After 30 years in the Las Vegas events business, Melanie Bash isn’t exactly a deer in the headlights maneuvering down the Strip. But she knows that for event organizers and corporate meeting planners, the city’s vast options can be daunting. Trying to find the right venue is hard enough in regular circumstances, but even worse when factoring all of the health and wellness research that goes into bringing events back to life. 

Recognizing a need to personalize experiences as Las Vegas reopens, Bash has teamed with DMC veteran Molly Hoisington to found a concierge service in partnership with Informa Markets. Known as “Get Informed,” the company aims to be a one-stop shop for many of a planners’ local needs, including booking transportation and venues, and cutting good deals in the process.

“Planners don't have to spend so much time researching venues and also it's not going to be done in a marked up way,” Bash explained.

The timing for knowledgable Vegas professionals to work their connections and understanding of clients’ needs is ideal. The city fully reopened on June 1 and trade shows will begin to arrive en masse with World of Concrete on June 8. Informa, one of the largest players in the trade shows and exhibition world, operates WOC, MAGIC and Las Vegas Cosmetic Surgery, among many other events.

“We recognize the value of ease, efficiency and excellence as our customers look for opportunities to network, connect and rebuild this year,” said Ken McAvoy, executive vice president of corporate development for Informa Markets. “As live events return to the show floor, we hope to add a little extra magic and a little less hassle to communities who join us here in Las Vegas.”

Get Informed has 150 venues in its database, most of which Bash and Hoisington have worked with previously. Bash was already in the same space with her own private company, Last Minute Events, which, as its name suggests, finds venues for planners in a time crunch. 

Las Vegas is “about to come back with a vengeance,” predicted Bash, though numbers will not be quite as high as pre-pandemic years. As attendance rises, venues will charge more. But she is confident that Get Informed has the credibility and partnerships to keep costs under control going forward.

While the company partners with Informa, its services are not exclusively offered to Informa events. Similarly, the service is able to assist intimate corporate gatherings as well as large events. A virtual option has also been honed in the past year, in which the pair assists with F&B and other teambuilding activities done via computer.

Bash noted that organizers are not charged for their service. “It’s an amazing perk,” she said.

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