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IN BUSINESS TOURISM GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS LEADERS GATHER TO STRATEGIZE By Richard N. Velotta senior staff writer Key players in Nevada's tourism industry — federal policymakers, state government leaders, convention and visitors bureaus, industry strategists and the airport — came together recently to map out how they could team to lead the state out of its economic doldrums. The leaders shared their plans in presentations to about 300 people attending the Governor's Conference on Tourism that ended Nov. 30 at the Rio. Among the plans: • A definitive effort to attract the 2022 Winter Olympic Games to Northern Nevada. The state will team with California in 2013 to convince the U.S. Olympic Committee that the Lake Tahoe area would be the best place to host the games. • The June 28 opening of a new 14-gate terminal at McCarran International Airport that will provide a new home for international flight arrivals and long-haul domestic flights. • A new call to set aside regional rivalries and political differences to unite behind a strategy to use tourism to help diversify the state's economy. • An effort to refurbish the Las Vegas Convention Center to bolster the city's grip on its place as the top convention and meetings destination in the country. Next year, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will resurrect a makeover plan that was shelved when COURTS DEBT COLLECTOR SAYS TITLE COMPANY COMMITTED BLACKMAIL By Steve Green senior staff writer A big player in the Las Vegas residential real estate market has filed a lawsuit claiming it's being blackmailed by a major title insurance company in a dispute over foreclosures. The suit was filed in Clark County District Court late last month by Nevada Association Services Inc., a big debt collector for homeowner associations, against First American Title Insurance Co. At issue is a dispute over payments for foreclosure services First American Title provides to NAS. NAS noted in its lawsuit that part of its business involves pursuing foreclosures against homeowners over unpaid HOA assessments. NAS is also known for making sure HOAs get paid for past- due assessments when abandoned foreclosed homes are sold to investors or other parties. 12 In pursuing such foreclosures, NAS has contracted with First American for the title company to provide "Trustee Sale Guarantee" insurance as well as information needed to complete foreclosures. That information includes the identity of the titleholder and the names and addresses of banks and anyone else formally seeking copies of notices of default and notices of sale. NAS claims that, for several years, First American was paid for its services when the outstanding debt was paid by the delinquent property owner, when the property was sold or when NAS terminated its collection efforts. In October, First American and its affiliates notified NAS they would require a different payment schedule for future foreclosures, the lawsuit says. "While they proposed a new written agreement as to future foreclosures, they also have attempted to blackmail plaintiff by stating they would not provide (information) on pending foreclosures unless and until NAS paid all charges previously incurred on all pending foreclosures," the suit says. "The number of pending foreclosures that NAS is handling with defendants is in the many hundreds, if not thousands." The blackmail allegation is akin to a claim that an auto repair shop is demanding payment for work in progress, and is refusing to turn the car over to the owner or complete the repairs until it's paid. NAS contends First American committed a breach of contract. The company is seeking punitive damages and an injunction requiring First American to immediately provide the data to prevent further "disruptions and complications in the foreclosure process." NAS says in the suit that if First American doesn't provide the information concerning pending foreclosures, it faces problems because other title companies it does business with don't want to get involved in the foreclosures First American is already involved with. "Plaintiff will suffer irreparable harm, including significant disruptions and complications in the foreclosure process" and there will be disruptions to the operations of many HOAs "who may be delayed or denied the funds they need to operate," the suit says. A request for comment was placed with First American, which is part of New York Stock Exchange-listed First American Financial Corp., of Santa Ana, Calif. | 12 DECEMBER 2011 | the recession hit. • A single brand strategy to attract tourists to a diverse state that includes wide-open rural landscapes as well as entertainment and casinos, due for delivery in late May. • Brand USA, the nation's first international marketing program, which will deliver its first ads to attract foreign tourists to the United States next year. "The sessions have been super," said Claudia Vecchio, new director of the state's Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. "It's great that we can have this much expertise together at one place." Experts from near and far offered presentations on their roles to energize the industry. Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki told attendees to put Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, at 7 p.m., on their calendars — the lighting of the Olympic torch for the start of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Northern Nevada. "I know you don't have a conflict for that date yet," he said, explaining that the Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition is gearing to prepare a bid to host the event. Krolicki explained that the U.S. Olympic Committee must first determine whether the United States wants to put in a bid to host the games after the disappointment of its Chicago insiders have said opening and closing ceremonies and the games' downhill events could occur in Nevada. What's most appealing to Nevada tourism leaders is that most hotel rooms for participants and spectators would be in Reno, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Randall Walker, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation, told conference attendees that McCarran International Airport's new Terminal 3 would start a phased opening June 28. All international carriers would begin NEVADA LT. GOVERNOR BRIAN KROLICKI bid not winning the 2016 summer games in 2009. The U.S. committee will decide next year if it wants to bid, and would open the process and choose an American host city in mid-2013. Northern Nevada's biggest competition is expected to come from Denver and Salt Lake City. Once an American city is identified, it would be scrutinized by the International Olympic Committee, which would make its selection in July 2015. Krolicki said he wanted to announce the coalition's efforts so that fund- raising efforts could begin. While plans are in early stages, operations there first, and domestic carriers Alaska, Frontier, JetBlue, Sun Country and Virgin America would move in by the end of July. By the end of August, United Airlines — which officially began operating under a single certificate with Continental Airlines this month — and Hawaiian Airlines would move in. In a presentation on building and protecting brands, Billy Vassiliadis, principal at R&R Partners, the LVCVA's advertising consultant, said it was time to end "25 years of nitpicky nonsense" and for the tourism and business communities to pull together to grow the economy. He applauded Gov. Brian Sandoval's call earlier in the conference for for tourism and economic development efforts to work together, but also wondered why it took so long.