{"id":348136,"date":"2025-09-16T11:24:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/16\/lvcva-flushes-dozens-of-taxpayer-dollars-with-reimagined-airport-rideshare-pickup\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T11:24:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:24:00","slug":"lvcva-flushes-dozens-of-taxpayer-dollars-with-reimagined-airport-rideshare-pickup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/16\/lvcva-flushes-dozens-of-taxpayer-dollars-with-reimagined-airport-rideshare-pickup\/","title":{"rendered":"LVCVA Flushes Dozens of Taxpayer Dollars With &#8220;Reimagined&#8221; Airport Rideshare Pickup"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"post-info-panel\">\n<div class=\"post-info-panel__author-holder\">\n<div class=\"post-info-panel__author-logo\">\n                                                                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/all-about-us\/\"><br \/>\n                                                        <img alt=\"Scott Roeben\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/author-logo-lg-88x88.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/author-logo-lg-176x176.png 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-88 photo\" height=\"88\" width=\"88\" decoding=\"async\"\/>                                                    <\/a>\n                                                                                            <\/div>\n<div class=\"post-info-panel__author-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"post-info-panel__author-content\">\n                                            <span class=\"post-info-panel__title\"><br \/>\n                                                                                                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/all-about-us\/\" class=\"post-info-panel__link\">Scott Roeben<\/a>, on September 15 2025                                                                                            <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s the dumbest thing we\u2019ve heard since the song lyric, \u201cI need something to chase, something to melt this face,\u201d the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is unironically promoting a \u201creimagined\u201d rideshare pickup area at the airport.<\/p>\n<p>We are not making this up. They sent out a news release.<\/p>\n<p>We see that you\u2019re waiting with bated breath to see what your hard-earned room taxes are paying for, so let\u2019s get ready for the kind of innovation and original thinking that\u2019s going to turn this tourism slump right around and pronto. Actual results may vary.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44840\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44840\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-44840 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/fabulous_rideshare1-845x563.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44840\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It\u2019s their photo, we\u2019re just sharing it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So, yeah, that\u2019s pretty much it.<\/p>\n<p>They also built a photo op.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to overstate how much of this we are not making up.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44841\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44841\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-44841 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"1122\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lvcva_rideshare1-845x1122.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44841\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shout-out to all the Canadians booking their flights right now!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To celebrate the launch of this new tourism draw, they hired fauxgirls to pass out bottled water from behind stanchion ropes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFauxgirls\u201d is a new term we just made up to describe \u201cmodel showgirls\u201d who are models dressed up as showgirls, as opposed to actual showgirls.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44842\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44842\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-44842 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lvcva_rideshare2-845x563.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44842\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">To their credit, the LVCVA did not waste even more money by hiring a professional photographer for this event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Let\u2019s see how this particular collective insanity is being packaged by the folks charged with addressing the fairly serious matter of changing perceptions about Las Vegas.<\/p>\n<p>The news release says, \u201cThe space now features vibrant lighting, additional seating, and a custom neon selfie wall that helps visitors kick off their vacation in a fabulous way. On select dates, the experience will be elevated even further with live music, DJs, and other special activations. The transformed pickup zone is a part of the broader \u2018Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas\u2019 brand campaign. This multifaceted initiative spans broadcast, activations, experiences, special offers, and partnerships highlighting Las Vegas that will continue to roll out in the coming months.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Activations is an industry term for \u201csomething hacks do when they haven\u2019t had any original ideas since 2003.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Activations are the illusion of doing something and having ideas.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44843\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44843\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-44843 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lvcva_rideshare3-845x563.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44843\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You feel like cattle, but with flair!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cLas Vegas is a city that sets the standard for excitement and hospitality, and we believe the visitor journey should reflect that from the very beginning,\u201d said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA.<\/p>\n<p>There is a very real possibility Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA, believes this reimagined rideshare pickup area is \u201csetting a standard.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Come to think of it, it is setting a standard\u2014for half-assed, slapdash, hackneyed, wastes of money so R&amp;R Partners (the LVCVA\u2019s agency of record) can justify its existence at the next LVCVA board meeting.<\/p>\n<p>The bulk of the last LVCVA board meeting was taken up with lots of self-aggrandizement about how well the new \u201cWelcome to Fabulous\u201d has been received, mostly by people living in towns with two traffic lights.<\/p>\n<div data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-uzoypmoqe0s\" style=\"max-width:900px;\" class=\"arve\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div style=\"aspect-ratio:500\/281\" class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer 'none';autoplay 'none';camera 'none';ch-ua 'none';clipboard-read 'none';clipboard-write;display-capture 'none';encrypted-media 'none';gamepad 'none';geolocation 'none';gyroscope 'none';hid 'none';identity-credentials-get 'none';idle-detection 'none';keyboard-map 'none';local-fonts 'none';magnetometer 'none';microphone 'none';midi 'none';payment 'none';picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create 'none';publickey-credentials-get 'none';screen-wake-lock 'none';serial 'none';sync-xhr;usb 'none';window-management 'none';xr-spatial-tracking 'none';\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless=\"\" data-arve=\"arve-youtube-uzoypmoqe0s\" data-lenis-prevent=\"\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/UzOypMoqE0s?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"505.8\" loading=\"lazy\" name=\"\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/UzOypMoqE0s?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" title=\"\" width=\"900\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>If we ever want to be institutionalized, we\u2019re going to ride public transportation and just mumble the lyrics to ourself. Three hots and a cot! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/fabulous-campaign-is-lvcvas-latest-debacle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a> about the new ad.<\/p>\n<p>They said it was \u201cunfortunate\u201d the ad got a teensy amount of negative feedback (\u201clocal loud voices,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/fabulous-campaign-is-lvcvas-latest-debacle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">meaning ours<\/a>) because the LVCVA is really hoping to \u201crally the troops\u201d to \u201clean into changing the narrative\u201d in order to distract from the fact hundreds of news stories worldwide have come out about how Las Vegas is no longer a value destination but if we just lean into changing the narrative enough there is absolutely nothing to see here.<\/p>\n<p>Watch the meeting here. The relevant part is 18 minutes in.<\/p>\n<div data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-kr5ed1cf6qc\" style=\"max-width:900px;\" class=\"arve\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div style=\"aspect-ratio:500\/281\" class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer 'none';autoplay 'none';camera 'none';ch-ua 'none';clipboard-read 'none';clipboard-write;display-capture 'none';encrypted-media 'none';gamepad 'none';geolocation 'none';gyroscope 'none';hid 'none';identity-credentials-get 'none';idle-detection 'none';keyboard-map 'none';local-fonts 'none';magnetometer 'none';microphone 'none';midi 'none';payment 'none';picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create 'none';publickey-credentials-get 'none';screen-wake-lock 'none';serial 'none';sync-xhr;usb 'none';window-management 'none';xr-spatial-tracking 'none';\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless=\"\" data-arve=\"arve-youtube-kr5ed1cf6qc\" data-lenis-prevent=\"\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/kR5eD1CF6Qc?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"505.8\" loading=\"lazy\" name=\"\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/kR5eD1CF6Qc?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" title=\"\" width=\"900\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Following that meeting of the mutual stroking society, we were waiting for the next phase of the \u201cWelcome to Fabulous\u201d campaign, the part where serious people being paid a lot of money take on a formidable and ongoing challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Nope, we get Vegas Vickie, a few Googie stars and photo ops only the most intoxicated visitors are likely to capture.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44844\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44844\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-44844 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lvcva_rideshare4-845x563.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44844\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">On the bright side, they got the dice pips right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The showgirls won\u2019t be there when you land, so adjust your expectations accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>You want to give visitors a photo op they actually want to share with friends back home? How about an iconic fountain on an idyllic lake where jets shoot arcs of water that dance in perfect sync with music and light.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, that\u2019s right, Bellagio\u2019s fountains are covered up for three months of the year because of a three-day F1 race.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The LVCVA approving $20 million in taxpayer dollars to host the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2026 and 2027 is like a pi\u00f1ata paying for the stick. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/EpGwiOsJkN\">pic.twitter.com\/EpGwiOsJkN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VitalVegas\/status\/1955586297734775287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Just as few questioned why the LVCVA is pushing an event that disrupts the visitor experience for months, nobody asked a simple question about the rideshare area: \u201cWTF are you doing?\u201d It used to be that journalists would do that, but it\u2019s Las Vegas.<\/p>\n<p>Do we have to do everything?<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is exactly the kind of outside-the-box creativity lacking at the LVCVA and R&amp;R Partners right now! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9C61sYWnLs\">https:\/\/t.co\/9C61sYWnLs<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LDua7qGA06\">pic.twitter.com\/LDua7qGA06<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VitalVegas\/status\/1966975366507250039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>One parting thought from the news release, Jim Chrisley, Clark County Director of Aviation: \u201cOur team at Harry Reid International Airport is dedicated to making every arrival memorable, and this new rideshare area is a testament to that commitment. By partnering with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, we\u2019ve created a space that\u2019s not just functional, but also fun and welcoming. We\u2019re proud to offer travelers a first impression that\u2019s as distinctive as the destination itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is where we are with \u201cfun and welcoming\u201d? And they wonder why visitation has fallen off.<\/p>\n<p>Airports aren\u2019t for fun. They\u2019re for being miserable. They\u2019re a necessary evil to get to the fun. Use taxpayer money for free shuttles from the airport to The Strip and downtown. Make the wait so short people don\u2019t have time for a photo op of a bench.<\/p>\n<p>The point is our tourism experts have been resting on their laurels. We need genuine surprise and delight, not silly P.R. stunts that give the appearance of those things.<\/p>\n<p>Is this rideshare area overhaul better than nothing? Marginally. Is it remarkable? Buzzworthy? Unforgettable?<\/p>\n<p>The key question (that should be the criteria for all LVCVA efforts moving forward): Is it fabulous?<\/p>\n<p>Now isn\u2019t a time to lower the bar, it\u2019s a time to raise it. The future of Las Vegas depends upon it.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, that\u2019s a little dramatic, but you write 3,291 blog posts and see how punchy your kickers are.<\/p>\n<p>Update (9\/16\/25): The LVCVA\u2019s brain trust isn\u2019t done with you yet! We just got another news release about a new \u201cFabulous Tunnel Walk.\u201d We are still not making this up. From the news release, \u201cThe Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and the Las Vegas Raiders have collaborated on a striking redesign of the players\u2019 entrance tunnel at Allegiant Stadium.\u201d To clarify, it\u2019s the redesign of a tunnel.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_44859\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44859\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-44859 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/fabulous_walk-845x563.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-44859\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">More of your tax dollars at work.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t make a lot of sense until you read further: \u201cOften a focal point of media attention and fan excitement, the players tunnel has become an unofficial runway for athletes to showcase their personal style. With the Fabulous Tunnel Walk, Vegas transforms these arrivals into a stage worthy of the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In case your layperson\u2019s simple brain persists in thinking this is one of the dumbest ideas, ever, there\u2019s this: \u201cThe Fabulous Tunnel Walk adds new life to the wall that the players have walked by on their way into the locker room since Allegiant Stadium\u2019s opening in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t you get it? Athletes walk by this wall!<\/p>\n<p>Las Vegas is going to need more hotel rooms, stat.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/lvcva-flushes-dozens-of-taxpayer-dollars-with-reimagined-rideshare-pickup-at-airport\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] By Scott Roeben, on September 15 2025 It\u2019s the dumbest thing we\u2019ve heard since the song lyric, \u201cI need something to chase, something to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":348137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348136"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=348136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/348136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/348137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=348136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=348136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=348136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}