“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. The ad slogan has been used by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority since 2003, and just like “Where’s the Beef?” and “Just Do It!”, the expression entered our culture’s mainstream lexicon. From Jay Leno to Billy Crystal to Laura Bush, it seems that everyone is making reference to “What happens in Vegas”.
Perhaps the most interesting use of the phrase came from former Education Secretary William Bennett. After a video of Bennett sitting at a Vegas slot machine hit the news, and he became embroiled in a scandal about his gambling, Bennett griped to both Leno and NBC’s Tim Russert: ”Apparently, ‘what happens here, stays here’ applies to everyone but me.”
Of course, the linguistic formula behind the expression is not new. A much older saying among traveling salesmen and truckers is “What happens on the road, stays on the road.” For year musicians and rock stars have said “What happens on tour, stays on tour.” And, in the 1999 movie “The Green Mile”, the David Morse character says to the Tom Hanks character: “Remember, what happens on the mile, stays on the mile.”
Today, I’m breaking the “Vegas” rule and sharing a little bit of what happened when Pam Pickral and I attended the Transportation Intermediaries Association annual conference in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. It was a terrific opportunity to learn about industry trends, compare notes with other brokers, network, and have a little fun. It had been 5 years since I last attended but I will make sure I don’t wait that long again! The transportation market is continually changing, technologies are developing, and there are new opportunities to bring value to our shipping and carrier customers that we would never hear about while sitting in our offices.
The top 5 things shippers value in a broker:
- Trust
- Service
- Truck Availability and Flexibility
- Safety
- Technology
What mattered most to the carriers:
- Honesty
- One Point of Contact
- Courtesy
- Quick Pay Options
- Experience and Professionalism
I thought it was interesting that price was not mentioned as a top factor by either group. Trust and honesty rule when it comes to business relationships, proof that although there are lots of new developments in our marketplace,the most important fundamentals of business NEVER change. Regarding what happened during the after-hours activities at the trade show….well, that will have to stay in Vegas! I will, however, share a few fun variations on the “What Happens In Vegas” phrase:
- For spoiling children: What happens at Grandma’s house stays at Grandma’s house.
- Seen on a maternity t-shirt: What happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay in Vegas.
- For science geeks: What happens in a black hole, stays in a black hole.
- For English majors: Ambiguity: What happens in vagueness, stays in vagueness.
- For the office, small towns, etc.: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what happens here sure as heck gets around fast.
- Best use in a movie: “Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Except for herpes. That sh** will come back with you.” ~actor Jeffrey Tambor, as the character Sid Garner, in The Hangover (2009)
Keep it buttoned up this weekend,
~Bob
