Mediocrity is ‘Not Invited’ in new Las Vegas marketing campaign

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has launched a new advertising campaign aimed at businesses and meeting planners, highlighting the city as a great place to swing deals.

While many previous ad campaigns are directed at leisure travelers, the “Not Invited” campaign is directed more at building interest in conventions, trade shows and corporate meetings attended by business leaders. “Not Invited” is a reference to “uninviting mediocrity and the expected,” according to the LVCVA.

A separate campaign directed at decision makers will debut in January.

“This campaign captures how the unique energy of Las Vegas acts as the catalyst that drives innovation, change and engagement,” Lisa Messina, chief sales officer for the LVCVA, said in a release. “We regularly hear from leaders, planners and attendees that the opportunities to connect and inspire through the shared experiences that only Vegas can provide continues to drive their business forward and ultimately affects the bottom line.”

With being the “Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World,” drawing millions of leisure visitors to the city, Las Vegas is home to three of the 10 largest convention centers in the United States, including the Las Vegas Convention Center, The Venetian Expo and Convention Center and Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

In recent years, the LVCVA added the tech-heavy West Hall to the Las Vegas Convention Center, Caesars Entertainment Inc. opened Caesars Forum near The Linq, Wynn Resorts Ltd. added to its convention offerings, and MGM Resorts International invested $100 million to upgrade the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The destination’s meetings and events landscape will further expand this December with the opening of Fontainebleau Las Vegas, adding 550,000 square feet of convention space to the north end of the Strip.

In 2022, Las Vegas attracted nearly 5 million conventioneers with CES and SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association show involving aftermarket auto parts, drawing more than 100,000 people each.

Two ads, titled “Not Invited” and “Offsite,” have been directed to publications Meetings Today, Northstar Meetings, Prevue and with programs offered by The TradeDesk, news aggregator Flipboard and MPI.

The two ads feature glimpses of familiar Las Vegas scenes, including the Sphere, the Fountains of Bellagio and the Neon Museum.