• by Bill Duggan , October 31, 2024

In advance of her speech at the Association of National Advertisers' upcoming Multicultural Marketing & Diversity Conference in Las Vegas, ANA Group Executive Vice President Bill Duggan conducted the following preview conversation with Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority CMO Kate Wik.

Bill Duggan: Las Vegas is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Tell us a little bit about the profile of your visitors. 

Kate Wik: Las Vegas is one of those unique brands and destinations that appeals to everyone. Having a diverse collection of entertainment, restaurants, attractions and special event options help keep Las Vegas a top travel destination. We conduct a great deal of research throughout the year to help get a pulse on who is visiting Las Vegas. In 2023, our visitors were more likely to be married, employed, and older (40+) than in recent years. While entertainment continues to be a primary motivator, the sports traveler is an emerging audience segment that we’re continuing to develop. 

Duggan: What is your role in driving tourism? 

Wik: I often say that my title is ‘CMO of Las Vegas’.  Las Vegas is our product, and we are selling tourism to Las Vegas. Formally speaking, the mission of our organization is to make Las Vegas the undisputed global destination for leisure and business travel.  We do so through marketing campaigns like the famous, “What Happens Here, Stays Here” to being the #1 tradeshow destination for more than 26 years thanks to our relationships with major shows like CES and SEMA.  We bring both the spotlight and sports enthusiasts to major marquee events we secure for the destination like the Super Bowl, Formula 1 and the NCAA Final Four. And, importantly, we focus a lot of effort around how the destination shows up across social platforms.  Knowing leisure consumers are increasingly turning to social platforms for travel inspiration and itinerary building, we make sure @vegas shows up in a memorable way.  In fact, Las Vegas is the most followed destination on Tik Tok. 

Duggan: Las Vegas has a strong foundation in diversity and inclusion. How does Las Vegas maintain the momentum that it’s built? 

Wik: The hospitality industry is known for being incredibly diverse. In Las Vegas, that industry represents 170 countries and 40 spoken languages. Our visitor profile continues to be more ethnically diverse and we as a destination have evolved to meet culture where it’s at. Our audience is multicultural and so our product is multicultural. On any given week, you can see entertainment from Luis Miguel to Usher, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Live! to magician Shim Lim and everything in between. And importantly, we keep ourselves in-check through consumer surveys to ensure we are maintaining that feeling of inclusivity and being welcoming no matter the culture, ethnicity or language. Everyone is welcome in Las Vegas. We want them to know it and feel it.    

Duggan: How do you cater to the Hispanic audience? 

Wik: Of the 40 million visitors who came to Las Vegas last year, more than 5 million, or about 13 percent, were Hispanic. Mexico is our second most popular international market and connectivity between Mexico and Las Vegas makes this an easy getaway. We go big on every cultural holiday.  Our resorts celebrate through décor, entertainment, experiential programing, and parades. Hispanic Heritage Month is no exception. This year, there was a special signature event during Mexican Independence Day weekend, created by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. UFC 306 was called a “Love Letter to Mexico” by UFC President and CEO Dana White which incorporated the Mexican fighting spirit and the Mexican culture during the first ever live sporting event at the Sphere. More than any other destination, we consistently raise the bar on the unparalleled experiences we offer. If you haven’t seen the visuals from this event, go check out our @vegas handles for a glimpse.

Duggan: And how about the LGBTQ visitor?

Wik: Las Vegas is widely considered a welcoming and inclusive destination with friendly hospitality, a vibrant nightlife scene, and LGBTQ-focused events and entertainment options throughout the year. In addition to Pride Month, which is observed nationally in June, Las Vegas also recognizes October as a second Pride Month and even hosts the only national nighttime Pride parade held in downtown Las Vegas.  No matter who you are, Vegas is for everyone and visitors from all walks of life come for the same reason, they want the Vegas experience.  

Duggan: Finally, what have been some of your favorite Las Vegas experiences? Perhaps that is an entertainer, sporting event, or something else.

Wik: Most people know Vegas as the Entertainment Capital of the World, but it also has been a top dining destination for more than a decade with top chefs opening their flagship restaurants here. I love the food scene, and I’m especially interested in the recent resurgence of supper clubs like Delilah at Wynn, Mayfair at Bellagio, and Stanton Social at Caesars Palace.  

But if you are pressing me on a show, I’m a big fan of the intimate residencies like Lady Gaga, Adele and Bruno Mars. I love that they speak personally to the audience making each performance slightly different.  Interactive shows like DISCOSHOW and Absinthe are also very unique to Las Vegas and are a must-do. 

It’s virtually impossible to choose a favorite.