RYO Alexandre / Shutterstock.com those hotels to satisfy the contracts. So, we left town feeling like we had fulfilled our obligations to the city and the properties there. We didn’t try to sneak out of town in the middle of the night to go to Vegas. Greenberg: There were a lot of heroes that year. Slagle: There are all those terms, serendipity and all that kind of stuff, but it was a lot of hard work. Greenberg: One that needs a lot of mention is Darel Cook. He’s the one who laid out that 1,800 supplier shows and 3,200 booths working strictly from architectural designs. Bren for getting it done. Paul Bellantone and Keith Vincent were tasked with selling the idea of moving out of Dallas, which had such a long tradition. Vincent: I think once the decision was final, we all kicked it into gear and didn’t look back. There were certainly some nervous moments, but the team at the time felt strongly that the move to Vegas was an exciting one and right for the future of the event. Slagle: Wayne Greenberg was the cheerleader. He really worked hard with the board of directors. Greenberg: It was Steve’s staff, but Steve had the vision and the respect of his staff to work as hard as they did. Slagle: Oh, my gosh, I was surrounded by some really competent, talented and skilled people. Bellantone: When we got the unanimous green light from the Board, it was a game-changer. It became time to focus on execution, which the teams did flawlessly. It seemed Bellantone and Vincent’s teams had done their job and the appeal of Las Vegas was working when the registration numbers were looking very positive. Slagle: Would they all show up? Denham: The success was clear from the first day of the event. I remember being impressed with how smooth the first show went. It was easier to get to the convention each day, the education rooms were better, the show floor was much better, and essentially every aspect of the experience was improved. Slagle: Everyone went, ‘Holy cow, this is different.’ Pro Basketball Hall of Famer and businessman Magic Johnson was a keynote speaker for the opening session. Greenberg: Everybody was walking around starstruck. They couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. They were all finding their way around the different floors of a building they had never seen before. They broke all kind of records. We had a party. It was great. Vincent: As I remember it, there were some challenges, as you would expect when yours is the first major show in a brand-new convention center, but overall, the event was a success. And it was clear after the first year, the right decision had been made for the future of The PPAI Expo. The relationship between PPAI and the Mandalay Bay Convention Center has continued to blossom in the more than two decades since. Denham: It was a big risk for the Association to relocate the show to a brand-new facility. The Board and staff had great strategic foresight to recognize the opportunity and benefits of moving to Las Vegas. Greenberg: I wear my heart on my sleeve. And it’s one of the things, I think, that endeared me to my board. I didn’t play politics in any way, shape or form. The thing that my board knew and understood was that, unlike Dallas, Vegas reinvents itself every few years. Auping is a news editor at PPAI. "It was a big risk for the Association to relocate the show to a brandnew facility. The Board and staff had great strategic foresight to recognize the opportunity and benefits of moving to Las Vegas." Dale Denham, PPAI president and CEO FEATURE | PPAI Expo | Twenty Years in Las Vegas 70 | DECEMBER 2022 |
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