MUSKOKA — The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority took a different approach for its latest Canadian sales mission, hosting a Vegas-style retreat, ‘Vegas Unplugged’, in Muskoka.

After meeting at the W Toronto for a morning of destination updates, participants were shuttled to the JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa, about 2.5 hours north of Toronto, for an overnight retreat. There was a scavenger hunt, nature walk and cooking competition, plus, of course, plenty of time for one-on-one meetings and lots of delicious food and drinks.

Canada is key for Las Vegas. Canada was the city’s top source of international visitors prior to the pandemic, which is why it was important for the destination to get up north again to reconnect with the Canadian market.

Some 10 LVCVA partners were on hand to meet with suppliers, tour operators and media in attendance.

LVCVA representative David Han offers destination updates at the W Toronto

Participating partners included …

. The Venetian Resort Las Vegas

. Resorts World Las Vegas

. The STRAT Hotel

. Cirque du Soleil

. Wynn and Encore Las Vegas

. Caesars Entertainment

. Travel Nevada

. Fontainebleau Las Vegas

. M Resort & Spa

. INDIGO

The biggest buzz at the retreat revolved around Sphere, the US$2.3 billion entertainment venue that’s being talked about as a ‘game changer’ in a city that’s already had so many.

Standing more than 360 feet tall, Sphere has the world’s largest LED screen at 16K resolution that displays a variety of animations like fireworks, eyeballs and the moon with planets.

U2 played Sphere’s first show in late September; the band’s ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere’ residency runs until Dec. 16 with 25 shows during this stretch.

Current travel numbers from Las Vegas are positive, showing strong post-pandemic recovery. In June, hotel occupancy was at 85.5%, up 2.8 points year-over-year, and the city welcomed 3.43 million visitors, an increase of 3.1 points year-over-year.

The same month, Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) welcomed 4.88 million passengers, up 4.1 points year-over-year, surpassing the previous record for June set in 2022. Harry Reid Airport (the name changed from McCarran International Airport in 2021) is the most recovered of the top 20 largest airports in the U.S. based on a percentage of pre-pandemic seat capacity.

More new developments in Las Vegas are certain to excite foodies. Chéri rooftop lounge is set to debut this fall within the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas with iconic views of the Strip. The alfresco experience will offer French-forward wines, innovative cocktails and vibrant entertainment atop its grand garden terrace.

Renowned New York cheesecake eatery, Junior’s, is opening its first west coast location this fall at Resorts World Las Vegas.

Also, Lip Smacking Foodie Tours has announced a new 2.5-hour ‘Boozy Brunch Tour’ available on Saturdays and featuring stops at ¡VIVA!, FUHU and Wally’s, all of which are located within Resorts World Las Vegas.

For more information on travel to Las Vegas, go to VisitLasVegas.com (or LVCVA.com). For MICE events, visit VegasMeansBusiness.com as Las Vegas has more than 15 million square feet of meeting and convention space.