Las Vegas means business—and it all depends on people. The big wheels are the visionaries past and present who built, and continue to build, Vegas.

After attending the annual Glass Craft & Bead Expo in 2005, Richmond, Va.-based glass and fiber artist Lura Dillard wanted a lasting memory of her “unforgettable” first visit to Las Vegas. “Purchasing dice, poker chips and other materials from local shops, I created my mosaic-ed ‘Vegas Memory’ hubcap,” Dillard said. “It inspired a series of destination-based pieces, with gallery shows and sales.” Vegas is a marketplace for ideas and commerce like no other. Inaugurated in 1994, the three-day Expo has called South Point Hotel Casino and Spa home for 13 years. 

UNITE HERE Gaming Research, the research arm of the hospitality workers’ union, projected that a one-month strike in Las Vegas could cost the two largest employers on the Las Vegas Strip—MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corporation—over $300 million in operating profits.

The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 released the results of a study conducted by UNITE HERE’s Culinary and Bartender Unions of over 10,000 Las Vegas casino workers that reported 59% of cocktail servers and 27% of hotel housekeepers said they had been sexually harassed while on the job.

Casino resorts in Las Vegas could see tens of thousands employees walk off the job after Culinary Union members voted Tuesday to authorize a citywide strike.

MGM Resorts continues to lead the way in “meeting” expectations for groups of all sizes through convention center expansions designed to accommodate client growth and attract new business; collaborative, innovative meeting spaces to inspire the mind; and the company’s first all-inclusive incentive group packages.

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton’s luxury brand, announced it will convert the Mandarin Oriental on the Las Vegas Strip to the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas in August 2018. Waldorf Astoria will assume full operation of the property with plans to reimagine and renovate the hotel.

Enclave, a special events facility, announced the addition of special events industry veteran, David Watts, to its team as venue director.

Meetings Today LIVE! wrapped its 2018 program in Las Vegas at the Luxor's Esports Arena.