LAS VEGAS -- The first ASTA World Travel Congress of the new
millennium will begin on a light note when humorist and
motivational speaker Larry Winget takes the stage as the opening
act for the Temptations, the Motown singing group, on Sept. 24.
Auto-Europe and Royal Caribbean International/Celebrity Cruises
are the sponsors of the concert, which is being staged at the
convention center from 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
The Temptations performance is preceded by the opening reception
hosted by Galileo International from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Chapter kickoff dinners will be held at 7:30 p.m., and tickets
are required.
The opening gala, courtesy of the Las Vegas Convention and
Visitors Authority, will be held on Sept. 25 from 7:30 p.m. to
10:30 p.m. on Fremont Street; delegates will be treated to food and
drink by a selection of eight hotels in the area. The Fremont
Street Experience, featuring a five-block canopy of 2.1 million
lights suspended above downtown Las Vegas, will provide light and
sound shows every hour.
All guests also will receive a coupon booklet that entitles them
to free gifts at the participating hotels as well as a map
pinpointing the locations of the evening's events.
Following the gala, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is hosting a
party at 10:30 p.m. at the C2K Showroom at the Venetian Hotel. The
party will feature dancing, musical performances and
Israeli-American Mike Burstyn, the star of the Broadway musical
"Jolson," who will act as the party's headliner and master of
ceremonies.
To attend, delegates should respond to an invitation they
received in the mail. To obtain last-minute tickets, delegates can
inquire at the Israel Pavilion in the trade show. Shuttle buses
will be provided.
The Jamaica Tourist Board and Air Jamaica will sponsor coffee
breaks and continental breakfasts each morning during the
conference.
The annual Travel & Tourism Awards ceremony will be held in
three segments during the general sessions held on Sept. 25, 26 and
28. At the Sept. 28 general session, the Society for the
Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped (SATH) Access to Freedom
Award also will be handed out.
For a healthy alternative to the parties, Travel Insured
International has been sponsoring a Fun Run/Fun Walk at all ASTA
World Travel Congress and regional meetings since 1984. Early
risers are invited to meet at the convention center at 6:30 a.m. on
Sept. 26 for a three-mile run or 1.5-mile walk, open to all
delegates. Travel Insured will donate $1 to the ASTA Scholarship
Fund for each participant.
The final event of the congress will be held on Sept. 27 at 7
p.m. at the Bellagio Hotel. Delegates will be treated to a taste of
Spain with a banquet and show hosted by the 2001 Seville Host
Committee. The authentic Spanish banquet will feature a flamenco
performance by the Andalusian dance troupe, Compania Andaluza de
Danza. There also will be a fashion show.
Delegates still in town on Sept. 29 can choose from a selection
of sightseeing excursions, ranging from a half-day trip to the
Hoover Dam or Lake Mead to a full-day visit to Red Rock Canyon or
shopping at the outlets nearby. Registration for the sightseeing
tours can be done on site.