Las Vegas Sands once again joined millions of people and organizations around the world for Earth Hour to show our commitment to conserving natural resources. What did we do? Check out this interactive presentation:
Press Play: Las Vegas Sands & Earth Hour Presentation
April 1st, 2013 | Katarina Tesarova
Leave a Comment | Filed in: A Greener World, Bethlehem, History, Las Vegas, Las Vegas Sands, Macao, Sands China, Sands ECO360°, Singapore, Sustainability, Team Members, Values
Liberating The Heroic Spirit Of Business
March 29th, 2013 | J.C.
And now for a little business philosophy. At ReasonTV, Nick Gillespie has a brilliant interview with Whole Foods visionary, John Mackey, about his new book: Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business.
This thought-provoking video is posted here because (a) readers in our human resources departments may find some interesting ideas to think about, and (b) Mackey’s business philosophy reminds me quite a bit of conversations I’ve recently had with Mike Leven, our company’s president and COO; and (c), well, I’m reading the book and it’s terrific and worth sharing with our team members.
Video: The Sands Macao Experience
March 28th, 2013 | J.C.
A nice, quick overview of Sands Cotai Central:
“皇金拳賽”主題曲MV | “Fists of Gold” Theme Song
March 27th, 2013 | J.C.
Theme song to Zou Shiming “Fists of Gold” performed by Stephanie Cheng 郑融. The two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner and three-time World Amateur Champion Zou Shiming will make his professional debut on Saturday, 6 April 2013 at CotaiArena, Venetian Macao.
U.S. Green Building Council Spotlights Sands ECO360°
March 21st, 2013 | J.C.
In their March newsletter, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Nevada Chapter has some nice words about our sustainability efforts:
Senior Vice President Norbert Riezler, who heads our procurement and sustainability operations, discusses the environmental strategy behind Sands ECO360°.
This month’s Friend of the Chapter Spotlight shines on the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, a proud supporter of USGBC-NV. They live and breathe sustainability through their Sands’ ECO360 Global Sustainability program.
The Venetian, the Palazzo and Sands Expo comprise one of the largest LEED buildings in the world and the principles of green building design, construction and operation provide a solid foundation for furthering the company’s environmental goals.
As they continue improving the efficiency of their buildings, they also look for fun ways to encourage their team members around the world to join in conserving resources.
For the past three years, the Las Vegas Sands has participated in the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour that challenges organizations and individuals to turn off lights for one hour on March 23 to raise awareness about protecting the planet.
This year, they have set the eco-conscious bar a little higher by joining the new Earth Hour “I Will If You Will” challenge. The simple concept encourages extending a friendly challenge to others to expand the reach of Earth Hour.
Leave a Comment | Filed in: A Greener World, Las Vegas, Macao, Partners & Friends, Sands ECO360°, Singapore, Sustainability, Values
Grazie–Are You In?
March 20th, 2013 | Darcy Martinez
Executive Director of Marketing Tyler Bain sat down with us recently to talk about Grazie, the loyalty program at The Venetian and The Palazzo, and how it benefits both guests and team members. This is part one of a Q&A series.
The affluent, the cultured, the fashionable and famous, Grazie is your all-access pass to the most enviable events and exclusive offers.
Q. So, why should guests enroll in Grazie?
Tyler Bain: When guests become members, they immediately get benefits: Car rental discounts, access to the VIP line at Grand Lux Cafe, suite and ticket upgrades, and email offers.
Q. Are there other incentives to get the attention of Grazie members?
Tyler Bain: There are a lot of them. Members get rewarded for everything they do here. When they play slot and video poker games, they earn Slot Reward Points which can be redeemed for slot credits and resort comps. Members also earn Status Points for playing their favorite games and for all charges made to their suites. These Status Points enable Grazie members to reach higher status levels.
Q. What are these status levels?
Tyler Bain: There are three. Upon enrolling in the program, members automatically become part of the Grazie status level. As members earn more Status Points, they can achieve Gold or even Platinum status. The higher the status level, the more exclusive the benefits and faster points can be earned.
Q. So there’s a third type of points?
Tyler Bain: Yes, Grazie Gift Points. Members earn these points through slot and video poker play, and use them at our annual Grazie Gifts Extravaganza. This is a huge shopping event where Grazie members can select from an incredible selection of items, from jewelry to motorcycles, televisions, cars, and pretty much anything you can imagine. They use Grazie Gift Points like currency and they love it.
Here at Grazie, we’re so much more than a players club. We’re a loyalty program that rewards guests of The Venetian and The Palazzo for staying in our lavish suites, dining in our exquisite eateries, shopping at our fabulous boutiques, and of course, gaming in our extravagant casinos. The points you earn as our loyal guest entitle you to outstanding perks.
Leave a Comment | Filed in: Entertainment, Food & Drink, Las Vegas, Partners & Friends, Suite Life, Team Members
The Venetian|Palazzo & Sands Expo Ready To Take On Earth Hour Challenge
March 18th, 2013 | Katarina Tesarova
Earth Hour is this Saturday! We hope that as many people as possible will show their “green” spirit by turning off lights on Saturday night, taking part in the I Will If You Will campaign, and challenging others to join as well.
To provide some last-minute inspiration for those who are looking for some fun challenges, I talked with The Venetian|Palazzo’s assistant director of sustainability, Rishi Tirupari, to see what our own team members are doing. Check it out!
Katarina: Rishi, it seems like The Venetian|Palazzo’s team members have some terrific ideas for the I Will If You Will campaign – tell me about it?
The Venetian|Palazzo Assistant Director of Sustainability, Rishi Tirupari.
Rishi: They definitely have! Here are just a couple of examples – Sebastien Silvestri, our head of food and beverage for The Venetian|Palazzo, has promised that he will make lunch for his team if 400 of his team members take part in Earth Hour. The director of public area department, Rick Walter, has promised that he and his managers will clean our casino and pick up trash if 80 percent of his team members join Earth Hour. Additionally, Ashlyn LaPorte and the Sands Expo management team will take alternate transportation to work if 80 of Sands Expo team members use alternate transportation at least once before Earth Day.
Katarina: Those are great challenges, and so different from each other.
Rishi: Yes, that’s been the best part. I love seeing how this campaign has inspired our team in such different ways, and how we can help others. Kristen Dimond, head of hotel operations and her executive team for The Venetian|Palazzo will volunteer for eight hours with Habitat for Humanity to build a house for a family in need, if 500 team members bring old cell phones, plastic bottles and cans to recycle at work on March 19. Did you ever think that turning off your lights could help build someone’s home?
Katarina: That’s great! Which challenge do you think has been the most creative?
Rishi: That’s hard to say, but here’s one. John Caparella, the president of The Venetian|Palazzo and Sands Expo, and Pete Boyd, the senior vice president of operations at The Venetian|Palazzo have said that if 1,000 team members participate in Earth Hour, they will pedal bike-powered blenders to create smoothies for all of them! I think everyone is excited about that!
I hope this has given you some new ideas about how we can expand Earth Hour and help others. Earth Hour is on March 23 at 8:30 p.m. local time.
And Now For A Little Sands History
March 15th, 2013 | J.C.
In the 1950s and 60s, the Sands’ Copa Room was the coolest joint in town. Legendary Las Vegas stars like Nat “King” Cole, Milton Berle, and Danny Thomas were headliners. And, of course, Dean, Frank and Sammy Davis—whom the press called “the Rat Pack”—drew the biggest crowds. Check out this vintage footage of one of their shows at the Sands. If you thought bawdy humor, ironic ethnic jokes, and playful raps and jabs were modern cultural expressions, you may be surprised by their show.
Las Vegas Sands Embraces World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour
March 13th, 2013 | Katarina Tesarova
Environmental causes hold a special place in my heart. This “green” passion means I am extra proud of our Las Vegas Sands team this year. For the fourth year in a row, Sands employees around the globe are getting ready to participate in the World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour on March 23.
Earth Hour is an annual environmental campaign that challenges organizations and individuals to turn off lights for one hour each March to show their commitment to green initiatives. Our participation is just one piece of Sands’ comprehensive environmental program, called Sands ECO360°.
Like in years past, our properties will turn off non-essential outdoor lighting during Earth Hour. Check out the photos– it’s inspiring to see!
Lights On
Lights Off
This year, we have set the eco-conscious bar a little higher by joining the new Earth Hour “I Will If You Will” challenge. This new push means we’ve extended a friendly challenge to others to expand the reach of Earth Hour. For example, Conrad Macao offered to turn off its non-essential lights for one hour twice a month for the rest of the year if 10 other Macao hotels agree to switch off their lights once a month. Even better, the challenge has already been met! A total of 13 hotels have agreed to extend their Earth Hour “lights-out” to every month of the year, even including one in South Africa. That’s the impact of one person or organization taking the lead!
But we’re not stopping there. We are challenging our nearly 50,000 Sands team members across the globe to join us to embrace Earth Hour and pledge to turn off lights at home. In the spirit of a challenge, we are planning to plant one tree for every participating employee at the property with the biggest team that joins. The competition is on! I can’t wait to see which team wins!
I hope hearing about our team’s dedication will inspire others to join us. Let’s build momentum for this campaign and make an even bigger impact. We all share the world – and the responsibility to it. Come up with an eco-challenge and join the team!
Leave a Comment | Filed in: A Greener World, Las Vegas Sands, Sands China, Sands ECO360°, Sustainability, Values
Can You Name The World’s Largest Five Diamond Resort?
March 11th, 2013 | Jeff Birchmeier
We have worked really hard to create a resort where guests, and even our fellow team members, receive an unparalleled and unique experience in a place like no other—with people like no other. Within our walls are the most dedicated, passionate and service-minded professionals on the Las Vegas Strip and in the world.
In the past year and a half, our team members supported one another and encouraged each other to strive to be the best; and it is with great pleasure to share with the public that The Venetian and The Palazzo both earned their fifth diamond, yet again, continuing our title as the largest Five Diamond resort in the entire world.
For 77 years, AAA has used professional inspectors to conduct in-person property inspections and publish the results, on a system of One to Five Diamonds. Hotels in all categories are subject to the same basic requirements for cleanliness, comfort and hospitality in order to be AAA approved. A Five Diamond rating is given to a hotel that offers ultimate luxury, sophistication and comfort with extraordinary physical attributes, meticulous personalized service, extensive amenities and impeccable standards of excellence.
Hotels at this rating level offer an extensive array of amenities and a high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail. Among the 30,000 AAA approved and diamond rated hotels for 2013, less than one-third of 1% received the AAA Five Diamond rating. It’s an honor to be among these few fine hotels year after year.
Of the 30,000 AAA approved and diamond rated hotels for 2013, less than one-third of 1% received the AAA Five Diamond rating.
Jonah Cohen (J.C.) oversees online communications for Las Vegas Sands Corp. Passionate about social media, he chronicles the conversations in and around the company. Got a story to share? Send him an