Full Version: ARA International Awards Market 2007
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#21]
18 Aug 2006
To: bluepaw [#20] 18 Aug 2006
Admission to the show can be had in two ways:
1) Become an ARA Member, which gets you into the show, along with discounts on educational seminars and a Free Recognition Review (ARA trade mag.).
2) Pay as a non-member, online, for $50.
Not sure if ARA has a payment link up yet, for ARA 2007.
Our wordly members will take you by the hand and show you all there is to know, which isn't much.
I hope you can make it! I want to thank you personally, for designing our logo. :-)
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#22]
18 Aug 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#21] 18 Aug 2006
If you do not plan to have a car there, book at the Hilton very early, better rates and they DO run out of rooms early. It is across the street from the LV Convention Center.
If you plan on renting a car you can get some far better rates a little off the beaten path. Arizona Charlie's two locations have good rates and are about ten minutes away. Rooms are acceptable for the little time spent there and are fairly inexpensive in comparison.
As far as sightseeing, you will be blown away by the free stuff available on the strip in front of some of the hotels.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#23]
18 Aug 2006
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#22] 18 Aug 2006
Another good source of info on the "In and Outs" of Las Vegas, is Jim Williams, host of the Yahoo Engravers forum.
ARA Las vegas is Jim's annual vacation, and as the show draws near, he's always good for some money-saving advice and tips.
Naturally, people can find Jim's forum through our,
Links of Interest: Trophy and Award Engravers forum.
From: gt350ed [#24]
18 Aug 2006
To: bluepaw [#20] 18 Aug 2006
But don't walk. There are more taxis in Vegas than maybe anywhere in the world. Maybe second only to New York City.
We won't be flying. We live about 175 miles from Vegas.
BTW, since you are from "Tupelo", and Elvis is also from Tupelo (I think), will you be flying together? Cause Elvis REALLY knows Vegas....no what I mean? B-) (devil)
Message 4621.25 was deleted
From: gt350ed [#26]
18 Aug 2006
To: gt350ed [#25] 18 Aug 2006
Not all of the "stuff" in front of the hotels is FREE. Just ask Peter. (devil)
From: Tom (TJGEENEN) [#27]
18 Aug 2006
To: ALL
Yahoo........Vegas here we come. We go to Vegas 2 or 3 time a year so if I can be of any help just let me know. We went to the ARA last year for the first time and would not miss another. Lots of seminars to go to, some are less informitive than others but we always get something out of all of the ones we go to.
Here are a couple of Vegas things you might want to know.
1. I believe having a car is a pain. Use the monarail or a cab. We were there in June and a cab ride from the airport to the Imperial Palace was about $12 + tip
2. Get a hotel on the Strip and get one on the same side the monarail is on such as Harrahs, Ballys, Paris,MGM. You can check out all the cool stuff on the strip and just walk up to your room.
3. Go to the hotel web sites and get their newsletters. They have special rates that are much better than just calling the hotels or using Hotel.com etc.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again
From: bluepaw [#28]
18 Aug 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#21] 18 Aug 2006
I appreciate any and all information. Mainly I just want to get from the airport to the hotel and to the show. (And of course to the Beach Party) I can figure out most everything else, I think.
Would rather not rent a car if there is alternate transportation available.
It was my pleasure doing the logo. If I can be of any help with name tags or anything else just let me know. Now that I am retired I spend entirely too much time in front of the computer doing non-productive stuff so a new challenge would be welcome.
Bill
EDITED: 18 Aug 2006 by BLUEPAW
From: bluepaw [#29]
18 Aug 2006
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#22] 18 Aug 2006
Thanks for the information. I will check out the Hilton. Sounds like a good location.
Bill
From: bluepaw [#30]
18 Aug 2006
To: gt350ed [#24] 19 Aug 2006
I spoke to him about joining me on the trip but he said he couldn't make it. However he did say that he would be there with me in spirit.
Would you suggest arriving a day or so early or staying a day or two after the convention? I love poker so I should probably stay away from the casinos.
I will consider the taxis, sounds like a bargain. Thanks you for the input Ed.
Bill
EDITED: 18 Aug 2006 by BLUEPAW
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#31]
18 Aug 2006
To: bluepaw [#28] 19 Aug 2006
As others have said, getting around Vegas without a car is no problem.
If you stay at the LV Hilton, you can walk to the trade show and Beach Party from there.
From: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#32]
19 Aug 2006
To: ALL
About the only reason to rent a car is if you want to go to Boulder Dam, or for a long drive out in the desert. The desert is pretty amazing, if you're not used to seeing one. The dam is OK. It's huge, but it's not a must-see attraction.
There are buses, monorails, and taxis in Vegas, so public transportation is pretty well covered. Expect to do a lot of walking. The casino/hotels are huge. You look at a map and think "Oh it's only 1 block from the Bellagio to the Treasure Island". But in reality that "block" is over a mile.
Since it's the desert, the daytime and nightime temperatures are quite different.
The hotels, besides having casinos, each have typically several bars, a range of coffee shops and restaurants, and a range of other shops. Some of them have huge shopping malls built in. When I stayed at the Alladin a couple of years ago, their mall had well over 100 shops of all kinds. It can take an hour just to walk from one end to the other.
If you want to see one of the more popular Vegas show (like one of the several Cirque de Soleil shows) they cost a lot of money and can be sold out by the time you get to town. You can buy tickets online ahead of time.
Many hotels have special packages if you reserve online that give you tickets to one of their shows and tokens for gambling.
Some of the hotels have special fetures to get you to visit them. The Bellagio has the dancing fountains (massive computerized fountain that moves to music). Caesars Palace has animatronic statues that come to life. The Mirage has the volcano. Treasure Island has a pirate ship battle. The Venetian has gondola rides and a branch of the Guggenheim Museum. MGM has live bands on the casino floor (so do other ones on certain days). Circus Circus has circus acts right in the casino.
You'll might also want to go to "downtown" Las Vegas (the strip is really on the edge of town but busier than downtown). Downtown is the old Vegas, with the casinos you saw in old Elvis and Sinatra movies, plus a computerized video walkway.
Several hotels have all you can eat buffets, which used to be cheap but these days tend to be $15-$25 per person. Some of the old hotels downtown might still have cheap ones.
The slot machines in the casinos are not all created equal. While many casinos have the same "payout rate" (percentage they pay out vs money you put in), some casinos pay lots of small jackpots and a few large ones while others pay out larger jackpots but not many small ones. Your chances of getting anything back are a lot better at the former vs the latter. If you are going to gamble, take a specific amount of money to lose, and stop when that's gone. Yes, you are going to lose, but consider it an entertainment expense. They couldn't afford to build billion dollar casinos if everybody won. ;-)
The "free" drinks in the casinos really aren't. You tip the waitress about the same as the drink would cost in an average bar (though less than they cost in a Vegas bar). If you don't tip well you won't be able to find her when you want a refill. And you won't find them near the nickel slot machines. (cheap gamblers are cheap tippers)
Take extra money. You can be frugal and get by without spending a lot of money. But how often do you go to a place like Vegas? Great restaurants, great night clubs, great entertainment. Almost all cost money. Live it up. Life is short.
From: John (ICTJOHN) [#33]
19 Aug 2006
To: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#32] 19 Aug 2006
Dave,
And you say you've only been to Vegas one time????? LOL, just kiddin -
You have summed it up pretty well, I usually rent a car to visit the regular Vegas as well as the other attractions. Red Rocks out west is beautiful....They also have a new casino out there as well - they claim it is more for the locals, since it is 8 - 10 miles from the strip.
You mentioned the food - Yes, it is raising in price every year..... The Las Vegas Advisor admits that you need to find coupons to get "cheap" food now. Usually there are some coupons in the local magazines, or you can subscribe to the Las Vegas Advisor and they give you a coupon book and keep you informed monthly with a newsletter -
For shows, it's about the same story on prices - Vegas in not the cheap destination it used to be, now that they have a large customer base, and the younger people are VERY into Vegas, so I doubt prices will go down anytime soon. They did mention the show prices are probably as high as people will tolerate right now as some price adjustments have been made to some shows.
As an example, The Hard Rock hotel sold earlier this year......the new owners raised the room prices by an average of $50.00 a night - saying they just wanted to bring the rates inline to the "Strip" hotels. They are not on the strip, but are considered a "destination" hotel because of the younger crowd there, so they can get the new prices with no problem.
take care,
From: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#34]
19 Aug 2006
To: John (ICTJOHN) [#33] 19 Aug 2006
Well, I never said I only went once. B-)
Every couple of years I go to the NAB convention (National Association of Broadcasters), with about 125,000 attendees and about 1,500 exhibitors each year. It's impossible to reserve a room on the strip for that convention within the last 6 weeks or so before the show.
Things change fast in that city. Every time I go it's different. Used to be able to play 10 cent roulette at the San Remo. Now that Hooters bought them I suspect that'll change.
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#35]
19 Aug 2006
To: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#34] 19 Aug 2006
Dave,
Following a natural progression logic, would the fact that "well-endowed" girls work at Hooters mean that amputee showgirls work at IHOP?
Probably not. Just a question that came up.
I'll go away now. :P
EDITED: 19 Aug 2006 by DGL
From: UncleSteve [#36]
19 Aug 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#35] 19 Aug 2006
GIT 'ER DONE!!!
(Lord, I apologize for that 'un!)
;-)
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#37]
19 Aug 2006
To: UncleSteve [#36] 19 Aug 2006
My excuse is that it's Saturday. Other than that, I don't have one. :-)
From: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#38]
19 Aug 2006
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#35] 19 Aug 2006
From: UncleSteve [#39]
19 Aug 2006
To: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#38] 19 Aug 2006
From: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#40]
19 Aug 2006
To: Dave Jones (DAVERJ) [#38] 19 Aug 2006
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