It has been 23 years since IAM (International Association of Movers) was last in the sin city.
It’s a fascinating place, for a while; but last time I found that the novelty of the bright lights, the music, the gambling and the ‘anything goes’ style wore off. Last time it took a day or two. This time my attention faded a little more quickly.
2024 wasn’t much different than 2001. There were more hotels, and a few that had closed. It was noisier, with deafening amplified music on the streets and ‘background’ music indoors that didn’t seem that intrusive until I tried to find a quiet place for a recorded interview. Getting around on foot was harder but that was probably because of the erection of stands for the forthcoming Grand Prix. I had forgotten that smoking is still allowed indoors: something we lost in the UK a very long time ago. It took a while to get used to my clothes smelling of stale tobacco again. There was more weed than I remember, with its unique aroma even permeating the hotel rooms. The women wore fewer clothes and more tattoos. Some seemed to wear less for an evening on the town than for a day by the pool. And I knew it would be expensive but … really!
The city is in the Nevada desert. It’s surrounded by mountains that are not that high but scream certain death to anyone foolish enough to venture out ill prepared. Looking back at the city from the suburbs, I found myself contrasting the arid, empty wasteland of the surrounding hills with the equally unforgiving environment of the Strip. On balance I think I would take my chances with the snakes and scorpions outside, rather than the two-legged varieties amid the crap tables.
That said, life is made up of experiences and Vegas is certainly one of those. If you were going on holiday you would book events – Hoover Dam, Death Valley, etc. – to keep you in the real world. But we weren’t. We were there on business and, frankly, I am not sure it’s the ideal venue ...