The Vision of the Integrated Resort

Las Vegas Sands is a Fortune 500 company with 11 properties worldwide and best known for having three of the world’s largest convention centers and successful Integrated Resorts. Currently, the company owns and operates resorts in Asia and the US including The Venetian Las Vegas, The Palazzo Las Vegas, Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Sands Macao, The Plaza Macao, Sands Cotai Central, and The Parisian Macao. The company develops iconic resorts to deliver extraordinary guest experiences with luxury hotels, state-of-the-art gaming, high-end retail, celebrity-chef, dining a wide-range of entertainment and convention space for both business and leisure guests.

The success of the Integrated Resort traces back to the vision of Las Vegas Sands’ chairman and chief executive officer, Sheldon Adelson, who founded the company in 1989 after purchasing the famous Sands Hotel in Las Vegas. In 1996, the Sands Hotel was demolished to make room for the company’s first resort, The Venetian.

“When we talk about The Venetian’s story, it really is about Dr. and Mr. Sheldon Adelson and their story,” Lipika Jensen, vice president of development and planning at Las Vegas Sands, said. “As much as we talk about the recipe and science behind the Integrated Resort, it was Mr. Adelson’s vision and entrepreneurial nature that brought us to it.”

While on their honeymoon in Venice, Dr. Adelson suggested, “If you can bring the romantic atmosphere of Venice with all the luxuries that can only be found in Las Vegas, then it can be a winner.” In 1999, The Venetian opened its doors to Las Vegas with a recreation of Venice’s legendary landmarks including St. Mark’s Square, Campanile Tower, the Rialto Bridge, and an indoor quarter mile canal, gondolas and signing gondoliers. Today, The Venetian is one of the world’s most luxurious resort and convention destinations.

Part of that vision was to focus on conventions and convention-goers, revolutionizing the city into the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry. Las Vegas Sands’ MICE-driven resorts allow for the expansion of the company’s reach to a larger demographic. It also brings a responsibility to cater to those unique groups. By focusing on both the business and leisure needs for guests, the property is able to provide everything under one roof.

“The whole idea is during the week, you have business travelers: they stay in the hotel, eat, and entertain. When they leave on Friday, they loved their stay so much that they come back with their family over the weekend.” Jensen said.

The company would go on to create Integrated Resorts worldwide, with the latest opening of The Parisian Macao in 2016. But the secret behind the resorts’ success stems from the root of all Las Vegas Sands properties: providing unmatched guest service.

“At the end of the day it’s about the guests’ experience,” Lipika said. “Your buildings have to be beautiful, but also functional.”