Las Vegas Convention Center

The Las Vegas Convention Center (commonly referred to as LVCC) is a government building in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Las Vegas Convention Center
Address3150 Paradise Road
LocationWinchester, Nevada, U.S.
Coordinates36.131516°N 115.151507°W / 36.131516; -115.151507
OwnerLas Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Built1959 (1959)
OpenedApril 1959 (1959-04)
Expanded1971
1990
1998
2002
Enclosed space
 • Total space3,200,000 sq ft (300,000 m2)
 • Exhibit hall floor1,940,631 sq ft (180,290.5 m2)
Public transit accessLas Vegas Convention Center (LV Monorail station)
Website
lvcva.com

Being one of the largest convention centers in the world with 1,940,631 sq ft (180,290.5 m2) of exhibit space, it hosts shows with an estimated 200,000 participants.[1] The Conexpo-Con/Agg construction trade show in 2008 used the most space, 2,400,000 sq ft (220,000 m2). The LVCC is adjacent to the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel and is accessible from the Las Vegas Monorail at the Convention Center station.

At the end of 2010, the entire Las Vegas Valley had more than 10,000,000 sq ft (930,000 m2) of exhibit space.

History

City and county community leaders realized in the 1950s, the need for a convention facility. The initial goal was to increase the occupancy rates of hotels during slow tourist months. A site was chosen one block east of the Las Vegas Strip at the site of the Las Vegas Park Speedway, a failed horse and automobile racing facility from the early 1950s.[2] A 6,300 seat, silver-domed rotunda, with an adjoining 90,000 sq ft (8,400 m2) exhibit hall opened in April 1959. It hosted The Beatles on August 20, 1964.

The Convention Center was the site of several major professional boxing fights in the 1960s, including Gene Fullmer versus Sugar Ray Robinson on March 4, 1961; Fulmer versus Benny Paret on December 9, 1961; Sonny Liston versus Floyd Patterson on July 22, 1963; and Muhammad Ali versus Floyd Patterson on November 22, 1965.

Also, the venue was home to the UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team from 1966 to 1982. It was demolished in 1990 creating space for expansion. When completed, 1.6 million sq ft (150,000 m2), with 1.3 million sq ft (120,000 m2) for exhibitors, makes it one of the largest single-level facilities in the world.

The Las Vegas Convention Center Act of 1971 authorized the use of $7 million to rebuild, remodel or expand the center.[3] By 1985, the center had held 7,000 conventions since its opening.[4]

In 1993, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) purchased the closed Landmark hotel-casino, located across from the convention center.[5][6] LVCVA had the resort demolished in 1995 to develop additional parking on the site for convention guests.[7] A 1998 expansion increased the center to 1.9 million sq ft (180,000 m2).

While it functioned, COMDEX was the most attended trade show in the United States with over 200,000 attendees on several occasions.

In 2000, early planning began for an expansion of the center.[8] The new $150 million South Hall was topped out on February 20, 2001. It would consist of 1.3 million sq ft (120,000 m2).[9] When completed in 2004, it crossed over a major roadway (Desert Inn Road) with four bridges connecting the facilities.

As of 2009, the Consumer Electronics Show is the most attended annual trade show at this location with more than 140,000 attendees.

Led Zeppelin were supposed to perform at the convention center on April 19, 1970, as the final show of their Spring 1970 North American Tour, but the gig was cancelled due to lead singer Robert Plant falling ill the night before.[10]

The Convention Center dome hosted two Billy Graham Crusades between 1978 and 1980.

On December 19, 1993, the draw for the 1994 FIFA World Cup was held at the building,

Film history

A variety of shows have been taped in the convention center including Food Network specials and the 2009 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. Numerous conventions produce live shows in the facility.

In The Boss Baby, the Forever puppies got launched here via Puppyco's in-house built rocket but failed to deliver.

Expansion plans

In 2018, plans were released for the Las Vegas Convention Center to undergo an $890 million expansion, the 14th in its history. The expansion is intended to increase the center's meeting space and improve the building's overall design updating it and feature the latest in technology, as well as to connect the Convention Center to the Las Vegas Strip.[11]

The 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m2) expansion includes 86,000 sq ft (8,000 m2) of dedicated meeting space.

The authority has announced plans to expand the direction of the LVCC by creating a Las Vegas Global Business District. Those plans resulted in the announcement for a planned acquisition of the Riviera in February 2015 for $182.5 million.[12]

The project is expected to add:

  • A meeting room addition spanning the full length of the South Hall
  • A grand concourse linking all three halls
  • A signature facade in front
  • Enclosed pedestrian access for the Las Vegas Monorail
  • Police and fire facilities on property

Work was underway on the expansion in 2019. It is being built on land previously occupied by the Landmark and Riviera resorts.[13] Construction of a people mover by The Boring Company began in late 2019. The $53 million twin-tunnel Loop system will have three stops 40 feet below the surface.[14]

Las Vegas Convention Center

References
  1. "Big Changes at Nation's Biggest Convention Centers" (PDF). September 2013.
  2. Aumann, Mark (26 February 2009). "From horses to motors, first Vegas track a disaster". NASCAR. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2010.
  3. "LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER ACT OF 1971". www.leg.state.nv.us.
  4. "'Winning streak': 1984 was another 'very good' year for Las Vegas". Los Angeles Times. January 6, 1985. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  5. "Las Vegas Convention Authority wants to buy closed Landmark". Reno Gazette-Journal. July 3, 1993. Retrieved July 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Landmark property ownership". Clark County Assessor's Office. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  7. Buntain, Rex (November 7, 1995). "Landmark Falls". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  8. Smith, Hubble (April 17, 2000). "Expansion work begins at LV Convention Center". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on July 12, 2001.
  9. "Topping Out". Las Vegas Review-Journal. February 22, 2001. Archived from the original on December 22, 2001.
  10. "March 21, 1970". Led Zeppelin.
  11. "Las Vegas Convention Center reveals design for $860M expansion".
  12. J.D. Morris (February 17, 2015). "Tourism authority plans to buy, tear down the historic Riviera". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
  13. Gillan, Jeff (August 20, 2019). "Billion dollar Las Vegas Convention Center expansion 45 percent complete". KSNV. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  14. Romero, Dennis (November 16, 2019). "In Las Vegas, Elon Musk's tunneling company digs in". NBC News. Retrieved 2019-11-16.
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