New marketing plan to push diversity

LAS VEGAS - A plan to generate new visitors based on the city's growing diversity has been unveiled by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority.

The marketing includes an increased focus on retail amenities and entertainment - two areas of interest highlighted in recent visitor surveys.

Divided into one-, three- and five-year components, the report takes stock of growing competition from other markets, a drop in the visitor count and room occupancy, and an increase in the room inventory the next two years.

The LVCVA plans to spend $50 million on advertising and marketing in the coming year to position the city to fill 20,000 new rooms being added through 2000, said Rossi Ralenkotter, vice president of marketing.

The advertising message will be more diversified to reach a broader audience.

"We'll talk about the diversity of the city," Ralenkotter said. "Our research indicates 50 percent of our customers view Las Vegas most favorably for its entertainment, 48 percent for gaming."

The report also focuses on areas of potential growth, including international travelers and the convention and meeting business, Ralenkotter said.

Las Vegas currently has some 6 million square feet of convention space, ranking it among the top five cities in the country, he said.

Las Vegas will continue to market heavily in Southern California, Ralenkotter said. That includes focusing on the impulse customer who would come to Las Vegas for special events, and "re-educating the traditional market" as to new attractions in the city.

Objectives of the LVCVA marketing program through the year 2001 include:

-Reinforcing Las Vegas as an entertainment resort destination;

-Continuing to market the city as the world's leading gaming destination;

-Increasing visitor volume to 36.4 million by the end of 2000;

-Increasing the number of international visitors by 18 percent to 7.3 million;

-Maintaining overall hotel/motel occupancies above the national average;

-Increasing mid-week hotel and motel occupany rates;

-Increasing the number of first-time visitors to Las Vegas; and

-Increasing the number of repeat visitors and frequency of visits to the destination.

The plan calls for continued targeting of major Las Vegas markets including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Detroit and Seattle.

And it calls for a stronger push in other markets such as Minneapolis, Atlanta, St. Louis, Boston, Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis.

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