The 2001 LVIH&RS marked the first event produced under a partnership announced last fall between the Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association (NH&LA) and Nevada Restaurant Association (NRA) and the owners of the 86-year old New York City-based International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) and the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA).  Offering a complete range of products and services for the lodging and foodservice industries, the 2001 LVIH&RS grew by 17% to 43,950 square feet. Among the more than 200

From Left to Right: Dan Murphy, New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association;  Joe Spinnato, Hotel Association of New York City;  Greg Shay, Rio Suite Hotel & Casino;  Felix Rappaport, New York - New York Hotel & Casino;  John Russell, AH&LA and THINKologies; Van Heffner, Nevada Hotel & Lodging Association & Nevada Restaurant Association; Bruce Bommarito, Nevada Commission on Tourism;   and Gene Rupnik, Rupnik Hospitality Management

Extending the Show�s value beyond the exhibit hall were special events, including the Hospitality Breakfast and the International Hospitality Awards Luncheon; educational programs; and numerous competitions. The competitions included the Las Vegas Culinary Challenge, Hospitality Competitions, Gelato Competition, Menu Competition, the Hospitality Hero/Heroine Awards, and the Website Competition. 
 

Exhibitor Feedback 

"It's been a Who's Who of purchasing from so many different casinos and properties." Brian Garrett Marietta Corporation 

"We're coming back.... we were pleasantly surprised by how good a show it was." Ray Dobbins IBC (International Bedding Corp.)

"We got much more than expected. We will be here every year hereafter!" Ana Maria Ortiz Certified Specialty Foods 

"The show's gotten better this year. It has a nice feel to it and we had some major hits." Malcolm Hackett GFF Inc.

"The show was great. We were pleased to see so many new faces from great properties." Ken Herda Norman Lamps 

Special Events, Seminars and Features 

In addition to the hundreds of exhibits, attendees had the opportunity to learn and be entertained and educated through a comprehensive special event and seminar program. 

Special events included the Hospitality Breakfast on Thursday, June 21 and the International Hospitality Awards Luncheon, on Friday, June 22. 

The Hospitality Breakfast featured Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman. Goodman detailed why �the entertainment capital of the world� will maintain its place in Fortune Magazine�s annual ranking of the �Top 10 Places for Business.� 

Also during the Kickoff Breakfast, awards were presented to winners of the National Menu Design Competition Awards. The winners in five different categories included: 
 

The International Hospitality Luncheon featured the insight of John Russell and the entertainment of Rita Rudner. Russell, president, hospitality industry for THINKologies Inc., has more than 20 years of experience in the hotel business. At the Luncheon, Russell addressed the strategic initiatives and personal experiences to keep you on the Island of Hotel Success. 

Rudner, voted �Best Comedian� in Las Vegas Review Journal�s 2001 �Best of Las Vegas� and currently performing at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino Cabaret Theatre, entertained the Luncheon crowd with a one-of-a-kind performance. 

Award presentations at the International Hospitality Luncheon included the Hospitality Website Awards as well as the Hero/Heroine Awards. The Website Committee awarded Best Lodging Website to the Dylan Hotel of New York, dylanhotel.com, and the Best Restaurant Website to Andre�s of Las Vegas, andrelv.com. 

Additionally, the Hero/Heroine Awards were presented in three categories. Danny Meyer, the winner in the large restaurant category, is an icon of the hospitality industry. Meyer owns Union Square Café and Gramercy Tavern. He was recognized for his generosity for hunger-relief causes such as City Harvest, which collects restaurant leftovers, and Share Our Strength, which fights international poverty and hunger. 

In the large hotel category, a Las Vegas hero was honored for saving the lives of five people on different occasions during his tenure at the Golden Nugget. Jay Lesoganich, shift supervisor of security, is definitely considered a hero in the eyes of those he saved and worked with. 

In the small hotel category, Terry Brandes, chief engineer at the Four Points Sheraton Rochester Riverside in New York, was awarded for his bravery when he rescued an 11-year-old boy who jumped into the Genesee River. He and two co-workers hooked the boy�s arm with a 100-foot electrical cord and pulled him to safety.

Seminars also ran during the two-day Show, covering subjects such as technology, human resources, marketing, purchasing and guest services. In addition, Keynote addresses were offered, highlighting the restaurant and lodging industries. 

The Restaurant Keynote, �Secrets to Success�, was held on Thursday, and featured illustrious restaurateurs as they shared their stories and strategies for success. William P. Fisher, PhD, American Hotel & Lodging Association, moderated the Keynote. Panelists were: Brad Brennan, Commander�s Palace; Charles Condy, Next Century Restaurants, Inc. (Aqua); and Tom Guinney, Gastronomy, Inc. (New Yorker) and Mark Miller, Coyote Café & Red Sage.

Friday�s Hotel Keynote, �CEOs Tell It Like It Is�, also moderated by Fisher, addressed the state of the industry at mid-year 2001 as well as early predictions for 2002. Topics discussed included labor recruitment and training, technology, overbuilding & oversupply, and marketing. Panelists included: Tom Gallagher, Park Place Entertainment; Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino; Dieter Huckestein, Hilton Hotels; and Glenn Schaeffer, Mandalay Resort Group. 

The LVIH&RS is managed by George Little Management, LLC (GLM).