January/February 1991
The 1990s are shaping up as the decade of "new"s for the scrap recycling industry. There are new opportunities, new pressures, new materials, and new competition to face. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries's (ISRI) 1991 convention and exposition, "Committed to the Future," will help recyclers bring their vast experience to bear in 1991 and down the road.
The convention, set for March 20-23 in Las Vegas, will include new trading opportunities: Participants can meet informally at two "trading sessions" scheduled for Thursday and Friday afternoons, March 21 and 22. An area will be designated for each of the scrap commodities. Also, more exhibitors than ever--approximately 120 companies--will participate this year, and an outdoor exhibition of large materials-handling equipment is scheduled.
Several special workshops sponsored by ReMA committees are planned. Industry experts will give presentations on Thursday and Friday at materials "spotlights" on lead and zinc, ferrous, aluminum, nickel and stainless steel, copper, and--for the first time--plastics. A special new executives reception is scheduled for Thursday evening.
Preceding the convention will be three days of meetings of ReMA divisions, committees, and the board of directors, all of which are open to ReMA members.
The striking, new Mirage hotel located on "the strip" and only a few minutes from McCarran 2000 International Airport is the site of the 1991 convention. The Mirage boasts large, modem meeting and banquet facilities as well as a Polynesian-theme casino, a host of international restaurants and shops, and more than 3,000 guest rooms. The hotel is designed to look and feel like a South Seas oasis in the desert. A steaming volcano erupts amid lush foliage near the main entrance. Inside is a tropical forest of palm trees and orchids. Colorful sea life in a 20,000-gallon aquarium provide the backdrop to the front desk. The swimming pool is a collection of islands, waterfalls, and lagoons.
The Mirage also has a 1,500-seat theater, the setting for dramatic performances by illusionists Siegfried & Roy and their complement of exotic animals. The Royal White tigers performing in the show also stay at the Mirage--in a special habitat open for public viewing. The hotel is also home to a group of bottlenose dolphins in a 1.5-million-gallon pool, part of a local educational program.
The convention's grand finale will feature a fairy tale theme dinner, followed by an exclusive performance by a top-notch entertainer and dancing. Conventioneers will have a chance to see Siegfried & Roy perform a dazzling act they created with Tony Award winner John Napier, known for his work on "Cats," "Les Miserables," "Starlight Express," and "Phantom of the Opera."
Several other entertaining and educational spouse events over the course of the convention period are planned.
In addition, the Las Vegas region provides a variety of opportunities for private excursions. Nearby Lake Mead, with more than 550 miles of shoreline, Mount Charleston, and Red Rock Canyon provide outdoor recreation. Hoover Dam, the tallest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, is a quick drive away. Local historical sites of interest include a handful of ghost towns and a state park with petroglyphs and other evidence of ancient Indian civilizations. Tours by airplane to nearby Death Valley and the Grand Canyon are available.
It's almost always warm and sunny in Las Vegas (the sun shines 320 days a year) and there is little humidity. Spring daytime temperatures are warm (in March averaging 72 degrees F), but evenings are cool.
"Committed to the Future" is open only to ReMA members in good standing and their guests. Registration forms received by Feb. 15 entitle the participant to a discount. To obtain a registration form and other convention details, contact ReMA headquarters at 202/466-4050.
Vegas Trivia
Population: 700,000
Hotel/motel rooms: 62,000
Annual visitors: 17 million
Annual marriages: 67,000
Annual rainfall: 6.8 inches
Las Vegas translates to “the meadows” and was named by Spanish explorers who arrived in 1829.
Mormons replaced the previous Spanish residents of Las Vegas in the mid-1800s, building a fort and cultivating 75 acres of land before departing in 1857.
Gambling in Las Vegas brings in $3 billion annually.
Hoover Dam, built in 1931, contains 4.4. million cubic yards of concrete and stands 726 feet high. It provides electric power to parts of three states.
The Clark County Marriage License Bureau is open on weekend from 8 a.m. Friday to midnight Sunday, and operates 24 hours on legal holidays.
Nearby Lake Mead, more than 100 miles long and skirted by 550 miles of shoreline, is the largest manmade reservoir in the Western Hemisphere.
Vegas has almost 80,000 slot machines. •
The 1990s are shaping up as the decade of "new"s for the scrap recycling industry. There are new opportunities, new pressures, new materials, and new competition to face. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries's (ReMA) 1991 convention and exposition, "Committed to the Future," will help recyclers bring their vast experience to bear in 1991 and down the road.