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CONSUMER SURVEY NAMES LAS VEGAS
AMONG TOP FIVE BRANDS OF 2005

``What Happens Here, Stays Here’’ helps propel Vegas
to No. 5 slot

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 29, 2005) - Las Vegas was named one of the top five brands of 2005, according to the results of a consumer survey published today by USA Today. The destination joins the ranks of favorite brands such as iPod, Google, Oprah Winfrey and eBay. Testament to the city’s growing popularity, Las Vegas beat out brands such as Xbox 360, Yahoo, Desperate Housewives, and the National Football League (NFL).

The second-annual Newsmaker Brands survey was conducted by marketing firms Landor Associates and Penn Schoen & Berland. It asked 1,744 adult consumers to rank 61 of the biggest brand names on their performance in 2005 and prospects in the year ahead.

“We’re thrilled that the public ranked Las Vegas among their top five favorite brands this year,” says Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). “As a destination, we have a product unmatched anywhere in the world. From a marketing standpoint, it’s been our goal to grow the Las Vegas brand and strengthen the emotional connection we have with our visitors. Clearly, consumers are passionate about Las Vegas and our future looks bright.”

Due in part to its iconic ``What Happens Here, Stays Here,’’ multi-faceted advertising and marketing campaign managed by R&R Partners, Las Vegas ranked No. 5 in the 2005 poll and consumers expect the brand to rise to the No. 4 slot in 2006. The ``What Happens Here, Stays Here’’ campaign will continue throughout 2006, with the LVCVA slated to unveil a new television commercial in February followed by five others throughout the year.

``Las Vegas has become a lifestyle brand. Joining the likes of Oprah and iPod means Las Vegas lives somewhere between entertainment, inspiration and a useful product,” says Billy Vassiliadis, CEO of R&R Partners. ``We're delivering on a need that the public has for a special place where they can be free and act free. Las Vegas will always be that special place."

ABOUT THE LVCVAThe Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With more than 133,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 9 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For additional destination information, go to www.VisitLasVegas.com or www.LVCVA.com.