NFTGA – Winter 2020 National Standard

NFTGA Newsletter

From the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, of which the LVTGG is a member:

Dear Association Members,

It is with great pleasure that I present to you the 17th issue (Winter 2020) of The National Standard, the quarterly newsletter of the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations.

While the newsletter is first and foremost a digital publication, it is designed to be easily printable from your home printer, and read as a hard copy if so desired.

Click here for a digital, printable copy.

As always, we look forward to contributions from those of you we have yet to hear from. Submission guidelines, including word limits and deadlines, will always be included in the masthead on Page 2 of the newsletter. The deadline for submissions to the Spring, 2020 issue is 5pm, Thursday, April 16, 2020.

Thank you for your attention. I heartily look forward to working with many of you in the time to come.

All the best,

Matthew Baker

Editor-in-Chief

The National Standard

NFTGA Newsletter

http://www.nftga.com

CPR and First Aid Training, Monday, February 24, 2020, 6pm-930pm

On Monday, February 24, 2020, from 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM, the Las Vegas Tourist Guides Guild (LVTGG) in partnership with Red Rock Search and Rescue (RRSAR) will again offer the American Heartsaver/AED and First Aid Training, including a Stop the Bleed segment, exclusively for LVTGG membership, work colleagues, family, friends, and other tourism professionals.

Training covered will include: adult, child and infant CPR; hands on use of an AED (defibrillator) device; wound care, bleeding control, splinting and other common medical emergencies.

All medical supplies will be provided by RRSAR, and each student will receive a first aid book and certification card.

This training is being offered at a low, special rate of $47 pp, payable at time of registration, and funds go directly to the 100% volunteer, not-for profit, RRSAR, to support the incredible and impressive work they do for our community, Southern Nevada, and Utah.

RRSAR Commander, Donald Moore, has organized this intensive CPR and basic life support training session, and it will be facilitated by Vice-Commander Smith, Retired Fire Department Battalion Chief. Chief Smith has added plans of action especially relevant for tour guides and colleagues. Commander Moore says,

“In this single, hands-on, 3.5 hour training class, your members will walk away with a 2-day class under their belts, not offered by most CPR training workshops.”

This class is designed for a minimum of 12 and maximum of 30 persons, so we urge you to register and pay ASAP! Share this valuable training opportunity with other guild members and your extended community. The education/training committee will offer Certification Continuing Education credits to all attendees that have earned Certified Professional Las Vegas Tour Guide status.

The link to Register and Pay is highlighted at the bottom of the post below.

Details:
Date: Monday Feb 24, 2020
Time: 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Fee: $47.00 ($45 donation to RRSAR + $2 LVTGG to cover bank fees)

Location: 340 Villa Monterey Drive Las Vegas, NV 89145
Located near Buffalo & Alta
MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/XnyR1u73M672
Web Site: www.redrocksar.org

Dress for comfort – jeans and a t-shirt are perfect.

For questions regarding this invite or payment contact Babs Daitch, LVTGG, Past President, at (702) 370.6961 (text is best method), or email at thanksbabs@gmail.com, using RRSAR CPR Training as the subject heading.

If you have questions regarding the training content, please contact RRSAR, Vice-Commander, Retired Fire Department Battalion Chief, Steve Smith at (708) 516-2063 or by email at steve@redrocksar.org.

Space is limited! Reserve your space, today!

TO REGISTER AND PAY, CLICK ON THIS LINK:
LVTGG and RRSAR CPR Certification and First Aid Training

After submitting your registration and payment, you will receive email confirmations of both.

If you register and pay, then it’s clear you intend on attending the training, but we understand that things can change. Therefore, refunds of the $45 (minus the $2 bank fee) will be possible until 8 days prior to the training – IF you have confirmed the cancellation directly with Babs Daitch by Feb 16. After that, any refunds are not guaranteed and there are no refunds possible within 48 hrs of the training.

If you are unable to commit right now but would like to express your interest in attending the training, please email Babs Daitch at thanksbabs@gmail.com.

PLEASE SHARE THIS PAGE AND INVITE ON LOCAL MESSAGE BOARDS, BLOGS, AND RELATED COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS YOU MAY WORK WITH.

Certified Las Vegas Tour Guide Training Program

The LVTGG Certified Professional Las Vegas Tour Guide Training Program (CPTG) is open for registration!

We are pleased to announce that the CPTG program can be started at any time as there are very limited date-specific meetings, which will be scheduled throughout the year based on demand. Participants will receive access to program documents and details on a self-contained section of the guild website.

The LVTGG promotes professionalism in the Las Vegas guide and tourism industry, and it is part of our mission that Las Vegas guides demonstrate accurate knowledge and fluency on local and regional topics. The CPTG program is designed to build and test the knowledge and skills a Professional Las Vegas Guide must have, and completing the training is a key component of attaining certification by the guild as a Certified Professional Las Vegas Tour Guide.

For more information about the LVTGG training and certification programs, visit our CPTG page.

The cost of the CPTG training is $75 and it is open only to LVTGG Members. Current Members can register for the program when renewing their membership via the Renewal Application or, if they have already paid their current-year dues, by a stand-alone CPTG registration form. New Members can join the guild and register for the CPTG training using the New Member Application. Registration and payment of Dues and CPTG fees can be completed online via the respective forms here.

For specific questions not answered on the CPTG page, please Contact Us.

SPECIAL OFFER: Through January 2020, New Members who join the guild and register for the CPTG Program at the same time will receive a discount of $15 off the standard New Member dues.

NFTGA – Fall 2019 National Standard

From the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations, of which the LVTGG is a member:

Dear Member Associations,

It is with great pleasure that I present to you the 16th issue (Autumn 2019) of The National Standard, the quarterly newsletter of the National Federation of Tourist Guide Associations.

Click here for a digital copy.

As always, the NFTGA looks forward to contributions from members of all our member associations. Submission guidelines, including word limits and deadlines, are included in the masthead on Page 2 of the newsletter. The deadline for submissions to the Winter, 2020 issue is 5pm, Thursday, January 16.

While the newsletter is first and foremost a digital publication, it is designed to be easily printable from your home printer, and read as a hard copy if so desired.

Thank you for your attention. I heartily look forward to working with many of you in the time to come.

All the best,

Matthew Baker

Editor-in-Chief

The National Standard

NFTGA Newsletter

MGM Resorts announces paid parking policy for locals

MGM Resorts has begun to provide information about their new paid parking policy and how locals will be affected. Many members have received the following message:

MGM Resorts Parking Policy for Locals
MGM Resorts International

MGM Resorts International is taking steps to implement a $90 million parking strategy to expand parking availability, implement technology upgrades and reduce the hassle and frustration resulting from outdated and inefficient facilities.

In order to fund these investments—and the ongoing maintenance and capital improvements of our parking facilities—we will be instituting fees for self- and valet parking. Fees will begin to roll out at our Las Vegas hotels on June 6, 2016. These rates remain significantly below those of other highly popular tourism destinations.

As a local Nevada resident, our self-parking will continue to be complimentary to you through December 29, 2016, with the presentation of a valid Nevada driver’s license.

To extend complimentary parking beyond that date, you may choose to participate in M life Rewards, the loyalty program of MGM Resorts. Once you achieve Pearl tier status, self-parking is complimentary. Gold, Platinum and NOIR M life Rewards members also receive complimentary valet parking.

All parking is subject to availability.

The environment in Las Vegas has changed dramatically in the decades since amenities like low-quality dining, lodging and free parking were offered to attract customers. Growth in tourism and our local population—including many more cars on our local roadways—requires more parking availability, more efficient, modern parking systems and more frequent maintenance and upgrades to our aging facilities—all of which come at significant cost.

We have come to this decision with a great deal of care, particularly knowing we would be breaking with Las Vegas tradition. We know this change in strategy may be difficult in the short term, but it supports our aspirations for continuing to invest in the Las Vegas community for many years to come.

Click here for a complete overview of our parking policy.

Sincerely,

Lili Tomovich
Chief Experience Officer

M life Experience
MGM Resorts International

©2016 MGM Resorts International®. All rights reserved.

MGM Resorts International
3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

The new MGM paid parking policy will directly impact the work experience of professional guides and event staff who routinely work on the Strip at MGM Resorts properties. Gone are the days of easy coming and going from a job at one of MGM Resorts’ properties.

While we expect that this will not be the norm, at least one local employer of guides and event staff has announced that they will not reimburse MGM Resorts parking fees. What are your thoughts on this? Should step-on guides and event staff be expected to spend enough at MGM Resorts properties to reach the necessary M Life status to be able to avoid these fees, or are you ok with absorbing them, cutting into your income? This is an issue that we will be addressing more in the coming months.

What are your thoughts? How will this affect you? What solutions would you like to see enacted for those in our industry who routinely work at MGM Resorts properties providing professional services to their and our guests/clients?

Find Your Park from Vegas!

2016 is the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service. To celebrate, and encourage visits to our national parks, the NPS has created a website called Find Your Park, www.findyourpark.com. In conjunction with this campaign, local Las Vegas entities put together a similar site, www.findyourpark.vegas, which focuses on parks within a five hour drive of Las Vegas. It’s a fun and easy-to-use resource for visitors and locals who are looking for awesome things to do around Vegas.

If you’re coming to Vegas and planning to get out of town and explore the natural beauty that can be found nearby, after you’ve found your park, we suggest you take advantage of the knowledge and experience of a Certified Professional Las Vegas Tour Guide to add depth and value to your visit and ensure your travel is smooth and easy! Find your LVTGG professional guide here.

Home page of www.findyourpark.vegas