the book, which I'm grateful for as well. Maybe for my next book I'll just propose a 20,000 room Saturn-themed casino with Sun Ra's Arkestra as the main attraction (a good thing, in my book) to get some media heat.
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posted by Dave at 11:23 AM

G2E is here!

That's right, the Global Gaming Expo has begun. What is the Global Gaming Expo? Let the LV Sun tell you:

The event -- known in the industry as G2E -- is expected to attract more than 15,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center today through Thursday. The event is sponsored by the American Gaming Association and Reed Exhibitions, a British trade-show organizer.

More than 100 panel and speaker sessions will review a variety of industry topics, from casino floor management to problem gambling. New gaming venues and products and policies that will change the way the industry operates will be among the topics discussed in 13 conference tracks.

Three keynote speakers also are on the G2E agenda. On Tuesday, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will will deliver the opening keynote address. He'll be followed Wednesday by a state-of-the-industry panel be moderated by Emmy Award-winning talk show host Larry King. Panelists will include American Gaming Association President and Chief Executive Frank Fahrenkopf and several chief executives from gaming companies. On Thursday MSNBC pollster Frank Luntz will discuss public attitudes about the gaming industry in his keynote speech.

More than 700 gaming industry suppliers will exhibit products at a trade show being conducted in conjunction with the event. Organizers say dozens of new products will be displayed in the 223,261 square feet of exhibits.

FULL STORY

This afternoon, I moderated a session on the importance of corporate archives. It included three speakers: MGM Mirage Senior VP of Public Affairs Alan Feldman, who gave an eloquent presentation of the need for the casino profession to record its history, UNLV Special Collections Manuscripts Librarian Su Kim Chung, who talked about the actual processing of archival collections, and Jeff Sallaz, a doctoral candidate from UC Berkeley who is working with some corporate archives. It was a great discussion.

Tomorrow, at 8 AM sharp, I'm part of a panel on Internet gaming, which should also be interesting. I'm then running (literally) over to Channel 8 to do a live TV interview that will air on Las Vegas ONE (channel 1 or 39 in Vegas) to promote Suburban Xanadu. After that I have a Faculty Senate meeting and then I teach my casino history class.

All of which is my way of saying don't look for an update tomorrow, barring some incredible news story.

Speaking of which, I'd love to cover some of the breaking stories in the casino world, like Britney's impromptu performance at the Palms, but I'm running late already.
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posted by Dave at 5:02 PM