Countdown to CGE 2012 ~ August 11-12, 2012 ~ 11 AUG 2012

Classic Gaming Expo™ Location

The Plaza Hotel and Casino redefines Downtown Las Vegas luxury and creates a perfect combination of comfort and sophistication. Anchoring the Fremont Street Experience, the Plaza has been an iconic hotel in Downtown Las Vegas for the past 40 years and a recent property reinvention has allowed the Plaza to retain its classic Las Vegas charm and embrace a new world look.

Complete hotel and casino renovations in 2011 have updated and improved the Plaza’s ambience throughout, creating a stylish and exciting new experience for each guest. Our lobby features beautiful marble and inlaid mosaic tiles, sparking chandeliers and a plush front desk that matches the classic Las Vegas feel with a contemporary look. With over 1,000 spacious and fully renovated rooms and suites showcasing sweeping views of the glittering Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas, world-class entertainment, a brand new casino floor offering an array of signature and classic gaming choices, a first-class steakhouse (opening end of October) and ten new restaurants and bars (premiering throughout Fall 2011), the Plaza is a full service property that will create a memorable experience for each one of our guests.

The Plaza sits in the heart of Downtown Las Vegas and on the first train depot and auction site in Las Vegas, which was built by the San Pedro-Los Angeles-Salt Lake Railroad in 1905. Senator William A. Clark of Montana and his brother, J. Ross Clark, were co-founders of the railroad, and the brothers sold their interest to Union Pacific in 1921. The depot was demolished in 1970 to make way for the Union Plaza Hotel, which was built in 1971. The Plaza Hotel & Casino opened in 1971 at 1 Main Street, at the intersection of Main and Fremont Street, and was a fashionable stop on the first train service through Las Vegas.

Details and Directions to the Hotel (Click Map)

Out and About at Classic Gaming Expo™

Looking for something to do while you are in Vegas? Other than CGE of course, there are plenty of activities for everyone and special events to attend! Check back here for more major events that may be announced as it gets closer to the show date.

* O Cirque du Soleil

"O" by Cirque du Soleil is an ethereal, visually stunning show that incorporates the elements of air, fire and - most prominently - water.

The name, a play on the French word for water, is fitting. A cast of 85 acrobats, synchronized swimmers and divers perform in and above a 1.5 million-gallon pool.

One of the most breathtaking acts in the show comes when three talented divers leap with perfect precision from 60 feet above the stage into a small 17-foot deep triangular section of the pool.

Almost as amazing as the athletic performances themselves is the intricate stage. The pool is kept at a comfortable 88 degrees and features an underwater communication system for the performers, along with 150 technicians who are all scuba certified. Regulators under the water enable the performers to breathe before surfacing for their acts. Live music and singers enhance the experience of the show.

* Blue Man Group

he oddities begin as soon as you step inside the auditorium. An electronic message board prompts you to utter birthday greetings to people you don't know. Staff members walk the aisles handing out crepe paper, encouraging you to wrap it about your head and extremities. Those sitting in the front rows have the option of donning clear plastic ponchos to protect themselves from the occasional paint splatter.

Welcome to the world of "Blue Man Group," the wacky, avant-garde, percussion-driven show in a custom-built, 1,760-seat theater at The Venetian. "Blue Man Group" combines the best of theater, art, music and science and wraps it into a package full of humor and energy.

Created by Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink in New York in 1987, "Blue Man Group" has taken on a life of its own, and now resides in Boston and Chicago, as well as New York and Las Vegas, continuously playing to sold-out audiences at all four venues.

* Penn & Teller
Penn & Teller's show begins even before they appear, as two boxes, a wooden one and a plexiglass one, are set up on stage. The audience is invited to inspect them, to try and figure out how it will be used in the box escape trick, and to try to outwit the stars of the show.

Whether escaping from a straight-jacket while hanging from a noose or turning water into coins and coins into goldfish, Penn & Teller prove to be kings of the checkered game of comedy and magic.

* World's Largest Permanent Circus

High above the casino floor, the acts of the World's Largest Permanent Circus delight patrons by performing death-defying stunts every half-hour between 11 a.m. and midnight.

Acts include jugglers, highwire, trapeze and acrobats. Each lasts about 10 minutes.

The attraction is a popular one, as guests fill the stands a good 15 minutes beforehand; there are only about 60 seats to be had. Don't worry, however, there's room to stand on the other side of the stage


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