We arrived in Las Vegas just after lunch and had the afternoon to do whatever our heart desired. Everyone eagerly changed outfits and was quickly ready to explore this fascinating city; how surreal to be walking through a whole new world in the middle of the desert where time is no factor or of no concern. Despite the various modes of transport on offer, the best way to see Vegas and all its glory is by foot, which is how we experienced most of our sightseeing. We stopped to admire the dancing fountains at the Bellagio hotel and made our way to the erupting volcano at the Mirage. This was followed by a gondola ride at The Venetian Hotel and a quick stop over in Paris to see the Eiffel Tower – Paris was not part of the study program of course but that didn’t matter!
Friday 5 September
Here we were met by Director of Marketing, Wendy Albert, who provided a quick introduction of the shopping centre and her role and then a guided tour of the mall. Miracle Mile is located right in the heart of The Strip, with a 170 specialty stores and 15 restaurants - definitely a complex not to be missed and is conveniently attached to the Planet Hollywood Hotel (where the group was staying!). Before Planet Hollywood, the complex was called the Aladdin Resort & Casino, with the original design of Miracle Mile reflecting this Moroccan theme. The $50 million redevelopment revitalised the mall to a sleeker, more urbanised and contemporary space. The exterior has a 6,400-square-foot, state-of-the-art LED video reader board at the north entrance; three-story sculptural façade element identifying entry to the mall; people movers increasing pedestrian access to the mall; backlit water feature; interior is bright, streamlined and modernised with storefronts and kiosks, a theatre for the performing arts and 475,000-square-foot GLA. Of course it offers some of the best brands in Fashion; Metropark, True Religion, Sephora, H&M, Marciano, GAP and much more. Of course we had some free time at the end of our visit to shop and enjoy the themed experience of the Mall!
After Miracle Mile, it was off to the Fashion Show, where we were greeted by Jim McMichael, Senior Marketing Manager and Adelicia Vazquez, Marketing Manager. Fashion Show is located on Las Vegas Boulevard and is the largest shopping destination on The Strip and one of the largest shopping centres in the nation! In 2004, Fashion Show completed a four-year renovation and expansion project that more than doubled the size of the centre to nearly 2 million square feet (185,806 square meters). The Cloud, The Great Hall, Plaza, Bloomingdale’s Home and Nordstrom opened in the west end of the mall, bringing the total number of stores to more than 200. As part of our visit, we were able to see the hourly fashion show at The Great Hall, which we learned is a unique space that allows Fashion Show to stage events on an 80-foot long retractable runway and stage. The show highlighted the centre’s incredible fashion line-up and clearly provides retailers with an innovative branding opportunity. At the mall, the group found many high-end retailers such as Zara, Coach, Abercrombie & Fitch, Louis Vuitton as well as big department stores Neiman Marcus, Macy’s and many more.
Much to everyone’s disappointment, as unique and impressive as Las Vegas was, it also marked the end of our study tour journey. To celebrate, the group went out for a farewell buffet dinner Las Vegas style at Caesars Palace. A nice dinner and drinks, together with laughs and memorable stories, the trip could not have ended at a better place!
