Product diversification has been the name of the game in Vegas for the past decade or so, an era that has seen the rise of pool parties, mega-nightclubs, the country’s leading electronic dance music scene, five-star dining, high-end retail and other enhancements.
The group market is no exception, as the recent emergence of special event programming, including mega-music festivals and amped up sports opportunities, is adding new muscle to the city’s powerhouse body of convention and tradeshow business.
Pump Up the Volume
In 2013, Rehan Choudhry, an experiential marketing professional previously with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment, launched the three-day Life is Beautiful Festival. Offering programming built around the four pillars of music, food, art and learning, the inaugural event, taking over 15 blocks of downtown Las Vegas, attracted some 60,000 attendees. Last year, headliners that included The Foo Fighters and Lionel Richie, along with guest speakers such as superstar chef Jose Andres (see “Delectably Diverse” section, page 16), drew roughly 90,000 revelers.
Now run by Las Vegas-based WENDOH Media, the festival will return this September.
“Las Vegas is becoming a top destination for music festivals, and Life is Beautiful is the city’s first home-grown, large-scale festival,” says Paul Doherty, WENDOH Media co-founder.
While Doherty and business partner Justin Weniger are “committed to making Life is Beautiful one of the top music festivals in the nation,” Rock in Rio, the world’s largest music festival, made its American debut in Las Vegas last month.
Vegas is no stranger to large-scale gatherings—this April, the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, honoring Jerry Lewis, topped 98,000 attendees, and the city’s annual New Year’s Eve party draws some 300,000 people from around the globe—but mega-music festivals are a relatively new phenomenon in town.
“Four years ago there was no music festival in Las Vegas,” says Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, the independent organization that works closely with the LVCVA to secure, manage and execute events for Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. “In 2015, we will host more than a dozen, all on the Las Vegas Strip, selling close to 1 million tickets combined.”
Among the festivals is the multicity Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), one of the world’s largest electronic dance music festivals. According to Christenson, the event, which first came to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2011 and returns again this June, attracts 400,000 attendees that “pack the nightclubs and pools 24/7.”
Christenson points to Life Is Beautiful, Rock in Rio and EDC as “three great examples of how the combination of Las Vegas and any event are powerful.”
Game Changer
Other than the 11 “home” games played by the NBA’s Utah Jazz at the then brand-new Thomas & Mack Center in 1983, Las Vegas has never had a major-league sports franchise.
That could change, though, with the anticipated spring 2016 opening of the new 20,000-seat Las Vegas Arena. Hopes are high that the multipurpose venue, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and AEG, can attract an NHL expansion franchise.
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Potential owner William Foley is leading a season-ticket drive targeting at least 10,000 full-season deposits to demonstrate fan interest in a team for next year. In March, ESPN.com reported that the drive had exceeded the 10,000 mark. While meeting in Las Vegas this month, the NHL’s board of governors is not expected to make a decision until later this year.
Hockey has a surprising history in Las Vegas, including the Las Vegas Gamblers (1968-1971) and the famous outdoor game in 1991 between the N.Y. Rangers and L.A. Kings. Played on ice laid down in the parking lot of Caesar’s Palace, the game was notable for 85-degree temperatures and grasshoppers frozen in the ice. The Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL (2003-2014) was the most recent in a succession of minor-league teams.
“We already identify ourselves with world-class sports, hosting such events as NASCAR, National Finals Rodeo, Rugby Sevens, the PGA Tour, championship boxing, UFC fights, multiple NCAA men’s basketball conference championship tournaments and the Las Vegas Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon, to name a few,” says Julian Dugas, director of sports marketing for the LVCVA. “The new arena will help us attract new sporting and entertainment events, adding to the diverse collection we host year after year.”
Bringing any professional sports team or event to Las Vegas has a significant impact on sports tourism, according to Dugas.
Event Horizon
Looking ahead, Dale Eeles, Las Vegas Events’ vice president for event development, sees the destination’s growing identity as a “special events city” reflected in the new venues being built on the Las Vegas Strip that can host major citywide events.
“These include the Las Vegas Arena, MGM Resorts Festival Grounds, MGM Resorts Village and, of course, the renovated Thomas & Mack Center,” Eeles says. “The strategic plan is to make use of all venues, while allowing all hotel properties equal opportunity to purchase tickets and VIP packages, and providing a transportation plan for attendees.”
Given a reason, says Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the LVCVA, visitors choose to come to Las Vegas.
“Whether it’s a bucket list event like ringing in the New Year, or a more individually tailored experience like Vegas Uncork’d or NASCAR, special events help bring more people here,” Tull says. “Our visitors want to experience the destination in their own way, and our level of variety allows them to accomplish that goal. It’s all about adult freedom and that concept is different for everyone.”
Vegas caters to a wealth of interests, according to Tull.
“Foodies want to experience the many fine dining establishments, adventure-seekers may want to zipline down Fremont Street or take a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon, and music fans have many choices when it comes to unique festivals,” she says. “That’s what sets Las Vegas apart—we have something for everyone.”
