T h e G re at G i ve T H E F O R U M S H O P S ’ G R E AT G I V E B R I N G S H O M E T H E H O L I D AY S
By Bobbie Katz
While leaping lords, French hens and swimming swans may not be readily available, The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace will be offering its very own special 12 days of Christmas, including eight days of Hanukkah and other celebrations. From Dec. 1-12, a number of the venue’s world-renowned shops and restaurants will be partnering with a wide variety of local and national nonprofit organizations and causes in a 12-day shopping event in the third annual Great Give. A partridge in a pear tree aside, it is a concept that is bearing more fruit each year, where its goal of giving back to the Las Vegas community is concerned. Each participating retailer has a designated charity and, for this event, will either donate a portion of sales from specific items, donate a flat percentage of sales or raise funds directly to benefit their partner charity. The Great Give was initiated on Dec. 1, 2016, with 12 retailers and increased to 30 participants in 2017. The idea was to take what individual store and restaurant owners were doing for charity and combine their efforts. Charities have included American Red Cross, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Candlelighters, Nevada Ballet Theatre and a host of others. “So many of our wonderful retailers support charitable organizations and give back,” says Maureen Crampton, director of marketing and business development, who met with the merchants and suggested pulling their efforts together to make a larger statement. “It’s nice to be able to present a united program under the
umbrella of the Great Give. That way, we are able to collectively promote it and encourage visitors to shop or dine at their favorite shops and restaurants and support many worthy causes during this time. We’ve seen an increase in merchant participation due to this collective effort. And the funds raised stay in Las Vegas.” Recognized worldwide as offering the premier combination of luxury retail, excellent location, entertainment and thematic ambient surroundings with more than 160 specialty shops and restaurants, The Forum Shops, which opened in 1992 with 283,000 square feet and has added two phases since, remains among the top-performing retail centers nationwide. There are more than 50 shops that can be found exclusively at the retail center, including CH Carolina Herrera, Chanel Fragrance, Beauty and Sunglasses, Dior Beauty, Guiseppe Zanotti and Agent Provocateur. The trendsetting venue, set amid the changing sky and thematic Roman atmosphere, was the first to bring the world’s most celebrated designers to Las Vegas. Versace, Armani, Ferragamo, Fendi, Gucci, Valentino and many more all tell tales of how The Forum Shops was their first location in the city. Attracting global guests as well, there are more than 25 languages spoken by The Forum Shops retailers and within the concierge center. This holiday season, one thing is for certain: The language of giving will be the one that stands out above the rest.
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