Date line Las Vegas Feb 09.

We all know things are in a complete upheaval, and no matter who you blame and I'll go for the banking industry and all those who have been living well beyond their means for the last decade or so, a contract is a contract, this last week I received a call from a client who,was in tears asking me if I had watched the news on local stations, I'm thinking that some one had died or another  9-11 had occurred.
Happily neither was true, it was in fact that Wells Fargo Bank , who I might add has been a direct client of Costellophoto in the past had just canceled their meeting at the Wynn Las Vegas with less  than a weeks notice.
Now I'd be the last to come to the defense of any one in that industry right now, as all the news stations bleating on about how they were wasting money on big parties with bail out money. As it turns out  Wells Fargo  has to pay Wynn Las Vegas 100% for rooms rental and Banqueting costs ,the 'Party' in Question was hardly lavish by any standards and when in an economy such as Las Vegas, were parties and Corporate events are our economy anyway  the media's zeal for 30 seconds of news coverage and a "gee aren't we righteous" attitude leaves me rather irritated.
My Company lost money, the three other employee's lost work and money, my client lost money and didn't employ the models and other support staff, products were not bought totaling in the thousands of dollars.
This all puts us in Las Vegas in a rather precarious position, no we don't want the Government to waste our hard earned tax dollars on lavish parties, or banks to do the same, or employees to be thanked for work done with a weekend in Vegas do we?



With that Attitude we here in Las Vegas might as well roll up the sidewalks and say good night Gracie,appreciation and shallow congratulations is how the American business world has kept its ' we're #1' competitive life style going for decades, 30 years of my life spent in servitude in a cubicle is worth a $100 gold watch and a limp handshake, but if you're lucky you'll get that handshake in LAS VEGAS NV , this is what you're whole working life has been for.
On the way Corporate America has fostered that competitive edge with Convention and sales events in places like Las Vegas since the early 60's , and for all intense and purpose it has worked well. I can remember the first really big convention I was working on as a Cameraman  in Las Vegas , and the total disbelief  that hoards of people worshiped a business to the point of obsession, rather reminiscent of Southern Baptists, the company in question was ...Mac Donald's, I soon learned that most big corporations demanded this cult like following and people were happy to follow and be rewarded with the odd party with free booze and a has been band.
So now that it has become unpopular to celebrate anything (see new years eve in Las Vegas firework disaster) even if you did sell more than anyone else in the world, or you have been a good worker for the last 30+ years at GE or Herbalife, I don't think you're going to get that free drink and live band in Vegas with out that aggravating Tssk Tssk sound from those holier than thou.


So as i figure that nostalgia will be the next big and less expensive thing , i am wondering how to market nostalgic Photography in Las Vegas,pictures of celebrations gone bye, Awards ceremonies in Las Vegas, hey I could sell images and photoshop you in the line up of happy smiling awardees, photographs of virtual conventions in Las vegas, how about a crowd shot with the real Elvis Presley preforming, yes yes i can see it all now, instead of going to Las Vegas , corporations could just sent you pictures of what could have happened,as the old saying goes 'It's the thought that counts'