Las Vegas Expo Questions

I am tentatively planning to attend the expo in December and had a few questions. 1- Does everyone usually check in on the wed night since the first workshop on thursday is at 9am? 2- Is it best to stay at the base hotel (The Hilton) or another hotel on the strip and commute? ( My first Vegas experience) 3- Maybe Robert or Stripes or someone in East texas can answer this since I'm fairly close in proximity to them. Has anyone ran into any good flight deals that they might want to share with me? I hope my plans pan out because I would like to attend and get to meet some of you guys. Thanks, ACE

We always fly out the day before, I hate to be rushed in the morning. I have not ever stayed at the Hilton, I tried last year, but the NPE housing people overbooked it, and ended up sending many people to Circus Circus. We ended up staying at the Tropicana, the place is a bit older, but nicely priced, and best of all, since the opening of the LasVegas Monorail, you just get on the train at MGM (right across from the trop) and it lets you off right at the front of the convention center, I think it is more convenient than staying at hotels that are closer. And on flights, check Southwest, they have great deals and many flights in and out of Vegas.

The Hilton is OK, but you can walk from Circus Circus and I have heard of rooms as low as $39 there. Since the opening of the Monorail, it's a great option. The convention center and most of the strip hotels have a station and you can hop on it and be anywhere in a few minutes. The fare is like $4, but you can buy a pass for all day or several days. Bring your credit card.

I just found this link for any interested www.lvmonorail.com check fares and routes etc...

Thanks alot for the input. Asphaltman, you're right Southwest does have some good rates on their non-stop flights. Thanks a bunch! ACE

How many of you are planning on coming to Vegas. Its always nice to put names to faces. Maybe we can have a little PLP get together at one of the round tables.

whens the Nashville one happening?

Jan 31- Feb 3 www.nationalpavementexpo.com

I'm making plans to attend. I will probably book a room on the strip and ride the monorail to the convention center daily. Unless someone here advises against doing that because there's gonna be so much extra curricular activities going on at the Hilton. I've never been to the convention or Las Vegas so we'll be wondering around trying to see everything as well as the convention. My wife and I will be celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary on Dec 1st so it'll be a short vacation for us as well.

Don't know what you mean by extracurricular at the Hilton (the one by the convention center)...but it's over-priced cause they have small conventions & stuff there and sometimes a fairly big star performing. I'd shop on-line for deals on "the strip" or wherever you want since it's a min-vacation for you too. The convention center is a total nothing, but depending on what you want some of the "name" joints have deals depending on what acts or events are going on there...for grins I priced the Bellagio that week and could have stayed there cheaper than any other "new-big-name" strip hotel... about the same as the convention center Hilton the nights I looked at. Remember it's Vegas, it's all there as a money pit, so depending on newer hotel or older (i.e. Bellagio, Hard rock, OR if you got a $$ fortune Wynn's or Venetian)... Circus Circus, Rivera,-the original end of the "strip" hotels-casinos are cheaper or the new "resort casino-complex-things" can go from mild-to wild a few blocks from the strip or the "not big name' places favored by Vegas money savers... there are all prices. But except for like Wynn's & the Venetian that are always high shop for the deal if you are there to vacation, depending on which night at which hotel prices vary by huge amounts. And then some places might have a better deal on a package with some show you wants to see than staying somewhere else & trying to get tickets to that show... So the days I priced nothing big was probably happening at the Bellagio and it was probably 1/2 what it is other times... but if you check you can see the big strip hotels vary as much as $200+ a night easy for the same room-same place depending on what's happening there or what star might be having a big concert there that week etc. I have friends that will stay someplace different every night for the best rates of the night and some who gamble a lot stay in one place to rack up comp points. But you got to gamble a LOT of $$ for that to matter a lot. Me I go for the cheaper...I don't need a $150-$300 a night room, nobody spends much time in the room in Vegas when you're there for a convention except for sleeping anyway... Just myy luck the NPE is always in winter... last time my room was directly across the street (like eye-level 50 yards) from the bungee jumping tower-pool thing where (usually intoxicated young) girls get to jump 1/2 price if topless or free if nude....hotel guys said if it was summer I'd have had the best room on the strip Forgot to mention...shop every on-line site, there are tons of them for Vegas and the deals vary a huge amount from site to site & time to time depending on the deals they have with the hotels-casinos etc.

Here are my thoughts and suggestions, and a few entertainment ideas. -I would suggest the Tropicana for a low budget option www.tropicanalv.com , and like I said earlier, with the monorail stop at MGM, it makes the Trop a little more convenient than the Riviera or Circus Circus (in my opinion). -If you do shop on line for rooms, check with someone like www.expedia.com , then when you find a deal, go directly to the hotels web site and check the rates, all to often you can find the hotels rates are a few bucks cheaper than expedia, but expedia will do the leg work and initially find the top cheapest or best quality etc.... -Speaking of the Tropicana, they have two really cool limited time exhibits, that may be worth seeing http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/ and the other is http://www.rmstitanic.net/ -If you have the money, I would also recommend to see the shows "Mystere" at TI and or "O" at Bellagio they are well worth it, but also about $85 bucks a ticket. -Other Vegas info can be found at www.vegas.com -When you get there don't worry about renting a car, taxi's are everywhere. You can also get Limo's cheap (about $39) an hour, so if you have a group, and you all split it, its cheap. -My thoughts on food. The convention center has a grill type of snack bar, and they did have good burgers last year. Several Hotels (MGM, Riviera, Excalibur, etc..) have food courts with cheap fast food Micky D's etc.. Every hotel also has nicer restaurants, just about everyone posts their menu's out front, so you can check pricing and selection. And of course you cant miss a stop at the Las Vegas "In and Out Burger" Those from the East will have no clue what this is, but they are all over California, they only have like 5 things on their menu, but their burgers are amazing http://www.in-n-out.com/ Vegas can be a real fun city, take some time and check things out, I am sure you wont be disappointed... oh ya and don't for get the gambling....you can put "payroll" on the roulette table...j/k

What I meant by extra curricular activities was: I've been to conventions before (unrelated to striping) where when the seminars aren't going on, everyone kinda hangs around together enjoying some cool beverages, telling jokes, etc.( You know --partying!). I just didn't know what to expect at this expo and I didn't want to miss out on anything because I wasn't staying at the "host hotel".

I think that happens more at the East coast show. I find people stay everywhere in Vegas, so I wouldnt worry about missing anything if you dont stay at the Hilton.

Yep, That's the main thing I don't like about Vegas. It's Vegas so everybody has their own "extracurricular" things they want to do & places they want to go. The east show not only has the manufacturer's social events but people tend to "hang out" more and visit. Just a lot more "socializing" by the nature of the place. (Besides in Vegas even if a friend is in the hotel next door they may be 2 blocks away ) The above shopping suggestions are a start but do check ALL the "hotel-travel" sites and the hotel itself. It's amazing how much different ones vary depending on the deals they have with different hotels... then often the hotel itself is just as cheap or maybe less. The only reason I don't do the monorail is the one year we were there and it was closed for maintenance the whole time because just before Christmas is one of the 2 slowest times of year in Vegas so that's when they do that type stuff. But every other time it has been running and everybody says the multi-day pass is the way to go. And avoid taxis, they know the slowest way to get everywhere...BUT there are LOTS of limos (down to the regular cars like Lincolns & such that aren't stretched...those can be cheaper than cabs easy) but because there are all the "wild" super-limos in Vegas you can get a "regular" stretch for about the $39 mentioned...and at that price depending on what you are doing it can be cheaper to hire one and have it waiting for you than the cost of longer cab rides (like if you are just going downtown to see the Fremont lights, then back to see some exhibit at a casino on one end of the strip then going back to your area. One year I spent about $80 on a stretch for over 2 hours, the driver was great, and the doorman at the hotel said for everywhere I went I would have spent over $200 easy on taxis. (From the Circus Circus to the convention center (2 long blocks) is about an 8 dollar cab ride if they catch a stop light $6-$7 if they don't) Just checked the rates at the Tropicana, I'll be at the CC again, I could afford Taxis and have money left

asphaltman i am coming out to vegas my room rates are the greatest FREE!! good to have family in town. any one else from the east coast going to vegas?

Maybe if the show continues to grow, then the MFG's will start hosting parties at this show. The folks at SW hinted at it last year, but we will have to see. Hey Cormac, Graco ought to step up this year and be the first to kick off a "customer appreciation" event..

Anybody that's going to the Vegas Expo, care to share the best hotel deals that you've come across? I've been shopping around online and was curious about everyone else's luck with the hotels.I think Southwest will have the best flight deal out of Houston.

I have a warehouse job coming up that has quite a few curved lines in it. This is my 4th year as a striper, and I feel confident in about everything except sweeping curved lines and s-like stripes. I push a 3900. Any suggestions on how to stay in target would be great.

Curved lines are easier than straight. No kidding! Do a search on "back axle".

Stripes, are you the one without a front wheel? So, do you put the gun by the back wheel and lift the front wheel off the ground on turns?