Cities across the nation and around the globe are targeting Las Vegas and its status as the world’s top destination for trade shows and conventions.
Several trade show industry representatives, including mangers of some of the largest events held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, on October 22 told the 11-member Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee that they constantly are approached by officials representing venues from around the world and wanting some of the events traditionally held in Las Vegas.
Officials for the Consumer Electronics Association, which sponsors the annual Consumer Electronics Show, the Specialty Marketing Association, sponsors of the annual SEMA Show for aftermarket automotive suppliers, the National Association of Broadcasters, and others, shared similar tales of wooing from new convention centers in the United States and abroad.
Losing even one event could cost a great deal of money, with a 50,000-delegate event usually generating about $51 million in local economic impact, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter told the panel.
Ralenkotter has said a proliferation of new convention centers in the United States, significant renovations at others, and increased international competition for some of the largest trade shows, expositions, and conventions held at the Las Vegas Convention Center has made the city and international target for those seeking to poach events.
To help stave off its competitors, the LVCVA already is undertaking a 10-year, $2.5 billion expansion and improvement of the Las Vegas Convention Center, which included the recent purchase and closing of the Riviera Hotel & Casino, which is slated for demolition and the site converted into an outdoor event center.
The ad hoc committee, which was appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval, held its third of five planned fact-finding hearings to learn about how best to bolster the economy in southern Nevada and ensure continued success.
