If you are looking for some good locations for your business meetings get Las Vegas booked–now. Why? Because several of the big properties are reporting signs of the recession easing. MGM Mirage and Las Vegas Sands have both suggested the downward spiral has stopped and business leveled off. What this means to you, the planner, is this is prime time to get those rooms and conference centers committed before the prices go up.

This also means that you may have some big talking to do to convince your clients that it’s okay, despite public opinion and government guidelines for travel expenditures. Already some businesses are thinking more about their employees, who will benefit from the conferences, than the public. Even though the public will eventually benefit with better products and service in American goods, taking public image into consideration in this case could be harmful.

Convince your clients that their employees’ education, motivation, and quality consciousness is more important than the fickle and fleeting public eye. The public will find something to be irritated about anyway (as it should be; it’s human nature to want to better our environment and society) and will likely leave the ideas of business meetings soon for something else to fix. Leave them to it and book Las Vegas.

Selling points for Las Vegas business meetings:

• Savings–hotel rates are down, for now anyway
• Vacancy–there is a decent chance that you can get good space at top properties
• Fun–for Pete’s sake, let the employees blow off a little steam at the tables or catch a show

If you don’t get your clients book in Vegas, you can bet your bottom dollar your competition will.