With the shift on from “attending” to “actively participating” in meetings and leaving informed, inspired and with stories to tell, Las Vegas can spark wonder, engagement and dialogue like few other places.
Take, for instance, the escalation from 25,430 guest rooms in 1970 to just shy of 150,000 today—with industry-leading 89.1 percent occupancy citywide last year. Or that in 1975 the dominant group hotel was the 2,108-room MGM Grand (now Bally’s), with 219,157 square feet of space. Today, it’s the Venetian and Palazzo resorts, with 7,000-plus suites and 2.3 million square feet of space combined.
Vegas stories always fascinate—including what’s next.
Pillars of Innovation
In 1955, the Nevada legislature proposed a convention center for Las Vegas. While criticized locally as the “white elephant in the desert,” the convention center broke ground in 1957, its billboard proclaiming, “There’s millions to be made.”
Debuting in April 1959 with the World Congress of Flight, the UFO-shaped Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) did not exactly soar at first. In that first year, the city hosted eight conventions attended by 22,519 delegates.
The billboard should have read “billions.” In 2016, the destination welcomed 6.3 million delegates to nearly 22,000 meetings and conventions, delivering $12.4 billion in economic impact.
There’s plenty of room—and market share—to grow.
In 1978, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) became the first major convention to headquarter in Las Vegas. This January, the four-day blockbuster turned 50 in style, setting new records in exhibit space, attendance, start-up companies and more.
April 2017 pre-audit numbers from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the show’s Arlington, Va.-based owner and producer, reveal that the 2017 edition of the world’s largest innovation showcase featured 4,015 exhibitors utilizing 2.6 million net square feet of exhibit space, including 600 start-up companies. Just north of 184,000 people, total attendance included some 60,000 international delegates representing 158 countries, regions and territories.
Could CES top 200,000 delegates? Speaking at a pre-2017 CES press conference, CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro thinks so, a dazzling prospect as fellow mega-shows like CONEXPO-CON/AGG also grow in square footage and attendance every year.
Affirming that Las Vegas is “always listening to our customers,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) CEO Rossi Ralenkotter joined Shapiro earlier this year in opening the new site for the $1.4 billion expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Together, they cut the ribbon on the 26-acre Diamond Lot, which includes 20 acres of outdoor exhibit space and 3,100 parking spaces.
Allowing CES and other top shows to expand is just one of the projected returns on the investment; others include significant job creation and major incremental economic impact.
Creating the Las Vegas Convention Center District (LVCCD) when completed, the four-phase project encompasses an estimated seven-year timeline. With the 26-acre former Riviera site now cleared, the stage is set for a new 600,000-square-foot exhibit hall facility, part of an overall 1.4 million-square-foot expansion that will include meeting rooms, prefunction space, service areas, parking and permanent outdoor space.
More meeting space will be added during Phase 3, which is focused on renovating the existing 3.2 million-square-foot convention center. The final phase, covering “future improvements,” will be based on completion of Phases 2 and 3.
Cutting-edge technology is part of the upgrade package, including last December’s property-wide installation of one of the nation’s largest Neutral-Host Distributed Antenna Systems. Equivalent to 14 cell towers, the system, adaptable to next-generation 5G cellular technology, can serve 100,000-plus delegates simultaneously, with faster download speeds than most corporate networks.
Resort Tactics
Eventually, the LVCCD will create more of a connective hub for the north Strip area, presently pocketed with swaths of open land and dispersed properties.
With Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino; SLS Las Vegas (where the new Foundry offers 20,000 square feet of highly customizable space); Las Vegas Festival Grounds; the new Lucky Dragon Hotel and Casino; and Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower forming one broad group zone to the north, the LVCCD’s Strip-facing extension will bring it closer to a beguiling set of assets.
While the rusting $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Las Vegas tower still wants for a buyer, Circus Circus Las Vegas across the street remains a steady budget performer for MGM ahead of its 50th anniversary next year.
The neighboring $4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas project appears to be moving ahead, albeit still slowly, while next door the proposed $2 billion redevelopment of the 35-acre former Frontier site as Alon Las Vegas has reportedly been abandoned.
PageBreak
Meanwhile, there’s no such worries for Steve Wynn (see “Milestone Moments,” page 20) as he appears set to transform the Wynn-Encore golf course into Paradise Park, his $1.5 billion “beach in the desert” concept.
Delving into the heart of the Strip, 2,885-room Treasure Island Hotel & Casino, or TI, just completed a $6.5 million convention space expansion. Connecting to 18,000 square feet of existing space via escalators, the 12,000-square-foot addition comes with a view of the tropical outdoor pool and includes the new divisible 8,000-square-foot Antilles Ballroom.
Following the $75 million relaunch in January 2016 of the original Roman Tower as the 587-room Julius Tower, Caesars Palace is proceeding with a makeover of the 948-room Augustus Tower. The project is part of Caesars Entertainment’s full refresh of some 4,800 rooms and suites at four Las Vegas resorts. With 672 Valley Tower rooms at Harrah’s Las Vegas completed last fall, 2017 sees the anticipated wrap of work on some 1,294 Planet Hollywood rooms and approximately 1,320 Paris Las Vegas rooms.
Celebrating its 70th anniversary last year, Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino is fully renovating its 70,000-square-foot third-floor conference space. Slated for completion in mid-July 2017, the $6.5 million refresh includes new carpeting, wall coverings, furniture, lighting and sound.
“Big plans” are also reportedly in the works for Flamingo’s 75th anniversary in 2021.
MGM Resorts International continues to develop its dynamic outdoor dining and entertainment district, The Park. Following last year’s openings of the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena (April) and highly versatile 5,000-seat Park Theater (December), the final phase is the $450 million makeover of the 2,700-room Monte Carlo into the upscale Park MGM, incorporating the 292-room NoMad lifestyle hotel.
Targeting completion by late 2018, the project will include the first outpost of Eately, the food emporium concept originated in New York City by celebrity chef Mario Batali, who celebrated 10 years in Vegas this April. Plus, in the works is a visionary new concept in meeting room design and functionality—stay tuned.
MGM is also investing $160 million in transforming ARIA Resort & Casino’s former Zarkana Theatre into 200,000 square feet of new convention space on four levels, including a 2,000-person capacity top-floor ballroom with a multiuse outdoor deck overlooking The Park. Slated for completion by February 2018, the expansion will boost ARIA’s total space to 500,000-plus square feet.
Winning Streak
Could Las Vegas become the 14th metropolitan market with teams from all four major professional sports leagues?
Announced in June 2016, Las Vegas was awarded the NHL’s latest expansion team. This October, the Vegas Golden Knights launch their inaugural campaign at the T-Mobile Arena.
In March, by nearly unanimous approval from NFL owners, the Oakland Raiders will relocate to Las Vegas. With the site for the new 65,000-seat stadium supporting the deal yet to be selected, it will be at least two years before the Raiders play in Vegas. But they are coming. Could baseball be next?
One month earlier, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred called Las Vegas “viable” for the possible relocation of the Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays, both struggling to finance new stadiums. And, MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren has indicated his interest in bringing an NBA team to T-Mobile Arena.
As these developments beef up the spectator and event product set, new options for activity-minded groups include Topgolf Las Vegas at the MGM Grand. Featuring more than 100 climate-controlled hitting bays, this sports-meets-entertainment concept is the complete package for golfing and corporate groups, including private meeting rooms, VIP cabanas, five bars and live entertainment.
Fast-growing eSports, or competitive online video gaming, has come to Vegas at the newly opened 15,000-square-foot Esports Studio and Arena at Downtown’s Neonopolis. In April 2017, plans were announced for the new Esports Arena Las Vegas at Luxor Hotel and Casino, slated to open in early 2018.
Just south of the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign, SpeedVegas is a 100-acre motorsports complex where groups can drive supercars around a 1.5-mile banked course and rent 20,000 square feet of meeting space. Founded in Europe in 2005, Exotics Racing has come to Vegas with its preeminent fleet of supercars for high-octane ride-alongs, VIP experiences and other programs on its 1.2-mile track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Or, for old-school, laid-back fun, groups convening at perennial off-Strip association favorite South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa have a 64-lane bowling alley, 16-screen multiplex cinema and 600-seat bingo parlor, plus equine events at the 4,000-seat Equestrian Center.
In Vegas, there is truly something for everyone.
