The second anniversary of Resorts World Las Vegas has arrived, marking two successful years since its grand opening. The highly anticipated integrated resort has already become an iconic landmark on the Las Vegas Strip, attracting millions of visitors from around the world. In two short years, Resorts World has made a significant impact on the local community, contributing to the city’s economy and entertainment industry.
Celebrating Two Years of Resorts World Las Vegas
Today, the resort has released its latest ad campaign, showcasing new developments and features that continue to exceed expectations. At the Second Anniversary press conference yesterday evening, top executives and key team members, including Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella and CMO Ronn Nicolli, enthused about the past and future of the resort, as well as acknowledged their ongoing commitment to making Resorts World Las Vegas the ultimate destination for entertainment and luxury.
“When Resorts World opened its doors in June of 2021. It launched a whimsical campaign, leaning on the theater, entertainment, and utopic nature of this shiny new, incredible property,” Mark Shunock, the current host and arena announcer for the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Top Rank Boxing, said in an opening speech to members of the press and invited guests. “But since then, it has matured and taken on a life of its own. The evolution of the property evokes the need to create a new campaign; it was as simple as that. Resorts World Las Vegas has come into itself as an eclectic property with not just something for everyone, but something for each individual guest.”
Resorts World Las Vegas opened shortly after the city’s mask mandate was lifted in 2021. The original ad materials focused heavily on the residencies of Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, and Celine Dion (whose residency was later canceled). “In the middle of the pandemic, a time that no one could have fathomed, somewhat of a nightmare. We were in the office, we were on a construction site,” Ronn Nicolli, CMO for Resorts World Las Vegas, told audiences after the world premiere of the new campaign. “At points, I think there were as few as 20 of us around the building, trying to conceptualize and deal with the variables that were around us. And we came together, and we opened this property at a time when there was still some uncertainty. And in doing so, we released a campaign that, in an incompleted environment, we had to create curiosity. We deeply led into fantasy. We highlighted and touched on one of the pillars that we felt was one of the strongest positions at that point, which was our entertainment.”
The new campaign shows a variety of venues throughout the property, highlighting the resorts’ dining, entertainment, and activities. “The first time I started to think about who this property was, was on a Saturday night, and we had had multiple events going on on property,” Nicolli said in a video presentation. “And because the events were so different, I believe, I think we had Luke Bryan in the theater, we had a boxing event going on in the event center, we had Tiesto in the club. And all three of these bring such a different audience. And I’m seeing interaction, and I’m seeing groups having a good time. And I thought to myself at that moment; this is Resorts World. This is our brand. And from there, the tough challenge is how do you now put that on paper, and then go out and find people that can bring that idea to life.”
Nicolli later reiterated that sentiment in an address to the media, “Over the course of the last two years, the thing that has always stood out to me as I walk around the property, and that’s the interaction— if it’s over at Carversteak, or if it’s at FUHU and Zouk, it’s interactions,” he said. “I’m a kid who moved out here 21 years ago; no longer a kid, with no expectation of ever being where I’m at today. Being here today is very meaningful. But I also remember that kid from Ohio that would have to save up for a whole year maybe to come out here and experience three days in Las Vegas. And I see that kid and every guest that comes through this property.”
The new campaign is set to debut on platforms today, marking the official second anniversary of the property’s grand opening. “It was really based on how do you take the reality, the blood, soul, and inspiration of this property and put it into something visual, potentially no more than 60 seconds; they can hold your attention span long enough to create curiosity,” Nicolli explained to audiences. “Long enough to create excitement. Long enough to create a consumer action.”
The event was held inside Zouk Nightclub. The Zouk Group operates many of the entertainment and dining venues throughout the property, including FUHU and Famous Foods. “I don’t want to steal the thunder from Ron and his team. But I will tell you, I’ve been doing this for a long time. And I’ve operated some of the biggest properties on the Strip. And it’s not easy to operate these properties. But it is nothing like starting from the beginning and designing, building and taking a building like this out of the ground, and then developing it and creating what you have to create that no one’s ever seen,” Scott Sibella, President of Resorts World Las Vegas said before the campaign was officially unveiled. “So we are so proud that this is our two anniversary tomorrow night. We’re excited about that, yes. But it takes time, and I don’t want to go down the Strip and talk about properties that are open and where they are today. But we knew it wasn’t going to happen overnight. The strategy was we establish the property, create something that everybody loves to experience, and they continue to come back. So we opened the property with a great commercial—The commercial had nothing to do with what was inside the property. It was more about our entertainment…But now, after two years, it’s all about how do we tell everybody about what this property is all about?”
