Las Vegas has traditionally welcomed New Year’s Eve as its perfect holiday for visitors. Players from around the world love to come to Las Vegas for a festive celebration (and a jackpot or two) to usher in the new year. But what about Christmas? It’s historically been a slow time for business, as the lead up to New Year’s Eve. It’s time to make Christmas just as important as New Year’s Eve. Since this religious holiday is exploited for commercial gain on a national basis, why not put the Las Vegas spin on it?
Here are some ideas for promoting Christmas in the gaming capital:
- Publicize Santa on the Monorail delivering presents to every casino on the route. Imagine the thrill of seeing Santa bounding off a monorail train with a bag full of players’ club cards, buffet coupons, and souvenir shot glasses.
- String the world’s largest display of Christmas lights across Hoover Dam. You probably could see it from outer space. Guinness Book of Records, are you listening?
- Add holiday cheer to the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign.” Hire showgirls dressed as elves, welcoming visitors from Southern California and serving eggnog.
- Persuade New York-New York Hotel and Casino to dress up its Statue of Liberty as a giant nutcracker. Wait for the hordes of tourists to descend upon the roasted chestnut vendors.
- Give helicopter rides over Las Vegas, with the helicopters disguised as sleighs. But make sure to alert NORAD.
- Ask the Neon Museum to light all its signs with only two colors: red and green. Now, that’s theming!
- Attach giant candy canes to the LINQ High Roller Observation Wheel and schedule snowball fights between the pods.
- The SlotZilla Zipline at the Fremont Street Experience could feature Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer flying along the canopy so Santa can make it to town with a grand entrance.
- Paris is the city for lovers, so it would make perfect sense for Paris Las Vegas to hang a giant mistletoe from its Eiffel Tower. And a pop-up wedding chapel could be the next stop.
- Here’s a way to make lemonade out of lemons. Reopen a closed casino (there are a few) and rename it the Grinch Hotel and Casino. Dr. Seuss fans would flock to the property and spend big bucks at every Who down in Whoville.
Finally, promotions usually include music, so let’s kick off Christmas with “The Twelve Days of Vegas.”
“On the first day of Vegas, my true love gave to me… more cash for gambling….”
Ho Ho Ho!
