The Venetian recently announced a $188 million renovation of its convention center. Courtesy Photo

Las Vegas crossed the finish line this past year with a host of new headline-worthy properties, experiences and attractions, from the recently opened Fontainebleau Las Vegas to the first Formula 1 Grand Prix down the Las Vegas Strip.

With more than 15 million sf of meeting and exhibit space, and a lot more coming, The City of Lights plays host every year to millions of attendees who see the value of in-person meetings and events for networking, team-building, training and overall connections.

“Formula 1 has given another opportunity for groups to come to Las Vegas,” said Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and senior vice president at MGM Resorts International. “Many companies worked with our properties last year to host their teams or their customers as a ‘WOW’ experience during F1. Whether it was buying tickets at the exclusive Bellagio Fountain Club or just being in town for all the exciting events and activations, groups were able to either meet or relax during the day then enjoy the excitement at night.”

Estimates put the numbers at 315,000 spectators and an economic impact to the city of $1.2 billion. Formula 1, which started last November and has a 10-year agreement to put on the Las Vegas Grand Prix, is just one of many recent investments in Las Vegas. Over the next several years, the city expects more than $15 billion in new investment. At the heart of that is an expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

The LVCC hosted 56 conventions in 2022 with a combined attendance of more than 840,000, accounting for $2.2 billion in direct and induced economic impact, according to data published by the LVCVA’s Research Center. As of an October 2023 report, the facility had hosted 35 tradeshows for the year, with an estimated attendance of 900,000.

“We are in the middle of a $600 million dollar renovation of the facility’s legacy campus. The renovation will extend the contemporary design, architecture and customer experience of the 1.4 million-sf West Hall, which debuted in 2021,” said Rebecca Deluca, vice president of destination sales for the LVCVA. “Work will continue through 2025, with construction designed to accommodate and minimize disruption to scheduled tradeshows.”

The current renovation includes the addition of an outdoor plaza and indoor lobby to the South Hall, as well as a grand lobby between the North and Central Halls. Other improvements include an interior concourse between the North and South Halls and a newly designed parking lot with a Vegas Loop station for the nearby Wynn resort.

The Vegas Loop, an underground transportation system from Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, has four stations at the convention center. Plans are approved to expand the Vegas Loop for 29 miles throughout the resort corridor including Downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport.

One of the properties that benefits from the Vegas Loop is Resorts World Las Vegas, located near the convention center. “The LVCVA and their customers have been great partners to us at Resorts World Las Vegas since opening. Being in close proximity to the convention center has also been a benefit to us, especially with the launch of the Boring Tunnel as it has created a unique and convenient opportunity for our guests,” said Jason Glascock, vice president of sales at Resorts World Las Vegas. “When larger conventions are taking place, the Boring Tunnel has allowed guests to attend private and after-hour events at our property in two to five minutes, with no traffic, whereas it could take 30 minutes to an hour to get to another property on the Strip.”

Resorts World Las Vegas has seen a large boom with corporate and incentive groups. Recently, it hosted Incentive Research Foundation’s Educational Invitational, which had record attendance.

“We are seeing a growing demand for unique and experiential events,” Glascock said. “We expect there will be an increase in incentive business due to dispersed workforces, building engagement and retaining talented employees this year and beyond.” According to Glascock, to keep up with the demand, Resorts World Las Vegas is focused on creating immersive experiences, with its high-tech LED capabilities, and by utilizing its assortment of restaurants and nightlife, as well. He added, “This year, we will have new venues opening up along with new meeting space, providing additional opportunities for corporate and/or incentive groups.”

The new Fontainebleau Las Vegas features 3,644 luxury hotel rooms and suites, and 550,000 sf of customizable meeting and convention space.

“Fontainebleau Las Vegas is an exciting opening for the destination adding to the resort options surrounding the Las Vegas Convention Center and the north end of the Strip. We also can’t talk about recent openings without mentioning Sphere,” Deluca said.

Sphere at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas is fast becoming an iconic group venue on the Strip. The largest sphere-shaped building in the world, it stands 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide at its widest point, and possesses the world’s largest concert-grade audio system. It was introduced last summer by Sphere Entertainment and Madison Square Garden Company.

With an auditorium that can seat 17,600 people with a standing room for 20,000 people, the venue offers private group experiences for up to 5,000, including a two-hour reception and interactive Sphere Experience. Groups can also choose a full buyout of the facility for 17,500 while smaller groups and incentives can enjoy the premium suites for concerts or the Sphere Experience.

“This venue has caused quite the stir in the destination and throughout the world,” Deluca said. “There simply is nothing else like it with its fully programable exterior that can be used to display fun emoji faces and mesmerizing designs to the truly immersive entertainment experience inside. Groups are clamoring to find ways to incorporate the venue in their visit and have found a variety of options to do so through full buyouts or smaller packages for specific shows.”

Changes at the Venetian Resort Las Vegas include a recently announced $188 million dollar renovation of its convention center, one of the largest meeting facilities in the world, set to be completed in stages between 2024-2026.

Additional offerings will be a new speakeasy-style lounge with an opportunity to host invitation-only events in a 10,000 sf take on the Venetian design of 1930s. “The finishes and amenities planned were thoughtfully curated based on feedback from our customers and will usher in a new era of Venetian Meetings, and maintain our position at the forefront of the industry,” said Patrick Nichols, president and chief executive officer of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.

The new openings along the Strip are poised to benefit other established properties such as SAHARA Las Vegas, which recently remodeled its Marra Tower suites as part of a more than $200 million transformation. “They have been reimagined to provide the level of luxury and finishes that our groups expect at a property of this high caliber,” said Christopher Bond, vice president of sales, SAHARA Las Vegas.

The SAHARA resort and casino with 1,613 guest rooms and suites in three towers, offers groups use of its more than 80,000 sf of flexible meeting space, its AZILO Ultra Pool, two rooftop pools and a collection of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. “The available 10,000 sf LED wall at Azilo Pool has no equal and allows our groups to brand or have sponsors provide unlimited graphics and video content,” Bond said.

Diane Quaresma, customer relationship manager at Bitfocus, which held its Clarity Connect conference at the SAHARA Las Vegas last fall, said, “I liked how the conference rooms were set up and their relation to the distance to the rooms. I didn’t feel as though I had to walk two miles to get to the space.”

Caesars Entertainment also sees potential benefits from the Strip’s added attractions, including the Grand Prix. “Formula 1 was a big success and got worldwide attention. Being the first year, we didn’t know what to expect and neither did our group customers,” said Reina Herschdorfer, director of marketing, national meetings & events for Caesars Entertainment. “I would anticipate more companies wanting to organize events around this next year. It’s a fun and unique way to entertain VIP customers. The energy and the sound of these incredible cars is unlike anything else.”

Caesars FORUM, which debuted in 2020, has been an immense hit since it opened, said Herschdorfer. “With its 550,000 sf of space, modern design and high-tech amenities, it has paved the way for very large events. Herschdorfer has always worked with corporate groups, but CAESARS FORUM has allowed them to elevate the experience. The facility has a dedicated culinary team and provides restaurant quality catering as well.

Caesars Palace recently took the wraps off its renovated Colosseum Tower. Formerly known as the Forum Tower, the redesigned tower offers 440 guest rooms and suites. Other projects include an upgrade to Harrah’s Las Vegas, with a new porte-cochere. The property had an infusion of capital with more than $200 million for new rooms, suites, a lounge as well as the addition of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, Ramsay’s Kitchen, which opened last year. The property is connected via skybridge to CAESARS FORUM and is often the headquarter hotel.

Meanwhile, celebrity restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump, who opened Vanderpump à Paris at Paris Las Vegas and Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace, is set to open her third venue on the Strip, Pinky’s by Vanderpump, at Flamingo Las Vegas this summer.

Caesars Entertainment is also focusing on wellness with its new Wellness Menu. “Planners can incorporate as much or as little that makes sense for them,” Herschdorfer said. “They can keep the wellness aspects of a meeting subtle by only incorporating healthy food and beverage options or really make wellness the star of the show by working with the speakers we have suggested and incorporating everything from tai chi lessons to chakra realignment sessions and painting therapy. A simple way to add wellness is to add online wellness challenges that everyone can join in during the conference, pre or post. It’s a fun way to create some competition and camaraderie.”

MGM Resorts, which features four million sf of meeting and convention space across 13 resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, is currently finishing up a $100 million remodel of its two-million-sf Mandalay Bay Convention Center, which will be completed early this year.

“The project reflects the needs and preferences of today’s meeting planners and attendees with significant technology upgrades, dynamic digital signage and a fresh, new design and ambiance,” Glanzer said. The Convention Center remodel is part of a new wave of enhancements and experiences coming to Mandalay Bay. This includes the redesign of Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas’ 424 rooms and suites, the opening of Swingers, an immersive adults-only golf experience and Orla, a new Greek concept by celebrated chef Michael Mina. In addition, a $110 million transformation within Bellagio’s Spa Tower began last spring and is wrapping up now.

Both the Grand Prix and Sphere along with the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII, to be held this February at the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, are seen as drivers of group business to Wynn and Encore Las Vegas Resort.

“Wynn has a very positive outlook on the group market in Las Vegas and we’re excited to see this trajectory continue,” said Chris Flatt, executive vice president of Hotel Sales and Marketing for the properties. “From unique entertainment and dining to iconic sports moments via the recent inaugural Grand Prix and Big Game, Las Vegas is reinforcing why it’s the place to be. Even guests who have visited multiple times previously are continually excited to come back and check out what’s new.”

Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, which feature 560,000 sf of flexible space across the properties, currently hold Four Green Globes, the highest sustainable building certification from the Green Building Initiative. All meeting and convention spaces are powered by 100% renewable energy sourced and delivered directly from the 160-acre Wynn Solar Facility and on-site rooftop solar panels. Renewable energy is also a focus for Allegiant Stadium and the Las Vegas Raiders, which recently announced the stadium’s conversion to 100% renewable energy.

“Allegiant Stadium has been a game changer for many reasons,” Deluca said. “Not only did it help solidify our evolution into the ultimate sports destination by providing a world-class facility for the NFL, but also opened the door for groups. Now they can creatively design memorable experiences including dinner on the 50-yard line or exclusive stadium tours.”

The T-Mobile Arena is also a draw for groups, especially after the 2023 Stanley Cup for its resident Las Vegas Knights. Next, Las Vegas is moving ahead with its plans to build a baseball stadium for the A’s, who gained approval to relocate the franchise from Oakland to the Strip. Reports note that the $1.5 billion ballpark in Vegas will be built at the site of the Tropicana casino and hotel after it’s torn down, which is expected to happen by end of this year.

The introduction of the Grand Prix also brings a new venue for groups. “With the successful completion of the first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix, groups now have access to the incredible Paddock Building,” Deluca said. “During the race, it is set at the start/finish line and used as the pit area for the drivers and their teams, as well as high end hospitality suites, but now can be used all year round.”

The Paddock Building features a four-story space with a rooftop looking out at the Las Vegas skyline and is available for events when not in use for the race.

DMCs such as Hosts Global are seeing benefits of the added attractions, as well. “We had some fun local and international groups for Formula 1,” said Jill Schneider, vice president of sales. “One in particular directly affiliated with the race was a large sponsor of one of the teams. We were asked to provide transportation and staff for the sponsor high profile celebrity guests and entourages from event to event. This was a little more challenging than most typical high-profile transfers as security was at a high and many or most of the roads were closed. Next year will be spectacular and we are extremely excited to see what we will be involved in.”

Another local DMC, 360 Destinations, also believes 2024 will see a benefit from Formula 1. “Groups coming to Las Vegas focused on the luxury level brand/unique events that were produced by the Grand Prix,” said Amy Bollington, director of sales, Las Vegas. “Behind the scenes of those events, we supported hotel efforts and destination logistics to the corporate groups. We are hopeful that this year there will be more opportunities now that the dust has settled from last year’s events.”

With new developments, LVCVA is bullish on the future of corporate events. All indicators continue to express optimism with many event organizers expecting more attendees and larger overall footprint for their meetings. C&IT