It bums me out that this year will be the first year that I miss Photoshop World. My schedule does not allow me to make it down south to Las Vegas this year, but I wanted to share a few tips for those of you who are going for your first time to Photoshop World or to Las Vegas itself. I personally make the trip to Vegas over a half dozen times a year for work, so I know a few secrets about where to go and how to get around America’s Playground.

Since the conference is held at Mandalay Bay, I will use that as reference for any directions around town I give you.

The Basics: Food and Drink

If you are new to Vegas, or the last time you went to Vegas Sinatra was still playing the Sands, get ready for some serious sticker shock. You used to be able to get a great meal for almost nothing in any casino on the strip. While the economy has brought Vegas back to reality, it is still pretty pricy for a meal. If you eat in a major property on the strip, you are going to pay more than you would if you get off of the strip. The good news is you only need to go a few block off the strip in any directions to find a good meal for a fair price.

If you head south about a mile or so, past the Welcome to Vegas Sign and the Airport, on Vegas Boulevard you will find your normal chain food restaurants, like IHOP and Chilies. There is also a Whole Foods just a few blocks south of the Mandalay Bay, which is great for those turned off at every meal in Vegas that includes meat.

For more chain restaurants off of the strip, head a few blocks east to Paradise Rd and you will find PF Changs and Gordon Birsch Brewery, just to name a few.

If you do not have a rental car, it may be a bit difficult to get to these places, but you can cab it. The restaurants on Paradise Road are right across from Terribles Casino and cabs run in and out of there, so it will be easy to get back to your hotel. Terribles, while sounding a bit ironic, is also a good alternative place to stay if you are looking to save a buck on your hotel room bill.

Money is no object and you are looking for a great meal? Then you are in luck, because the Casino’s on the strip offer just about everything for every great chef in the world. It is pretty insane the quality of food and the price you can pay, but if you are curious, here are some great places to eat.

For great Mexican food, at a pretty affordable price, I can’t recommend Dos Caminos enough. Located in The Palazzo on the North end of the strip, near the Wynn and Treasure Island. The food is amazing, the guacamole is to die for, and the design of the place is just too cool.

Red meat lovers will have no problem finding a good steak on the strip. In my journey I have found The Capital Grille in the Fashion Show mall to have the best place to get a steak or any other cut of read meat. I also like the Maggiano’s Little Italy one floor down from the grill. There is also a mighty food court in the mall as well.

Closer to the Mandalay Bay is the Red White and Blue café in the casino and close to conference. The food is good for breakfast and lunch. I also like the Burger Bar located in the shop area of the Mandalay Bay for lunch.

Don’t mind a short walk? Then run across the street from Mandalay Bay and you can find Panda Express and McDonalds.

On the issue of water. Vegas tap water is the worst. I am sure there is water coming out of the taps in “third world” nations that tastes better than the city water. I am not a bottled water guy, but in Vegas I highly recommend going for bottle water. The dark secret of Vegas is if you buy water with a casino label on it, you are drinking the cities water. If you buy water, buy a known label. The cost of water is very expensive in the casino. If you have a rental car or access to someone with a car, drive off of the strip, get a case of water and any other beverages that you need and store them in your room. Your wallet will thank you.

Staying in Vegas

While the conference is happening over the weekend, you may be able to still find a good deal on a room in Vegas. Both the Luxor and Excalibur have a tram that runs to the Mandalay Bay and their rooms are usually cheaper than Mandalay Bay. I do like the rooms at Mandalay Bay over most other casinos, but money is tight these days and you may just like the smaller room for a smaller price.

Hotels like the Tropicana and the Orleans are not as nice as other Vegas casinos, but deals can be had at both. The Tropicana is close to the Mandalay Bay and you can hope on the tram from the Excalibur to get to conference quickly. The Orleans is a cab ride distance away, factor in spending money on cab fare into savings plan, you may find a room closer to the conference may be more, but cab fare may make the total price more than staying at closer properties and not having to cab it.

Getting the Most Out of PSW

If this is your first time going to Photoshop World, you might find the schedule and amount of classes going on to be a bit confusing. I find the conference confusing at times and can get lost in all of the classes offered, and I have gone over 7 times.

Last year I used Dave Cross’ Photoshop Planner to help me layout what classes I wanted to attend on one piece of paper, instead of looking at a tri-fold or the large phone book that contains the notes for the workshop. The planner allows you to select the classes you want to go to as well as a second-class option if your first class is full or not what you were expecting. Having the planner made my experience so much easier and I highly recommend it for anyone attending.

There are several tracks for you to follow at Photoshop World, but I also encourage you to break out of those tracks and learn a little about other areas you may not currently use or work in. I also try to watch sessions with certain instructors, regardless of what they are teaching. I recommend checking out Ben Willmore, Scott Kelby, Chris Orwig and Russell Brown. Their sessions are always great regardless of subject matter. I also recommend checking out at least one session on the video track, it is not secret that this is a growing skill set needed in the design community.

You will be walking quite a bit, so a good pair of shoes is a must, plus get yourself a good bike messenger bag or backpack to put your conference workbook and all the swag a freebies you will pick up on the trade show floor. I also recommend bringing a light jacket, sweater or hoodie, since the rooms can get cold for many. Don’t forget that water you bought earlier.

Some things at Photoshop World you are just going to miss, you cannot be everywhere at once, but there are some things you don’t want to miss. First on the list is The Art of Digital Photography, Friday night at 7:15. Even if you are not a photographer, you will get a creative shot in the arm listening to these photographers talk about their craft. Right after that is Midnight Madness, which I went to for the first time last year. Yes it is late at night, yes you have to stand in line early in the morning to get a ticket, and yes you will have a great time.

Like all workshops or conferences, the biggest and best part of Photoshop World will be the people you meet, either again or for the first times. The instructors at Photoshop are experts, but your fellow attendees may have answers to the same headaches and problems that you have had. I always take away loads of great information from the instructors at Photoshop World, but I also have one or two gems from the attendees as well.

I highly recommend getting a Twitter account and following people like AJ Wood, Syl Arena, Richard Harrington, Brad Moore, Drew Gurian, Joe McNally, RC Concepcion, David duChemin and anything with PSW in the text area.

So while I will not be able to meet anyone reading this in Las Vegas, I hope this guide helps and you have a great time, meet great people and learn more than you thought you could. Have a great PSW!