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CHRISTOPHER BOND: LIVING THE DREAM AS VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AT THE ICONIC MIRAGE RESORT, CHRISTOPHER BOND OFFERS EXPERIENCES LIKE NO OTHER.
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as Vegas, United States – For Christopher Bond, serving as Vice President of Sales at what he considers the best hotel in the world is a dream come true. Born and raised in the Dallas-Forth Worth area of Arlington, Texas, Bond originally aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a doctor. His father had other plans after coming up with a “crazy idea” during a Las Vegas trip in 1989. For Bond, this gamechanging idea involved moving to Vegas and becoming a player in the city’s booming hospitality industry. While beginning his studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Bond fell in love with The Mirage—Vegas’ first megaresort which opened soon after his arrival. After earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Hotel Administration and starting off as a Sales Account Executive at Golden Nugget, Bond fulfilled his longtime dream of working at The Mirage. In 1994 he began serving as the megaresort’s Leisure Sales Manager and later became its Travel Industry Sales Manager in 1996. Bond also married his wife at The Mirage in 1997. In 2000, Bond left The Mirage to explore other opportunities in the Vegas hospitality industry. Before returning to The Mirage in 2015 as Vice President of Sales, he served for a little over two years in a similar role at New York-New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Both resorts are owned by MGM Resorts International, one of the world’s leading hospitality companies. Today, Bond also oversees The Mirage’s Convention Sales, Convention Services and Catering. With more than 23 years of experience in hospitality and proven expertise in event planning, Bond is proving instrumental to the success of The Mirage’s
multimillion-dollar convention business. Having earned his Certified Meeting Planners (CMP) certification through the Convention Industry Council in 2012, Bond is capable of personally overseeing every aspect of planning and executing any event. Through his leadership, Bond’s sales team set new records for convention room night bookings in 2015—and 2016 looks to be even better. After 27 years, The Mirage is still proving itself a powerful contender in the highly competitive Vegas convention market. “The strength of The Mirage is that it is one of the most iconic resorts in the world with a rich history,” Bond said. Looking beyond its rich and storied history, The Mirage continues to surprise first-time and returning guests with an ever evolving mix of amazing resort experiences. From beautifully refreshed rooms and suites to exquisite new restaurant concepts, Cirque du Soleil®’s revitalized show The Beatles™ LOVE™, a fiery new volcano and more, there’s always something worthy of discovery. Seeing is believing, and Bond loves showing potential convention clients everything The Mirage has to offer. “If we can get them on property, they’re done—they’re here,” he said. One of the biggest draws for convention guests is the resort’s fully furnished ballroom customizable for virtually any event within the 90,000-square foot Mirage Convention Center. According to Bond, “There’s nothing like it in town.” For Bond, bringing together the right people for the job is just one aspect of building a successful sales team. Wisely recognizing that a happy team is a more effective team, he actively encourages his associates to have a healthy work-life balance. Outside of the workplace, Bond has another important job—keeping his two young sons from missing baseball and soccer practice.
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