What are the odds?
of smelling weed on the Strip.
of getting sore legs at Pack Expo.
of getting lost in a casino.
of winning at slots.
of thinking you’ll win at slots.
of being approached by two “showgirls” on the strip and being asked
if you want to take a photo with them.
of finding a beer koozie at an exhibitor booth.
That the distance from the monorail station to your destination will
be much further than expected.
That you’ll overpay for everything on the Strip.
That your hotel on the Strip will charge a resort fee that you won’t
use while visiting Vegas.
That the monorail escalator or elevator will be broken.
Real Advice
All advice is based on my personal experiences or opinion.
50/50
50/50
50/50
480,000 : 1
Sure bet
5:1
20:1
Sure bet
Sure bet
Sure bet
Sure bet
AIRPORT
When you go to the airport for your return home flight plan extra time. When I was there the TSA pre-approved lane was closed and they had a drug sniffing dog where everyone had to wait and walk two by two down the walkway so the dog could check for people carrying drugs. Once bags went through the Xray machine many bags were sent for a second check, which slowed things down on the line.
Pack Expo West provides free buses to the airport on Tuesday and Wednesday. Check the schedule as hours are limited and the days may change in the future.
AT THE EXPO
If you plan on walking around a lot or on the Strip, it may help to wear compression socks. I found that provided relief (low compression socks.)
Central Hall has a large cafeteria with many food options. I didn’t find this out until the second day of the Expo.
If you aren’t an exhibitor don’t even think about getting into the Expo early. The door staff may have been trained by the military.
On the last day if you leave after the published end time of the Expo, you may be unable to re-enter the room. That may even apply to exhibitors (I’m unsure, but I saw people being turned away.)
The last day of the trade show is great for having longer conversations with exhibitors as they are less busy than other days.
Check out some of the seminars. .
MONORAIL
There aren’t great options to get from one part of the Strip to another. If you’re going only one stop on the monorail it may be easier to walk. To get from the monorail station to your destination may require a very long walk through a casino to reach the street. I got lost several times, especially at MGM.
VEGAS STRIP
The Bellagio fountain show at night is great and free.
Look for Happy Hours along the Strip for somewhat reasonable drinks and/or appetizers.
Check out the shops in the back of the Paris casino.
Favorite casinos to explore: Paris, Caesars (including the Caesar’s Forum building,) and Venetian. New
York, New York and Excalibur were nice to see from the outside, especially at night.
The Flamingoes at the Flamino Hilton can be skipped unless you’ve never seen a flamingo before.
Related Post: Pack Expo West – Photos of exhibitor booths, Vegas Strip, and short video of some exhibitor demos.