vegas, baby!

oh how i loathe vegas, and oh how surprised i was to have had such a great trip there last week!

even before i left, i was excited.  first and foremost, i was excited to be staying at THEhotel.  while it's technically a part of mandalay bay, it has a seperate entrance, no casino, no smoke, and every room is a suite.  i was optimistic that this would help keep me more healthy and more sane for the SEVEN DAYS i would be in sin city.  and let me tell you, it did!

my living room

i was also excited about the booth.  this is our second biggest show of the year, and the second showing of our new booth.  i had made a lot of 'improvements' after our january show, and was really hopeful that the changes i had implemented (and fought for!) would be as successful as i thought they could be.

things definitely got off on the right foot when setup began, and i spent the day having FUN!  setup days are usually quite difficult.  for me, they mean standing around all day to be available for the one or two questions that, if not answered correctly, will have hugely negative impacts on the setup of the booth.  they are ALWAYS long days that feel even longer. until now.

the first burger bar visit

our new exhibit house is a breath of fresh air.  they are consummate professionals who also know how to have a good time.  after months of blood, sweat, and tears with them, bringing this booth from inception to actualization, i can say that i genuinely enjoy their company and appreciate their good work.

it was a team effort, but the booth was a huge success, tripling the number of leads from last year, and exceeding the number from our 'bigger' show in january.  the success was made even sweeter by the fact that several members of our executive management team were on hand to see it.

and that was just the work stuff!

on sunday night, after setup was complete, i headed to the airport to pick up a new friend.  we met online and i was excited to get a chance to meet and hang out with him.  i knew whether or not that 'spark' was present, we would have a good time. and i wasn't wrong.

after a delicious meal at burger bar

in between my work commitments over the next couple of days, i educated him on the ways of burger bar and the nutella milkshake, and had my own vegas first: the stratosphere.

the stratsophere is the third largest tower in the western hemisphere after canada's cn tower, the sears (willis) tower, and before the space needle.  luckily for a thrill junkie like me, there are RIDES there.

at the top of the stratosphere

despite assurances that that there were no fears of height or rides, after the first ride, the big shot, my companion opted to be the photographer while i tried out the other two.  hence the video of my favorite ride, insanity, below:

despite his wimp out, we enjoyed a couple of really fun days together before i dropped him back at the airport, and headed back to the hotel to meet up with my girls.

in fact, it was quite a special evening as we all decided to head to the palazzo for dinner at zine - a truly yummy dim sum restaurant.  what i love about zine is that, somehow, in the chaos of vegas, it somehow feels like an oasis of silence and calm.  and the food is pretty delish as well.

another fun night with mike and his harem

we had the whole gang with us, but what made the evening truly special was that almost exactly three years ago, in that very place, a new friendship was forged, which has continued to strengthen and grow.

2009

2011

i had only been with the company for a few months, and melissa was responsible for 'selling' me booth space in a trio of conferences we participate in every year.

she had asked if she could take me to dinner during this event, and my response, i believe, was 'sure! do you mind if my friend vicki tags along?'  and, though i didn't know it yet, that question, and it's answer, would result in a bond that i expect to last for a very very very long time.

as it was our anniversary, it was far too early to call it a night, so we headed back to the hotel, enjoying the water show in front of bellagio along the way, and eventually made our way to the roof top restaurant/bar, mixx, on the 64th floor of THEhotel.

the views of the strip were spectacular, as was the company.

and what makes this place truly unique, are the bathroom stalls.

yes, that is the toilet, and those are windows.  let's just hope the folks at mandalay can't see IN!

eventually, after many more laughs were laughed, and photos were photoed, it was time to call it a night, and ultimately bid a fond farewell to vegas.  only two more trips there this year...hoping they're at least 1/8 as fun!