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Las Vegas made headlines this summer after hotel occupancy across the city showed signs of softness, sparking concerns about a potential downturn. Hotels editor Christina Jelski spoke with Sean McBurney, chief commercial officer and regional vice president for Caesars Entertainment, about current market conditions in the city, promotional strategies and the company’s expansion plans. <\/em><\/p>\n Sean McBurney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Q:<\/strong> When it comes to Las Vegas’ summer performance<\/a>, what’s the reality behind the headlines?<\/em><\/p>\n A:<\/strong> I think the narrative does not accurately reflect what’s fundamentally happening in the business. The idea that “Vegas is dead” is just not accurate whatsoever. It’s important to keep it in context<\/a>. In the second quarter, we were at 97% occupancy at our properties. That was down from 99%, but on an absolute basis, we were very busy. In the third quarter, we were at about 90% occupancy. Many different metropolitan areas would love to be operating a market with 150,000 hotel rooms and with occupancies in the mid-80s. What we’re seeing as we look to the fourth quarter is demand is increasing. The Las Vegas Grand Prix race is booking well, and the marquee events continue to draw very strong interest; as we look to New Year’s, all of that looks promising.<\/p>\n