Page 56 - LVGL Magazine Spring 2021

EXPERIENCE

Vegas Knights

Scenic Views of Emerald Bay

considered—the beautiful scenery, the chaos, the unique- the lake combined with great recreation, gaming, nightlife,
ness—this may have been my favorite outdoor event yet.” make this, once beyond COVID, the ultimate destination.
This is the type of environment people are craving now.”
Looking back and hopefully looking forward to another This “moment in time” is one that won’t soon be forgotten.
Tahoe—or Vegas (or both)—version in years to come, the
in-stadium fan revenue quite possibly could be dwarfed The Tahoe spectacular harkened back to the days of “pond
by television advertising dollars. The Vegas vs. Colorado hockey” for the players and coaches, but with the snow on
game was tracking a huge audience on NBC prior to the Edgewood’s fairways glistening, the lake’s waves smoothly
delay (up 30 percent over normal regular season ratings), lapping up on the beaches, and the Sierra Nevada peaks
and the Boston vs. Philly matchup the next day was the glimmering in the distance, the setting was next level.
highest-rated regular season game in the history of the
NBC Sports Network. “Spectacular setting, spectacular venue, two real good teams
that were excited to play,” is how a subdued Golden Knights
The intense interest was proof that the event was a huge head coach Pete DeBoer simply described everything dur-
overall win for the Tahoe area, which features a vast array of ing his post-game comments and following the loss.
year-round outdoor recreational options including boating,
paddle boarding, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, snow- Prior to the game, and following a practice session before
boarding, fishing, and much, much more. From the moment the loss, DeBoer was more effusive in his thoughts about
the event was announced, Carole Chaplin, president and the game, setting and opportunity for everyone involved.
CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, was staggered “This is a drop-the-mic-type outdoor rink where it’s as nice
by the interest. “In a word, priceless,” says Chaplin when as I’ve ever seen. I think the guys really, really enjoyed it
asked to explain the value received by the Tahoe area in today. It’s awe-inspiring when you walk out there and see
overall media impressions. “The response was unlike any- the mountains and the lake in the background. To be able
thing I have ever experienced, but when you work with to play in this environment, the only thing we’re missing is
great people like NBC and the NHL, and then have such a fans.”
wonderful product like Tahoe as a backdrop, it just added The Tahoe area was hands-down the weekend’s overall win-
up to a memorable moment in time. The amazing vistas of ner, and as with millions upon millions of others watching

54 LAS VEGAS GOLF & LEISURE SPRING 2021 www.lasvegasgolfandleisure.com