Masonry Magazine August 1980 Page. 13
A Winning Combination
MCAA's 31st Masonry Conference and Trade Show MGM
A magnificent new hotel, the breathless scenic beauty of the rugged West, and the recreational and entertainment facilities of the "Biggest Little City in the World" form an almost unbeatable combination of attractions for anyone to enjoy. Combine this with MCAA's 31st International Masonry Conference and Educational Trade Show, and you're a sure bet to come up with a winner next February 26-March 3 in Reno, Nevada. You can gamble on it!
And MCAA's Conference headquarters hotel-the spectacular MGM Grand is an attraction in itself that's worth traveling many miles just to be there. By far the largest hotel in the Reno area and soon to be one of the biggest in the nation, the MGM could be the most complete leisure/business complex ever built. Situated only a few minutes from the airport and downtown Reno, this ultramodern facility features 1,015 guest rooms and suites (a 982-room addition will soon go up), indoor sport and recreational facilities, and the world's largest gaming casino.
The 26-story MGM Grand offers more than one million square feet of public facilities, including seven gourmet restaurants, a 1,650-seat entertainment show room (featuring twice nightly performances of the smash musical review, "Hello, Hollywood. Hello"), a 2,000 seat jai alai fronton, a 2,000-seat indoor tennis and sports pavilion, a 50-lane bowling center, two movie theaters, a giant swimming pool, a 33-acre lake, and a 500-space camper land.
And that just covers the recreational and leisure aspects. The hotel's convention facilities are truly outstanding, with more than 133,000 square feet of meeting and function space that includes the luxurious 40,000-square-foot Reno Grand Ballroom. The ballroom is divisible, making it compatible for both meetings and exhibits. Whatever accommodations are required to conduct a successful conference or trade exhibition, such as MCAA's, the MGM is capable of providing it.
Reno-Gateway to the West
Outside the MGM Grand awaits the exciting city of Reno and its environs that still smack of the Old West. The Reno area has been called the "Gateway to the West," and rightly so. Within a 500-mile radius, travelers can visit northern and southern California as well as the northwestern and southwestern states, or Utah and Idaho.
San Francisco, the cable car city, is a 228-mile trip from Reno. California's state capital, Sacramento, with its Sutter's Fort and California Exposition Park, is only 140 miles away. For scenic beauty within easy driving range lie Lassen Volcanic National Park (178 miles), California's awesome Redwood Empire (220 miles). and beauteous Yosemite National Park (250 miles).
Situated practically in Reno's backyard is world-famed Lake Tahoe- one of the world's most beautiful bodies of water-less than an hour's drive from downtown Reno. A unique desert lake, Pyramid Lake, which dates back to prehistoric times, is only a half-hour from the Reno area.
Add to these attractions the lore of the West found in nearby Virginia City and Carson City (the state capital) and the big name entertainment at still another attraction-the casinos-and you have one of the most varied and enjoyable destinations found anywhere.
So start making your plans now to attend what promises to be one of the largest, and most enjoyable. MCAA Annual Conferences. There'll be a lot of serious Association business but enough leisure time to relax and absorb countless memorable pleasures. So check you mail carefully. Full details about the MCAA Conference and Trade Show should reach all MCAA members shortly after Labor Day.
MASONRY/AUGUST, 1980 13