Las Vegas: Sin city to shun city

Las Vegas's status as a convention hot spot is suffering as companies shun Sin City to avoid the appearance of holding decadent corporate junkets in the middle of a crippling recession.

In the past month, more than 30,000 hotel room nights booked for conventions and business meetings were canceled, costing the city an estimated $20 million in revenue, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said.

That hurts for a town that saw a 4.4-percent drop in visitor numbers in 2008 compared to 2007 and a decline of 5.8 percent in the number of conventions held here over the same period.