As the desert heat begins to really soar, try these ideas for entertaining groups in the summertime.
1. Just opened Memorial Day weekend, Atomic #7 bills itself as the first and only ice cream parlor in Southern Nevada to offer made-to-order ice creams, milk shakes, and smoothies that are fully customizable. Treats can be created to be organic, vegan, or gluten free, accommodating a variety of taste preferences and food allergies. Guests create their own flavor combinations, choosing everything from the milk (cream, soy milk, almond milk, and others), sweetener (organic sugar or agave syrup), flavoring (from bananas Foster and peanut butter to Ghirardelli chocolate), and extras including blueberries, crystallized ginger, and peanut butter cups. A single-serving of ice cream starts at $3.63; toppings and other add-ons are extra. Atomic #7 has a cart available for events and meetings to bring the whole concept on site.
2. Head to GoLandSailing.com, to book a tour or teambuilding experience for the adventurous. The company picks up groups from the Las Vegas Strip and takes them in a van out to Nevada's windy Ivanpah Lake, about 30 minutes away, for landsailing experiences. The sport involves a three-wheeled vehicle with a 15-foot sail that goes as fast as 55 miles per hour, making for a memorable incentive outing or teambuilding regatta. Depending on weather conditions, the guide coordinates the pick-up time (generally midday) at Strip hotels, and the return is approximately four hours later. Private trips cost $250 per person (plus gratuity), and allow for flexibility for timing and length of the trip. A nonrefundable 50 percent deposit is required upon booking. For groups larger than 10, the company advises calling well in advance.
3. Mandalay Bay invites guests to cozy up with blankets and flip-flops for its Concerts on the Beach series. Attendees can wade into the (man-made) surf, or groups can book a bungalow or villa for a classic Vegas summertime music experience. The season kicked off in mid-April and continues through the summer. Upcoming acts include the Backstreet Boys, the Wailers, the Gipsy Kings, Ziggy Marley, Adam Lambert with Orianthi, Blondie and the B-52s, and Michael Franti and Spearhead. Concerts on the Beach are open to the public. Tickets are available through the Mandalay Bay box office, and packages are available for groups of 15 or more.
