COMPASS-2-Spring 2021 | Page 46

The City of Second Chances is getting a makeover . But will travel advisors win big ?

Making Money on the new

The City of Second Chances is getting a makeover . But will travel advisors win big ?

WORDS / ELISA PARHAD

In Vegas , they say there is no such thing as a sure bet , but one thing can always be counted on — the continual reinvention of the city .

Just a few miles off the Strip — away from the thrills and lights and glitz — is a 200,000-square-foot development called Area15 . It promises to be an experiential mix of art and retail that is unlike anything Las Vegas has ever seen . One-third of its space will be Meow Wolf , the darling of alternative entertainment from an artists ’ cooperative with backing from
“ Game of Thrones ” creator George R . R . Martin . When it opens later this year , the Vegas outpost will feature the same quirky , out-ofthis-world experience that has thrilled audiences in Santa Fe , New Mexico , since its opening in 2016 . In a perfect fusion of creativity and counterculture , the immersive venue transports audiences to faroff realms through cosmic storytelling , surreal worlds , secret portals and psychedelic imagery .
“ Meow Wolf is perfect for a place that wants to reinvent itself ,” says Didi Bethurum , VP of marketing at Meow Wolf . “ The old
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