Ready to Rock: Las Vegas Sees Strong Event Bookings, Unveils New Venues

April 12, 2021
Ready to Rock: Las Vegas Sees Strong Event Bookings, Unveils New Venues

Las Vegas is back with a vengeance. That was the message at the conventions and hospitality industry panel held March 8 at the brand new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, marking Global Meetings Industry Day. 

After a devastating year, there’s pent-up demand for a return to live face-to-face meetings events, and Las Vegas is already seeing record gains in bookings through the end of the year and into 2022, according to industry executives who attended the event. 

“We’re making great strides and I think things will continue to move quickly,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “Everyone in this industry should feel really excited about the future, and it might be coming faster than you might be expecting.” 

Over the past year, industry leaders along the Las Vegas Strip worked closely together to navigate the crisis and share best health and safety practices that defined the guidelines for individual properties as well as the destination as a whole. 

Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and senior vice president of sales of MGM Resorts International, said: “We’ve all gone through this together and we’ll come out of this stronger.” 

At MGM properties, the Convene with Confidence program enables virus testing in hotel rooms and connects the results and vaccination records to biometric identity app company Clear. The Venetian and Las Vegas Sands Corp. rolled out Venetian Clean, a health and safety program that emphasizes thorough cleaning of facilities, while the city-wide Meet Smart, Vegas Smart initiative highlights the health protocols that have been implemented by properties to ensure attendees’ safety.

The panel expressed excitement about the new venues that have been completed over the past year and will now welcome attendees for the first time. “We’re ready to welcome back meetings and events in a very big way,” said Chandra Allison, senior vice president of sales and marketing at The Venetian Resort, which just opened its Stella Studio, an 8,000-sq,-ft. multifunctional space. 

Also on tap is the new Wynn Expansion, which features an 83,000-sq.-ft. pillarless ballroom and a 20,000-sq.-ft. outdoor pavilion. Meanwhile, the 550,000-sq.-ft. Caesars Forum offers the two largest pillarless ballrooms in the world at 110,000 square feet each and will welcome MPI’s World Education Congress in June. 

The new 315,000-sq.-ft. Expo at World Market Center was officially unveiled on April 9, 2021, just in time for Las Vegas Market, a furniture, gift and home goods trade show set for April 11-15. 

The LVCC’s new 1.4-million-sq.-ft. West Hall is getting ready to welcome World of Concrete, the first big show in Las Vegas set for June 8-10. It is expected that attendees will be able to ride on Elon Musk’s The Boring Company underground people-mover system featuring Model X and Model 3 Teslas, and lots of rainbow neon.
 

Don’t miss any event-related news: Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter HERE and engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram!

Add new comment

Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact