FABULOUS LAS VEGAS

Discover how Las Vegas became SO FABULOUS!

FABULOUS LAS VEGAS!

Everyone knows the Las Vegas of today…mega-resorts, world-class shopping, restaurants ruled by celebrity chefs, stage spectaculars, and hi-rise condominiums that rival New York City!  But how did this jewel in the desert grow up so fast? More than 5,000 people move to Las Vegas, Nevada every month…drawn to the glitter, the growth and the opportunity that is unique to this valley locale.

Discover the drama that transformed this tiny whistle-stop along the railroad into one of the most rapidly growing metropolitan cities ever. Mormon missionaries tried to settle here and Pony Express riders cut through the valley. But it wasn’t until the gold strike of 1859 and the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the greatest, single mineral strike in history, that Nevada became a destination. In 1928, when the $165 Million dollar Boulder Canyon Project launched, thousands of depression-weary job seekers came to the valley to work.

Gambling was legalized in 1931 and the rest, as they say, is history! Within ten years, small hotels and casinos began to crop up, including the Flamingo, owned by the infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel. Audiences from around the world will enjoy this content-rich history; the Power Point that accompanies this entertaining presentation is chock-full of spectacular photos that will transcend language barriers and illustrate the spectacular events that made Las Vegas what it is today. The History of Las Vegas is ideal as a spouse program, for visitors from outside the U.S., and for meeting planners who want an entertaining diversion that offers substance.

Audiences will discover:

  • Bugsy Siegel’s influence on Las Vegas, right up until his death
  • The influence of organized crime; does it still exist today?
  • The development of downtown
  • The effect the energy crisis of the 1980’s had on the casino’s lighting
  • The bizarre world of Howard Hughes
  • Las Vegas’ unique tendency for imploding old resorts
  • The impact Steve Wynn has had on Las Vegas
  • Las Vegas’ evolution: from simply an entertainment destination to a world-class dining, shopping, and residential metropolis
  • Why more than 40,000 students call Las Vegas home, putting Las Vegas in the top FIVE school districts in the United States
  • What’s in store for the future of Las Vegas, and what is the meaning of “Vertical Vegas”?

Robin Jay has called Las Vegas home for more than 35 years and has experienced much of this growth first-hand. She shares anecdotes from her personal experience, working in the hotel industry when it was still controlled by organized crime and the days when Howard Hughes owned much of the city. Go beyond the glitter of Las Vegas Boulevard and enjoy this journey to the heart of what makes Las Vegas the most unique and exciting city in the world!