Window To Our World: Las Vegas

A LOOK BACK: (January 1-6 2012)

Every January the Promotional Products Buisness Industry puts on a huge Expo in Las Vegas. We try to go when we can. This was our 2nd year going. We were super excited for all the classes we signed up for and the speakers we were going to listen to. We arrived Sunday night and for the next four days from 8am-6pm we were going to be busy learning, learning, learning. In the evenings we were able to enjoy ourselves walking around the strip, shopping at the M&M store, looking at Art galleries, watching the Biaggio water fountain shows, eat out for some yummy terriaki chicken, attend the Phatom of the Opera musical, exploring the different Hotels, eating Haagen-Dazs ice cream (my favorite: Belgian Chocolate), and enjoy some R&R.

The Expo always gives us a good start to the New Year with ideas and goals on being better business owners as well as inspiration on where we want to take our business to. Also during the week we have the chance to associate with other business owners in our industry and learn from each other. We also get to meet our suppliers in person that we deal with on a regular basis from all over the country. And they send us home with so many samples and products that their company offers. The booths from each supplier takes over 2 whole floors of the convention center. We take the first floor on the 3rd day and the second floor on the 4th day. It's a lot of walking but worth it.

(One of the Inspiring Speakers was the Captain/Pilot of the Blue Angels)

One of our apparel suppliers had a $100 cash giveaway, if on the hour they spotted you walking on the floor wearing their designed T-shirt. Well this place was enormous with two floors and so many people we thought, what was the chance of us winning. But we did it anyways. So Derek and I were wearing our matching T-shirts they gave us all day. And towards the end of the day we were talking with another supplier at their booth and heard, "Excuse me? We would like to let you know that you have been chosen for our $100 cash giveaway!"

We were so excited including the model that gave us the news!!! When we got to their booth all the other employees were ecstatic too since we were the first "couple" to win this prize. They had to take pictures of us. It was so awesome! It paid off to wear our shirts. And then the next day Derek won a $50 bill for a drawing. So we left Las Vegas with winning $150 and didn't even have to gamble. :)

Look at all those lights!

The EXPO was at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. We are soo glad because there's no smoking.

Could you imagine taking this to a sports game?

One night at the Venetian Hotel enjoying some Christmas themed entertainment

Can you believe that's a real person, and not a statue?

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
The performance, theater, and music was UNFORGETTABLE and ROMANTIC! We only had to pay a total of $20 for this show when normally it was over $100 a ticket. Yeah!!

The Theater
(pictures don't do justice)

The Fountains of The Bellagio Hotel. Every 15 mins. they had a new show to a new song. As we walked around we had to stop every 15 mins. to watch it. AMAZING and MAGICAL!!

Paris Eiffel Tower Hotel across the street from The Bellagio Hotel. You can see the fog just over the water after the fountain show.

"FANCY" Mall in Caesars Palace, one of the few places in the U.S. with a spiral escalator. This was a great experience. Then I walked into the Valentino store curious on prices and found some cute open toe pumps for $1,600 and a dress for $25,000. It was CRAZY!!!