Steve Wynn Describes His Creative Process, Pt 2

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An Old Fashioned, some red lipstick and a black dress…sigh, there’s just something undeniable about a good ol’ classic. The beloved Vegas showgirl may be an endangered species these days (insert tear), but “VEGAS! THE SHOW” preserved those feather-clad beauties and the likes of an era when everything was flashier and dripping with sophistication. What’s that you ask? Can a show filled with gorgeous and talented women a la Rat Pack era really exist in the here and now? Oh yes my friend, it sure can and all we have to say is raise that curtain and let the good times roll. With a little song, a lot of dance and that certain sultry allure that only old timey Vegas could pull off, this is a trip down memory lane and, well, it’s pretty legit. The costumes are fun, funky, sexy and so real. Ok, well maybe not the candy-themed costumes but hell, their Sammy Davis Jr. sure had us pining for an autograph. For a city that was built on pure, raw talent and obviously dolla dolla bills, this show celebrates iconic moments from the city's rich entertainment history through the decades that made the Vegas we know and love today. And we’ll tip our top hats to that.

RockSinCity

Published Jun 16, 2026

Steve speaks to an audience at the Milken Institute on creativity and his own creative process when building hotels. He provides a concrete example of how the creative process works for him personally, delving into the road of designing the Wynn Las Vegas.

He described the beginning stages of drawing up the designs for the hotels, working 6 days a week, 8 or 9 hours a day alongside a small team of people. After the success of the Bellagio resort, the team knew that Vegas didn’t necessarily need another building full of restaurants, soft gaming space, and slot machines. There wasn’t an immediate demand for it. What Las Vegas needed was something that epitomized the opposite of what the energetic strip represented - an escape from the chaos of everyday life.

Steve’s process for generating success begins with stripping everything back to a single idea. Then he builds the building, adds the attractions, and worries about aesthetics. In order to generate a worthwhile idea, he asked himself what people come to Las Vegas for. People come to Las Vegas to have a heightened and enriched emotional experience.

The Bellagio, according to Steve, was designed from the outside looking in. He created a hotel that had an appearance that was an attraction in itself, something that pulled people into the building. With the Wynn Las Vegas, he created a regal, understated bronzed building. It concealed serene waterfalls and spa areas and fine-dining, rather than explicitly advertised them to the world. He began to understand that not all guests want to come to Vegas to have a wild adventure. So he built an escape from everyday life.

Keep up to date with Steve on social media
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/steve-a-wynn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveawynn/?hl=en

Category: Steve Wynn

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Steve Wynn Describes His Creative Process, Pt 2 | Milken Institute

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