Planning Las Vegas Trips for Large Groups – Case Study: VMware
Case Summary / Results
Discotech assisted a large subdivision of an established and globally recognized enterprise technology firm – VMware – in planning a key agenda component of their annual Las Vegas work conference.
- Total months of planning: 3
- Total attendees: 333
- Total hors d’oeuvres trays: 30
- Total sushi nigiri servings: 150
- Total hours of open bar: 3
- Total budget: USD $200,000
Planning a Vegas Trip for Large Groups With a Budget
Why is planning Vegas for large groups so difficult?
- Dinner reservations – limited number of places that can seat large groups, people have different cuisine preferences
- Hotel rooms / suites – need to decide on location, negotiate a discount deal, and make sure that it can accommodate the group within budget
- Activities – people have different preferences, not all activities can accomodate large groups
- Nightclubs / pool parties – getting 10 people into a Vegas club can be a huge headache – getting 50+ would be a nightmare without a host.
Discotech is your subject matter expert when it comes to planning corporate events and large group trips to Vegas. Here’s how we helped a large subdivision of established and globally recognized tech firm VMware plan a key component of their company’s annual VMworld Las Vegas conference.
Discotech was able to create an unforgettable guest experience for all of VMware employees and invited guests attending the event, due to the following core principles:
- Responsiveness: Immediate, informative, and thorough communication with the VMware leadership planning committee early on in the process
- Transparency: Constant and accurate information disclosure in real-time, both in the week leading up to the event and in real time as the event unfolded
- Presence: Highly experienced on-site host staff to work with VMware leadership up to and including the day of the event and ensure all vendor requirements were coordinated on schedule
- Knowledge: With over two decades of experience held by Discotech and its Vegas local host partners, we know every in and out of Vegas nightlife and entertainment. This experience allows us to provide helpful input on any and every proposed idea, as well as build out best-fit itineraries for groups with little or no experience in Vegas party planning, based on what’s worked for our previous clients.
Execution: Flawless, mistake-free execution according to the agreed-upon and finalized plan and pricing – as well as rapid solutions to any unexpected itinerary and/or budget changes – has allowed Discotech to showcase that we are experts in our field and our service is unrivaled.
With a lot on the line and a relatively short timeline to do so, we enlisted the expertise and know-how of our preferred local host partner Stupak Las Vegas, a renowned hospitality company with over four decades of large group logistics planning in Las Vegas and a stellar reputation with the Vegas entertainment industry. With Stupak doing most of the heavy lifting on planning, the VMware Cloud Services Team was able to accomplish all of their company event goals within its budget while surpassing the discerning expectations of each attendee, in the process garnering a positive lasting impression among one of the world’s prominent and forward-thinking enterprise technology services brands.
Case Details
With Las Vegas nightlife services being such a competitive landscape, we immediately needed to prove both our expertise and our ability to act quickly for this high-priority client. The VMware Cloud Services planning committee required rapid assistance with creating and throwing a chic private party that would enhance VMware’s marketing presence and strengthen their brand recognition among potential and current clients. This would be a high-profile business development event, with numerous C-level executives and upper management captains of industry on the VMware Cloud Services invitees list.
More importantly, as they were operating within a relatively short planning window, VMware needed this task executed swiftly and comprehensively via a proven company with considerable experience and access to a myriad of options. Choosing the right local logistics provider would ensure a best-fit final choice and no unexpected snags or hiccups for any of their individual attendees. It wound up being a successful outcome on all fronts, thanks to our and our local partner Stupak’s extensive prior experience in planning similar convention-related events in the Las Vegas market.
Event Pre-Planning
Due to the sheer size of the overall VMware employee attendee group plus invited colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders – guests in total – Mandalay Bay Resort was packed that weekend with different teams hosting their own parties and events throughout the property. Our client VMware Cloud Solutions had approached us pretty late in the game – just three months before the conference was scheduled to take place – to discuss and bring together this dazzling post-conference private party.
Out of all of the available venues on the Strip, we had selected and proposed Mandalay Bay Foundation Room to them for the following reasons:
- Preferential Access. Due to the notoriety and perennial popularity of Foundation Room, some other conference groups that weekend were NOT able to secure their event there despite placing general inquiries much earlier in the year. During busy conference days, demand for the top meeting space venues within Mandalay Bay Resort is extremely high; in fact, for weeks the hotel’s events team publicly showed that spots such as the Foundation Room were completely booked at the time of VMworld. Thanks to our partner Stupak’s strong reputation, longstanding relationships with key decision makers at MGM Resorts, and successful prior event planning involving Mandalay Bay venues, our team was able to advocate on the customer’s behalf to lock down the Foundation Room space and support staff well within their $200K budget.
Location. Knowing the group would have a long day of work conferences at Mandalay Bay, we wanted to make it as quick and easy as possible for all of the attendees to go back to their rooms to refresh, pull themselves together, and get where they needed to be on time to enjoy the event festivities. - Size. For a party as big as theirs – close to 350 guests – we knew that Foundation Room – one of the Mandalay Bay gathering spaces with the largest layout in terms of square footage – would offer the most spacious amount of real estate to allow the large group to mingle comfortably, while still staying within their budget.
- Layout. The venue is located 63 floors high and gives visitors an exhilarating panorama of the world-famous lights of the Las Vegas Strip; in addition to breathtaking outdoor vistas, the dimly lit interior exudes intimacy and dark-toned luxury. We knew our client would love the space as a gathering background for high-ranking executives.
- Loyalty. We knew that Foundation Room management and staff would go above and beyond to treat the large group like royalty, since they were already conducting their conference on the Mandalay Bay property and spending a large percentage of their group and individual budgets at business on the resort premises.
We knew our client would love the space, so we accelerated our standard planning process into overdrive in order to secure the venue that we knew would meet the client’s detailed vision. Furthermore, as we approached the finish line on negotiations, Stupak was able to utilize its years of built-up industry goodwill and success to ensure that VMware would get their party started at the exact time they wanted, with all the custom logistical details they had requested.
Event Execution
We delighted and impressed our clients and their guests with the following amenities:
- Intimate custom lighting and decor
- DJ / microphone setup
- Premium open bar services
- Sushi display with personal chef
- Audio/visual kiosks throughout venue displaying VMware presentations
- Branded swag available for guests to take home
Inside the lounge and on the terrace were premium open bars pushing drinks through quickly to excited attendees. Guests relaxed on plush outdoor leather couches and took in the spectacular views of the Strip; ample and equally comfortable seating was also offered in the quieter inside areas. The relaxed, casual setting maintained throughout the venue promoted socializing and conversation between the esteemed guests as they sipped on their cocktails. To further add a touch of class to the ambiance, a renowned sushi chef displayed his artistry in full view of the enthralled crowd and even created delectable custom bites upon request.
Atmosphere models and other service staff also walked around the floor serving up warm and cold hors d’oeuvres to clustered groups. To promote the client’s brand, we strategically set up TV monitors throughout the space with glossy presentations showcasing VMware’s Cloud Solutions products on loop. We also provided VMware branded hats, T-shirts, and other small items to promote the company brand.
Discotech and our local host team partners not only planned the event, we assisted with venue setup, door management, and in-event crowd control / guidance. We helped manage the guest list, distribute wristbands, and photograph the event to document the experience. The attendee group loved the energy and vibe inside of Foundation Room and were treated like super VIPs, thanks to the exclusive nature of the indoor / outdoor setup, but more importantly to the strong personal relationships our assigned door host has held and maintained with the Foundation Room management and operations team since the day the venue opened.
VMware Cloud Solutions entrusted Discotech, Stupak, and its channel partners with an ambitious goal and preparation timeline, but in the end gained full faith in our services. We were able to deliver on their ambitious ask because of our deep connections and experience in Vegas, as well as our strong communication skills to understand the client’s goals, preferences, and pain points. The spring evening weather couldn’t have been better, and the VMware attendees enjoyed Foundation Room’s beautifully unique layout and pristine modern architectural features for which the MGM Resorts Las Vegas properties are known. It was a pleasure to help our client, and we look forward to next year’s VMworld conference with the potential for even greater responsibilities.
Planning a large group trip to Las Vegas? Reach out to us directly at +1 (415) 735-6716 or info@discotech.me. You can also reach us on Whatsapp at +1-323-405-8824.
Is your small or large company planning a work trip to Vegas for a conference, meeting, or other official business soon? Discotech is your ultimate solution for lining up your entertainment and venue rental / buyout plans. We’ve already built our reputation helping THOUSANDS of satisfied clients around the world with their standard small group party needs.
- We’ve been featured on BBC Travel and we are also highly reviewed on Yelp! and in both the App Store and Google Play.
- 6+ years experience in the Vegas nightlife game, we’ve also successfully serviced dozens of corporate entities and large groups of 50 or more clients.
- What we know from our experience is this: like Sin City itself, large group planning is NOT for the lazy nor for the faint of heart.
Failure to plan ahead – even if it’s just days or hours ahead – is one of the biggest mistakes that we see countless groups make on a weekly basis, and it inevitably results in financial and logistical headaches – and embarrassing moments at the velvet ropes of entry – that could easily have been avoided. Even if you’ve partied in Vegas many times in the past in smaller groups, and you’ve got numerous friends in high and low places who are willing to offer sound and not-so-sound recommendations – for large groups and work-related professional settings you NEED to have a true professional to guide you. Discotech can take all your custom inputs (group size, music preferences, nightclub/pool party, budget, location, food preferences, etc) and crank out your group’s perfect weekend itinerary to turn you and your planning committee into Sin City superheroes.