Last October 1, a gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. During a ten minute period, Stephen Paddock fired more than 1,100 rounds from his 32nd floor suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel, killing 58 people and wounding another 851.
The shooting reignited the debate about gun laws in the U.S. and forced tourism officials around the country to assess their vulnerabilities and crisis plans.
Jeremy Handel, the Senior Director of Communications for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA)—Las Vegas’ destination marketing organization, will share insights from the frontline on how his organization sprang into action following the nation’s deadliest mass shooting committed by an individual. He will recap the LVCVA’s communications strategy in the 24 hours following the incident, including how the organization dealt with hundreds of media inquiries in a timely manner, and also how the destination came up with its recovery strategy to reassure travelers that Las Vegas is a safe destination.
