Las Vegas firm behind 'What happens here, stays here' merges with Kansas City-based MMGY Global

What happened

R&R Partners, the Las Vegas-based agency known for the "What happens here, stays here" tourism campaign, has merged with MMGY Global, a larger firm based in Kansas City. The Nevada Independent reported that the deal closed Sept. 30. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Both agencies will operate under MMGY Global as the parent company. According to The Nevada Independent, each will keep its own corporate presence, offices and staff. R&R has been in business for more than 50 years. It has offices in Las Vegas, Reno, Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C., and Mexico City, and it keeps an office in Carson City during legislative sessions.

Why the firm matters locally

R&R's clients include the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Brand USA, Allegiant Airlines and Discover Puerto Rico. The firm also has a lobbying arm with deep ties to the Nevada Legislature, and it lobbies for the Nevada Resort Association, The Nevada Independent reported.

Role in bringing pro sports to Las Vegas

The outlet reported that R&R ran a lobbying and public education campaign to build Allegiant Stadium. Through its work with the LVCVA, the firm also worked behind the scenes to bring the then-Oakland A's and Formula One to Las Vegas. The Athletics and the Las Vegas Grand Prix are now R&R clients for public relations and community affairs.

Recent legislative and pro bono work

In the 2025 session, R&R was among many lobbyists pushing to bring and expand the film industry in Southern Nevada. That effort failed by one vote in the state Senate, according to The Nevada Independent. The firm has also done pro bono work for Catholic Charities' Meals on Wheels program, Vegas PBS and school bond issues. In 2023, its lobbyists helped with legislation to build Campus for Hope, a homeless resource center in Las Vegas.

What leaders say will change

R&R CEO Michon Martin told The Nevada Independent the merger will help diversify both companies. She said tourism is vital to Nevada because room taxes help pay for schools and infrastructure. She also said the deal will help the firm represent Nevada globally at a time when the state's tourism industry has been harder hit over roughly the past year.

MMGY CEO Katie Briscoe told the outlet there was "really no grand agenda" when she first met Martin. Briscoe said she became interested in R&R's public affairs work and how it drove influence for clients.

Lobbying at the Legislature

The Nevada Independent reported that the merger will not change how R&R operates at the Legislature. Pete Ernaut, a partner and the firm's chief government affairs officer, said the deal will scale R&R's approach without changing its Nevada roots. "The faces that you know won't change," Ernaut told the outlet. He added that the firm may work on issues in other states, though likely not at the same level as in Nevada.

Leadership history

Martin took over operations a year ago when Billy Vassiliadis, who bought the firm in 1994 from founder Sig Rogich, stepped back from day-to-day management. Martin is an attorney and former prosecutor who served as chief legal counsel to then-Gov. Brian Sandoval. Vassiliadis remains chairman.

International travel backdrop

The Nevada Independent reported that international visitor travel to Las Vegas has fallen 5 percent since last year. Figures from Harry Reid International Airport show the international market down more than 7 percent through August. Vassiliadis said MMGY's offices abroad, including in Paris, will give clients on-the-ground information in other markets.

He said the expanded network gives the firm "a leg up in being able to defend and protect travel," or to promote and grow it. He named clients including the LVCVA, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Raiders and the Athletics as increasingly global.

What to watch next

• Whether R&R's lobbying work in Carson City continues unchanged when the Legislature next meets, as firm leaders say it will.
• Progress on Campus for Hope, the Las Vegas homeless resource center The Nevada Independent reported is on track to open in 2028.
• International visitor numbers at Harry Reid International Airport, which were down more than 7 percent through August.