Return on experience is the key to the continued appeal of Las Vegas, said Jeremy Aguero, principal for Las Vegas-based Applied Analysis, during Preview Las Vegas 2025, the Vegas Chamber’s annual business forecasting event that took place on Jan. 16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Kicking off the event, Aguero took the audience on a journey of the city’s growth and reinvention to the entertainment capital that it is today, hosting Super Bowl LVIII, F1 and, this April, WrestleMania, not to mention taking corporate events to the next level with the experiential capabilities of Sphere.
“We’ve proven all of the skeptics wrong; we are not the greatest ghost town in the world, right? The idea that hockey will never work in the desert. Wrong and wrong,” Aguero said. “It works here.”
The economist also talked about the challenges associated with growth and urged business leaders to apply the same innovation-driven approach to transforming the city’s healthcare, education and housing.
Talking about the next steps in the city’s transformation, the event reportedly was to feature presentations by Warner Bros. Studios Nevada and Sony Pictures Entertainment that are exploring opportunities for a film campus and production facilities in Southern Nevada. Devastating fires in Southern California scrapped their attendance, and event organizers pledged support to the affected communities.
Sphere shines bright
The largest spherical building in the world has already become a Las Vegas landmark and is bidding to be the city’s busiest venue, according to Bill Walshe, global head of operations and development at Sphere, who also presented at Preview. With successful residencies by U2, the Eagles, Dead & Company, Phish and the ongoing showing of Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard from Earth,” the venue is now hosting multiple productions weekly and even daily. The latest residency, announced at the event, will be with country superstar Kenny Chesney, starting in May.
Over the past year, Sphere has changed the game on corporate keynotes and press conferences, first with a keynote by Antonio Neri, CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, during HPE Discover 2024 in June, and most recently with “a show” by Delta CEO Ed Bastian during CES 2025. It is hard to impress the tech crowd, particularly with a press conference, but Delta filled the 17,000-seat venue and leveraged all of its innovative capabilities to deliver a captivating address, fitting for celebrating the company’s 100th anniversary and showcasing its future-forward vision.
On the day of the event, the exosphere was wrapped in the brand’s dynamic imagery, making it impossible to ignore for the tens of thousands of attendees in town. They didn’t think twice about waiting in line to get the credentials required for entrance, and then again for free anniversary merch. Inside, they could explore a glowing activation resembling a plane fuselage, featuring a gallery, a VR simulator and a virtual airplane customizer before digging into surprisingly delicious fare straight from premium cabin service. Ed Bastian took the stage to announce several key partnerships, including Airbus and Uber, and welcomed famed football quarterback Tom Brady, all against the massive surround backdrop that transformed with the narrative.
Arguably, the most captivating aspect was how Delta took advantage of the venue’s 4D capabilities, putting attendees into the pilot’s seat as the plane took off and again when it landed, with rumbling seats and immersive visuals creating a completely immersive experience. The scent of hazelnut coffee filled the air as Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi offered Bastian a cup delivered by Uber Eats. And the indoor fireworks show, designed for the anniversary, were every bit as real thanks to directional audio and next-level imagery. Lenny Kravitz took the stage after, but that was icing.
“Brands using the Sphere to promote their corporate message will be something we’ll see happen more and more frequently,” Walshe commented. “The Delta event as part of CES was wildly successful. It was incredibly important for Delta. They wanted to celebrate their heritage but do that in a forward-looking way.”
WrestleMania is next
Back at Preview, the event’s focus was on WrestleMania 41, WWE’s biggest event of the year, coming to Las Vegas in April. Over 40,0000 fans are expected at the main events taking place at Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena, with WWE World, the company’s fan fest in partnership with Fanatics, taking over the Las Vegas Conversion Center.
“It’s our Super Bowl,” said WWE president Nick Khan. “For our Super Bowl, we thought there would be no better place to have it than Las Vegas.”
Khan is a native of Las Vegas and attended Bonanza High School and UNLV. He served as an usher for WrestleMania IX, when it was held at Caesars Palace in 1993. Returning to town as a key player with the WWE marks a full-circle moment for him. If you work hard in Las Vegas and if you get a little bit of luck, your dreams can actually come to fruition.”
New, notable for planners
Hell’s Kitchen burgers with roasted jalapenos and fried chicken on pink brioche buns were on the menu at the opening of Gordon Ramsey Burger at the Flamingo, the celebrity chef’s seventh restaurant in Las Vegas with Caesars Entertainment, bringing bold flavors and a lively atmosphere to the iconic resort. “Lucky number seven, can you believe it?” said Gordon Ramsay of the new restaurant. Signature Pink Drink and truffle Parmesan fries are a must-try!
During Preview 2025, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino announced a $300 million room and suite remodel encompassing all of the hotel’s 4,212 rooms and suites within its main tower. The transformation (above), which is slated for completion in December, is set to enhance the overall guest experience with modern, sophisticated design elements inspired by the flair of the disco era. The first phase of the main tower’s newly remodeled rooms will be available for reservation beginning March 1, adding to the property’s diverse collection of remodeled accommodations, including the 700-room Studio Tower, which was completed in 2022.
The M Resort Spa Casino is adding a $260 million new tower, with 384 rooms and 15,000 square feet of convention space, doubling the resort's footprint and bringing it to 774 rooms and suites. The convention space totals 92,000 square feet, including the 25,000-square-foot M Pavilion, and a beautiful pool-side space that hosts concerts. Catering to small to mid-sized meetings, the entire property can be exclusively branded for a special experience.
Group entertainment has new fun options with the opening of Swingers Las Vegas, a multimillion-dollar, adults-only mini golf course at the Mandalay Bay (above) that opened in late 2024. Inspired by an English countryside estate, it features four golf courses, cocktail caddies and nostalgic carnival grounds. Projection mapping sets the mood throughout the day and changes with the seasons. Spiegelworld’s new Discoshow at the Linq invites attendees to get lost in music across multiple bars and dance spaces, placing everyone in the center of a disco celebration.
One of the newest properties off the Strip, Durango Casino & Resort now offers about 20,000 square feet of high-end meeting and event space. The property’s contemporary high-desert vibe and state-of-the-art amenities create a resort-style atmosphere for smaller meetings.
