Petra Niederle helps people have fun. As the special events and promotions supervisor for Bally’s, Rio and Paris Las Vegas, Niederle’s job is to provide people with a truly unique experience throughout their stay in Las Vegas.

Her team is responsible for “maintaining and managing current client base, the people that come here and play,” she said. That entails creating special events and promotions that will entertain guests, including giveaways and tournaments. She said poker tournaments are some of the most exciting events to organize and participate in—just one of the many positive aspects of working in her field.

Niederle moved to Nevada to attend the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2000. The Seattle-raised marketing major worked at the Bellagio upon graduating, then decided to move to the non-profit sector. The allure of gaming proved too great to resist, and Niederle went to work for the three Harrah’s properties.

“I missed the casino world,” Niederle said. “I think it has a lot to offer. There’s so much excitement. It’s glamour, glitz, everything all in one. You’re always having a great time because you’re helping people have fun on their vacations.”

Though Niederle’s ambitions lay in the casino world, her heart is still in volunteerism. She is a court-appointed special advocate for children, representing their best needs in cases that could get lost in the system. It was through the CASA program that she was introduced to Camp to Belong.

Camp to Belong is a program that reunites siblings who are in the foster system for one week out of the year. Niederle helps to facilitate the reunification, which requires additional classes and training on her part.

Camp to Belong was also featured in Ocean’s 13—a main character donates money to the program through Oprah Winfrey’s television show. Niederle and her coworkers were excited to see the program receive such a high-profile mention.

Niederle’s balance of civic life and work would be unmanageable for most people, but she enjoys being challenged in all aspects of life, especially her job.

“It’s always something new,” she said. “There’s never a dull or boring moment.”

Nieiderle said the most difficult aspect of her work is coordinating coworker and departments to achieve success on a project, though she enjoys the people and the tasks at hand.

“It’s hard trying to get every department to align with your thoughts and mentality to come together to create an event,” she said.

But the end result is worth it. At the end of the day, Niederle helps guests have the time of their lives in fabulous Las Vegas, enabling them to realize that “it’s a wonderful city that has a lot to offer.” As an employee with just as much to offer, Niederle understands this better than anyone.

By Caitlin McGarry