Stellar Events Blog

Las Vegas is the most-requested destination for sales meetings, franchise conferences, and incentive trips for so many reasons: corporate hosts love the economics, including low hotel rates, convenient and competitively priced flights, as well as the massive quantity of meeting space. Attendees savor the excitement and entertainment.

Those who dislike the Strip’s glitz and alleged glamour are often those prefer more peaceful, greener surroundings for corporate meetings. While attempting to improve the “green” content of a recent Las Vegas National Meeting for over 1,600 attendees, Stellar Events asked Paris Las Vegas to offer recycling containers at meals/breaks to gather the plastic and aluminum. (See Stellar Events’ Green Policies.)

The response was, “No, Vegas hotels do not recycle.” Really? Was this employee a lazy slacker? Sadly, his response was basically accurate.

I followed up with Jeremy Handle, a Public Affair Specialist with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, who regrettably told me that Clark County was far behind the national curve on recycling facilities. And, although the Las Vegas Convention Center itself diligently attempts to recycle, the hotels are not, generally, being proactive on the vital issue.

Jeremy mentioned that Harrah’s Entertainment (Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Rio, Flamingo, Bally’s, Imperial Palace)was making progress. However, this was the response I received from a Harrah’s spokesperson.

“Most properties recycle cardboard.  Some properties are sorting and recycling on a limited basis.”

What a waste.