Don't know if there are any events happening but I would say just have fun and go to as many places as you can. When I got started, before I knew of CCGTCC and eBay, I just went to everywhere I could and picked up chips or tokens from anywhere I could. I would put a 10 or 20 into a slot machine and play, making sure I took at least 1 - $1 token when I left. Maybe put 40 down on a $5 blackjack table and play for a while and hopefully be able to take a chip or two out of winnings. My first chips were $1 Orleans chips from a $50 win at Roulette.

Of course you could just go to the cage and buy your chips but that doesn't seem quite as much fun to me.

Over about 7 or 8 trips to LV so far I have even branched out to much more than just the chips. Vegas is a collectors mecca. Recently I have been known to head for the bar, buy a special drink in a collector glass. I have a Gold Mummy from Luxor, Hurricanes from Hard Rock RIO, Orleans, Bally's, Fat Tuesday's at MGM and a giant Margarita glass from Barbary Coast (came in handy when I hit Austin Powers for 1000 nickles and couldn't find a slot cup). OH, can't forget the ceramic Balloon from Paris. Drink in hand, in a glass that I can keep, I pick up matches, cocktail napkins ... whatever I can come up with. I play a few games and pocket a few chips and tokens and look for the Silver Strike Machines. After putting a $20 in the machine, I hopefully get a token or two. If not I just move on. Add to all this the soap, shampoo, mouthwash, postcards and stationary from the hotel room.... Cards and dice, T-Shirts etc. from the gift shops. Keno crayons, handiwipes from the cashiers cages and matches. I sometimes need extra luggage to get home. You should have seen the screener at the airport when he found my bottles of crushed chips. http://members.aol.com/wmas1960/homepages/crushed_chips.htm , as he had to weed through all the Mardi Gras beeds, Slot Cups, Decks of Cards, Dice, Keychains, chips and tokens.......