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Las Vegas Celebrates Global Meetings Industry Day 2017

Release Date: 06 Apr 2017
LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) joined leaders from across the Las Vegas meeting and convention industry including Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International, The Venetian and The Palazzo and Wynn Resorts to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Thursday, April 6, 2017, and the days preceding the event.

The day is especially important for Las Vegas as the meetings, conventions and trade show industry has a significant impact on the local economy supporting 85,000 jobs and generating more than $12.4 billion in economic impact. The destination recorded an all-time high for convention visitation in 2016, welcoming 6.3 million business travelers. Las Vegas also celebrated a record-breaking year for overall visitation for the year with 42.9 million visitors.

“GMID 2017 comes at a time of great importance for Las Vegas, our nation and the travel industry as a whole,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the LVCVA. “As a leading destination for travel, which is the economic engine that drives our community, we celebrate the vision of events like GMID for encouraging advocacy, education and the need to support political initiatives that move us forward.”

To help bring the meetings industry to new heights, top meetings industry professionals in Las Vegas met at the High Roller Observation Wheel, the world’s highest observation wheel, for a special event.

The event kicked off with a proclamation awarded to Las Vegas from Clark County officials in celebration of GMID and the strength of Southern Nevada’s meetings industry. Local officials, LVCVA executives and resort professionals also addressed community members in attendance, highlighting major advancements throughout the destination. The event also incorporated an educational component, in which attendees were equipped with tools and tips for conducting efficient and successful meetings of their own.

Following the presentations, event guests were encouraged to board the High Roller Observation wheel to put their newly-learned skills to the test by participating in a series of marathon meetings. Each High Roller pod was staffed by meetings professionals from a variety of resort partners including; Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International, The Venetian and The Palazzo, Wynn Resorts and the LVCVA. Groups were provided a hypothetical meeting scenario to work through during a 30-minute window, the amount of time it takes for a single rotation on the High Roller Observation Wheel.

In the days leading up to GMID, Las Vegas played host to what could arguably be one of the best examples of a global meeting in existence - the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) General Assembly hosted by World Trade Center (WTC) Las Vegas. The event gathered hundreds of attendees from more than 30 countries with the goal of developing relationships and skills that will facilitate mutually-beneficial business opportunities around the world. Las Vegas dignitaries, community leaders and resort representatives participated in elements of the WTCA General Assembly to network and demonstrate the value of conducting business in Southern Nevada. To commemorate the experience and make a direct correlation between GMID and the global-nature of events like the WTCA General Assembly, attendees posed for a group photo featuring the phrase “Vegas Means Business” in a variety of languages.

Additionally, the WTCA General Assembly provided the opportunity for WTC Las Vegas to further solidify global business partnerships with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with WTC Santiago.

Las Vegas is the only destination in North America with a World Trade Center designation on the campus of a convention center. In addition to the MOU with WTC Santiago, the WTC Las Vegas has agreements with WTC Montevideo, WTC Dulles Airport, WTC Taipei, WTC Mexico City, WTC Brussels, WTC Beijing, WTC Miami, WTC Istanbul and WTC Seoul.

The LVCVA also has a MOU with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration to promote travel and tourism exports.
GMID is an observance launched by the Meetings Mean Business Coalition in an effort to showcase the real impact that business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows and exhibitions have on people, business and communities. Meetings Mean Business Coalition, an extension of U.S. Travel, provides resources to promote and defend the value of face-to-face business meetings and travel on our economy. U.S. Travel continues to be a leading voice in reminding policymakers of the value of government meetings and travel under all fiscal environments.

Las Vegas boasts more than 11 million square feet of meeting space in addition to a wide array of event, dining and entertainment venues that are also used for group business. Trade Show News Network recently recognized Las Vegas as the No. 1 trade show destination in the country for the 23nd consecutive year for hosting 57 of the top 250 largest trade shows in North America.

Las Vegas hosted more than 22,000 meetings, conventions and trade shows in 2016. One reason Las Vegas is a top choice year after year, is that there is always something new to see and experience. Our resort and business partners continually invest in improvements to keep the destination fresh and appealing to business travelers. Some recent updates and upgrades include:
  • ARIA Resort & Casino is in the midst of a major expansion of its award-winning LEED Gold-certified convention center. The $154 million project will deliver an additional 200,000 square feet of technologically advanced, flexible meeting space across four stories, highlighted by stunning indoor/open-air spaces and a glass-enclosed venue with dramatic views of The Park and spectacular new T-Mobile Arena. With the completion of the expansion, ARIA will feature more than 500,000 square feet of superior meeting space for its luxury clientele. Construction began in May 2016 with completion in February 2018.
  • Caesars Entertainment: In 2016, Caesars Entertainment announced plans to upgrade more than 4,800 hotel rooms that year at four of its Las Vegas resorts, and more than 900 rooms at three regional casinos totaling more than 5,700 owned or managed rooms across the enterprise. This renovation effort represents approximately 20 percent of rooms in Las Vegas and 15 percent of total rooms throughout the company. Caesars Entertainment has also expanded its headline entertainment with the addition of the Backstreet Boys exclusive residency at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
  • The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas offers 190,000 square feet of meeting and convention space that is functional yet sophisticated while also catering to guest convenience and accessibility thanks in part to the resort’s uniquely vertical design which allows direct, room-to-conference access. In addition to traditional spaces, The Cosmopolitan is building on the rising trend of experiential offerings amongst meeting and convention travelers. The luxury resort boasts a unique selection of flexible meeting and reception space, such as Boulevard Pool, a multi-level rooftop experience with dramatic views of the Las Vegas Strip; The Chelsea, marrying sophisticated design with unparalleled functionality for a diverse range of events including concerts, keynote addresses, sporting events and general assemblies; and The Ballroom at Rose. Rabbit. Lie., a multi-functional venue inspired by social clubs of the past featuring a stage and full production capabilities.
  • The Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino is currently undergoing a $6.8 million redesign of their third-floor conference space. The 70,000 square foot space will feature new carpeting, wall coverings, furniture and contemporary décor.
  • Las Vegas Monorail is an economical and convenient mode of transportation, with stops at the Las Vegas Convention Center, as well as direct connection to eight properties for easy access to more than 26,000 hotel rooms. Groups can now host events at the Las Vegas Monorail’s Third Rail Lounge featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Las Vegas skyline and a chic, lounge-style atmosphere.
  • Park Theater at Monte Carlo serves as the gateway to the already vibrant entertainment district along the renowned Las Vegas Strip, complementing the recently opened T-Mobile Arena, the adjacent two-acre Toshiba Plaza and The Park. The new 5,200-seat entertainment venue, with its advanced audio and visual technology, provides a dynamic space to create one-of-a-kind productions where every seat allows guests to feel up close and personal. Park Theater is specially designed with the ability to transform seamlessly for any occasion from general sessions to A-list concerts.
  • SLS Las Vegas delivers a unique and intimate convention experience offering a diverse range of nontraditional event and meeting space. The property’s newest venue The Foundry offers up 20,000 square feet of vibrant space, allowing for guests to carefully curate their own event with ample space supported by a full-size stage and state-of-the-art lighting and technology capabilities.
  • The Venetian Las Vegas, The Palazzo and Sands Expo, in partnership with Zappos, now offer guests access to a first-of-its-kind coworking space in the heart of The Venetian | The Palazzo Congress Center. The 1,170 square foot pop-up lounge features space to recharge, huddle areas for collaboration, and a conference room for small meetings. The space is enclosed for noise management, but is also transparent to invite guests to come inside and take advantage of the amenities. The furnishings are by Restoration Hardware, creating a relaxed and comfortable residential feel. Amenities in the pop-up lounge include Wi-Fi, charging stations, four private phone rooms, and a private conference room that seats six.
  • Wynn Las Vegas and Encore offer 260,000 square feet of beautiful and unique settings for any size meeting, convention or event. Many meeting spaces boast floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views overlooking the pools and gardens of the resort. Outside of traditional meeting rooms, groups may also select luxury venues like the Chairman’s Salon, situated adjacent to Wing Lei Restaurant. Wynn Resorts as a corporation continues to focus on ways to make an impact by actively preserving natural resources through our daily operations. Initiatives include Gold LEED certification, water conservation, energy efficiency and a commitment to utilizing locally sourced produce. The Wynn Golf Course is also a designated Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
To participate in the digital conversations, follow @LVCVA and @MeetingsMeanBiz on Twitter and use the hashtags #VegasMeansBusiness #MMBusiness #GMIDVegas and #GMID17.

Journalists and news organizations can access photos and video from the Las Vegas GMID event as well as photos and HD video of Las Vegas events on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s media center at www.thenewsmarket.com/LVCVA.
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