Going Green in the Desert: Lessons from ESG Initiatives in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is notorious as the adult version of Disneyland -- 24/7 gambling, drinking and risqué shows in the Mojave Desert. Others call it the hospitality and conference capital of the world, hosting over 20,000 conferences every year. Yet behind all these disparate impressions of Sin City and the entertainment capital of the world, is a united and earnest effort among major publicly listed and Las Vegas-based companies to achieve sustainability goals and meet ESG targets while providing exceptional service to the over 40 million annual visitors and over 2 million residents who call the Las Vegas Valley home. In this presentation, long-time Las Vegas resident and hospitality professional Ralph Villanueva will talk about the ESG efforts of select companies based in his backyard, and what lessons can be leveraged by the audience to build a sustainable company in general and IT ecosystem in particular.