Nevada. (Western Update).

LAKE TAHOE

Nestled between southern Nevada and California is some of the most spectacular scenery around. The Lake Tahoe region is the perfect pre- or post-meeting getaway, or a desirable group destination all its own with 80,000 square feet of convention space, 600,000 square feet of recreational area, and countless magnificent views.

The combined forces and resources of several premier casino properties makes meeting planning easy: Caesar's Tahoe, Harrah's Lake Tahoe, Harvey's Resort & Casino, and Horizon Casino Resort work together to maximize space and meet your needs. The biggest of the bunch is Harvey's, with 20,000 square feet of conference space and 741 guest rooms and suites, followed by the 532-room Harrah's, with 18,000 square feet of function area. Caesar's Tahoe touts 16,000 square feet of space and 440 guest rooms, while the 539-room Horizon has 13,000 square feet to suit your meeting needs.

When day is done, put the "fun" in your function with one of the area's many recreational pursuits: skiing, swimming, and gaming among them. Recognized worldwide for its incredible clarity and sapphire blue waters, Lake Tahoe is surrounded by snow-capped mountains rising upwards of 11,120 feet above sea level.

LAS VEGAS 

The city of big just got bigger, thanks to a $150 million expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The 1.3 million-square-foot addition to the center's South Hall means a total of 3.2 million square feet, with 2 million square feet of exhibit space, and 170 meeting rooms with seating for 20 to 7,500.

The city's capacity for crowds keeps growing. Last summer, the 3,300-room Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino broke ground on a 1.8 million-square-foot convention complex adjacent to the existing 190,000-square-foot Mandalay Bay Conference Center, bringing the resort's total offering to nearly 2 million square feet of meeting space by 2003.

Caesar's Palace provides groups with glamour, excitement, and more than 138,000 square feet of function area. The property's convention complex can accommodate meetings from 10 people to 5,600, with ample exhibit and outdoor space. Caesar's Palace recently postponed construction of a new 29-story, $475 million tower, which will feature 900 suites, restaurants, and retail space when complete.

The Imperial Palace makes group gatherings a royal success, with 35,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space to accommodate 10 to 1,000. And how about a hint of Hawaii, with Las Vegas's only authentic poolside Luau and Polynesian Revue?

RENO

You can bet that by the end of this year, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center will be bigger and better than ever. The center is coming to the end of a $105 million expansion and renovation project that will increase its size to a half-million square feet of meeting space, including two new column-free exhibit halls. Other details include: a new 30,000-square-foot centrally located swing space that can be used for either exhibitions, divisible meeting rooms, or banquets; new loading docks and drive-in access to exhibit halls; new landscaped public plaza; and state-of-the-art fiber optic network and wireless communication technology.

There are more than 20,000 hotel rooms just minutes from the convention center. The city's largest property, the Reno Hilton, can accommodate groups of almost any size with more than 2,000 guest rooms and more than 200,000 square feet of versatile meeting space to handle even the most complex program.

For a change of pace, round things up with your group's very own rodeo at the Reno Livestock Events Center, a versatile meeting site with indoor and outdoor arenas and a 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall.