Mark Birtha is vice president of development and operations for the Edge Group in Las Vegas. Prior to joining Edge, he was with the Venetian, where he managed casino marketing and served in management positions in corporate development and conference management. He opened the Bellagio in 1998 and started his career at the Mirage in food and beverage operations. He can be reached at 702-686-0279 or at markbirtha@msn.com.