Spartan Profiles: Bill Weidner
THE VENETIAN
One of the most stunning newcomers in Las Vegas is The Venetian, a $1.4 billion mega-resort casino that takes the definition of 'upscale' to new heights. When completed, it will boast more than 6,000 suites—that’s more rooms than the island of Bermuda—at an average of 700 sq. ft., the hotel transports the beauty and romance of Venice to the heart of the strip, complete with data ports in every room. Such landmarks as St. Mark’s Square, Campanile tower, Ca’d’Oro, Doge’s Palace and the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge have been authentically replicated in detail. Attached is 1.7 million sq. ft. of meeting and convention space—largest in the world under one roof—19 gourmet restaurants, five pools, a shopping mall with 70 retail outlets, a Canyon Ranch SpaClub, and entertainment galore. Lastly, let’s not overlook the 2,500 video and slot machines and 122 game tables in a setting reminiscent of a massive Venetian Palace.
The man who led the planning, development, financing and construction, and now runs this incredible complex is William P. Weidner, ’67, MBA ’68, president and COO of Las Vegas Sands, Inc. 'This is a very special place,' understates Weidner. 'It’s unbelievably large, but when we finish with Phase II, we’ll have 13 million square feet under one roof. We’ll have a total of 10,000 employees working here.' Among the employees are the gondoliers who take you via the Grand Canal to the shopping mall and some of the gourmet restaurants.
After teaching for a couple of years, Bill worked for Marriott for eight years, before moving onto Caesars in Atlantic City, NJ, in 1976. 'It’s amazing how you get breaks in this business,' recalls Bill. 'I was the manager of the Essex House in New York when we had to black out. I was forced to be the bartender that night. The CEO of Caesars showed up and he figured I wasn’t the bartender. He recruited me.'
Bill became general manager of Caesars, and later joined the Sands Hotel as director of operations. He rose to become chairman of the Casino Association of New Jersey before joining LVSI. Four years ago, he began planning for Phase I of the Venetian, earmarking conventioneers, upscale weekend vacationers and gaming enthusiasts.
'I would not be where I am without the credibility of my MSU credentials,' he says. 'MSU was bigger than my hometown (Northville), so it was a culture shock, especially with the backdrop of the Vietnam War. But it was a very interesting time at MSU, with our football teams beating everybody. I got to meet many of the football players through my lifelong friends, Steve and Jim Juday.'
Steve was an All-American quarterback and introduced Bill to the likes of fullback Bob Apisa, center Ed McCloud, and others from those great teams. Many attended his daughter’s recent wedding at The Venetian.
With occupancy in Las Vegas jumping from 89 to 92 percent in the past 18 months, despite 12,000 new rooms, Bill believes Las Vegas will continue to boom. In a year or so, he plans to begin Phase II. 'The market here is growing greater than the supply,' he notes. 'This is a really dynamic market place.'
