Kate Wik, the CMO of Las Vegas, on marketing an iconic city

Kate Wik markets something most CMOs can barely imagine: an entire city. And not just any city. It’s one that lives large in the popular imagination, a place of glamour and excess, where showmanship and reality blur: Las Vegas.

As she tells The Big Impression: “Las Vegas is my product … and that is a marketer’s dream come true.” As chief marketing officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), she’s responsible for steering the story of a destination that reinvents itself faster than most brands can update their style guides.

Under her watch, Las Vegas has evolved from a gaming mecca into a global hub for entertainment, sports, culture and big-ticket experiences. The city added three professional sports teams in just four years, welcomed Formula 1 as an annual fixture and continues to draw visitors who spend more, explore more and keep coming back.

Her newest brand platform rides that momentum, built on a simple truth she repeats often: If you aren’t out there shaping your narrative, someone else will. As Wik puts it, “Nothing is ever done, right? You put something out in the world, there’s always a chance to continue to iterate and learn and get feedback and continue to push it further.”

From exporting Las Vegas neon to Times Square to redefining hospitality around authentic service, Wik leads with bold creativity, always with an eye on what’s next. In her hands, the world’s most iconic adult playground becomes something more: a dynamic product that changes every day — bright, fast and always a step ahead.