I’ve never ever been to Las Vegas before, and I also never intended it. Now I know why…

Jonathan made that comment during the podcast, that there wont be a more controversial city in the US, or even the world, then Las Vegas.

Think: We do sessions on Eco Responsibility during CEC, and where are we? In one of the most un-sustaining cities of the world. I simply never wanted to be here, because I do feel ashamed for the water being wasted deep down in a desert. I’ve been to many deserts before, Sahara in Marocco, Mali, Namib in Namibia, Gobi in Mongolia, Atacama in Chile, and always I had the pleasure to at least see and feel, that the people really living there took care of their environments. Here, in Las Vegas, all is done to just let you forget that you are in a desert…

Then this city is bizare, wherever you enter a hotel, mall, whatever, you instantly find yourself being among gamblers? The “one-armed bandits” are just about everywhere in the lobbies, noise, people, drinking, smoking. That’s not my way of living…

On the other hand I can completely understand, why we move from Denver to San Francisco and now to Las Vegas with this event. It simply did grow so much over time (approx. 4000 people this year), that we need to be more conscious about the amount of money we spend… Last year at San Francisco I did hear rumors, that every can of soda did cost Sun 1 dollar, no rebates… Unbelievable! Here, it seems (didn’t see any numbers) that at least during the week, hotelrooms and meetingrooms are way cheaper. Las Vegas lives during the weekends…

Besides that, Las Vegas does have something. It can’t get unnoted… You have to be controversial, and that does energize the folks being around here. That’s a “Good Thing” to have for such an important conference like CEC 2007!

Others have noted it already, so I will also add my comments. Having been in Paris once, having seen the real thing, it’s funny to see an american rendering of that here in the desert. Have those, that created Paris, Las Vegas ever been to Paris, France? Then, I guess, they would have noticed, that there is no such thing as a “french burger”, which you can get here…;-)

Matthias

tags: suncec2007