Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

Last updated

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Industry tourism
conventions
Founded1955;69 years ago (1955)
Founder Nevada Legislature
Headquarters Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
Area served
 Southern Nevada
Total assets Las Vegas Convention Center
Website lvcva.com

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority(LVCVA) is a government agency and the official destination marketing organization for Southern Nevada. [1] It was founded by the Nevada Legislature in 1955. The LVCVA owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and is responsible for the advertising campaigns for the Clark County, Nevada area. The LVCVA also owns the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop, the Las Vegas Monorail, [2] and the Las Vegas News Bureau. [3] The LVCVA previously operated the Cashman Center complex; however the City of Las Vegas took control at the end of 2017 and is evaluating possibilities for the facility's future. [4]

Contents

The fourteen-member board of directors of LVCVA is made up of eight elected officials appointed from each local municipality and six private-industry members appointed equally by the Nevada Resort Association and the Vegas Chamber. Funding is provided by a room tax on all hotels in the county and through building revenue from the Las Vegas Convention Center, and through issuing bonds. [5] [6]

Branding

One of the primary tasks for the LVCVA is the promotion and branding of Las Vegas. Since 2007, the Las Vegas brand is the second-most recognized brand in the U.S. following Google. [7]

The authority is also responsible for the advertising campaigns for Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. Working with the advertising company R&R Partners since 1982, they have developed advertising campaigns including:

"What happens here, stays here"

After the $1 sale of the "What happens here, stays here" trademark to R&R Partners on November 9, 2004, the LVCVA paid $321,000 in attorney's fees because of an investigation into the legality of the controversial sale. [8] The sale was later overturned by a federal judge who claimed that the sale was made without the knowledge of the board. [9]

According to internal LVCVA documents, the advertising campaign "What happens here, stays here" has had little impact as most people, about 70%, stated to R&R (the advertising firm who created the ad and conducted the market research) that the slogan had no impact on their decision to visit Las Vegas. [10] A recent[ when? ] study by Applied Analysis shows that the advertising efforts of the LVCVA return $26 for every $1 spent.[ citation needed ]

VegasMeansBusiness.com

In March 2009, the LVCVA launched VegasMeansBusiness.com, [11] a resource for the business community to keep up-to-date on the latest news and events in Las Vegas and the meetings and conventions industry. The website also promotes Las Vegas' attributes as a leading destination for meetings and conventions, including the approximately 150,000 rooms and more than 11,500,000 square feet (1,070,000 m2) of meeting space available and proximity to McCarran International Airport. [12]

West Hall Expansion

The LVCVA submitted a master plan to the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee in 2015 that laid the groundwork for the expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center. A special session of the Nevada Legislature was called in October 2016 where an increase in the lodging tax was approved to secure $1.4 billion for the expansion and renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center and $750 million for a future NFL stadium. [13] Those plans resulted in the announcement for a planned acquisition of the Riviera in February 2015 for $182.5 million. [14] The Riviera was imploded in 2016 [15] with construction work on the expansion officially beginning in September 2018. [16]

Substantial construction of the new West Hall was completed in December 2020 at a final cost of $1 billion. The expansion added 1.4 million square feet of space to the LVCC campus and includes a 600,000-square-foot exhibit hall.

World of Concrete was the first show to make use of the West Hall in June 2021. [17]

Activities

The authority works to bring events to the Las Vegas area, sometimes by providing funds to subsidize events.[ citation needed ] These events include:

The authority is also a sponsor of the National Hockey League and have the naming rights to Las Vegas Ballpark in a 20-year, $80 million naming rights agreement.

Research

The LVCVA has an in-house research team that conducts research projects and initiates programs that help track the tourism industry in Southern Nevada, the United States, and across the globe.

Board of directors

The authority is governed by a 14-member board. [19] The members are chosen according to a specific formula set out in the Nevada Revised Statutes: [20]

Eight must be elected officials:

The above eight members then select six more from business:

Terms on the board are the same as an elected official's, or two years for business members. [20]

As of June 2021, the board is composed of: [23]

Role on LVCVA boardNameOrganization(s) representedRole at organization(s)Term startTerm end
ChairJohn Marz City of Henderson CouncilmanAugust 2017December 2022
Vice Chair Marilyn Spiegel Wynn and EncorePresidentJuly 2019June 2021
Secretary James B. Gibson Clark County CommissionerJanuary 2021December 2022
TreasurerAnton Nikodemus CityCenter Aria Resort & Casino / Vdara Hotel & SpaPresident and COO July 2019June 2021
MemberScott DeAngelo Allegiant Travel Company Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing OfficerJuly 2020June 2022
Member Michele Fiore City of Las Vegas CouncilwomanMarch 2018November 2022
Member Carolyn Goodman City of Las VegasMayorJuly 2019November 2024
MemberPamela Goynes-Brown City of North Las Vegas Councilwoman and Mayor pro tem August 2018November 2024
Member Jan Jones Blackhurst Caesars Entertainment; International Gaming Institute at UNLV Board member; Chief Executive in ResidenceSeptember 2020June 2021
MemberKiernan McManus City of Boulder City MayorAugust 2019November 2022
MemberMichael NaftClark CountyCommissionerJanuary 2021December 2022
MemberMary Beth SewaldVegas ChamberPresident and CEOJuly 2019June 2021
MemberSteve Thompson Boyd Gaming Corporation Executive Vice President, OperationsJuly 2019June 2022
MemberBrian Wursten City of Mesquite CouncilmanFebruary 2021June 2021

Awards

In 2020, the Las Vegas Convention Center was awarded the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR facility accreditation to control the risks associated with infectious agents, including the virus responsible for COVID-19. [24]

In 2020, Las Vegas was named the country’s No. 1 trade show destination for the 26th consecutive year according to Trade Show News Network. [25]

In 2017, Las Vegas was named the World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination for the fifth consecutive year according to the World Travel Awards. [26]

In 2017 the LVCVA was awarded Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the 33rd consecutive year by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). [27]

In 2017, the LVCVA was recognized with the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Financial Reporting for the fiscal year 2016 Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for the 10th consecutive year by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). [27]

In 2007, the LVCVA won the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award sponsored by the American Psychological Association. [28]

Controversy

The Nevada Policy Research Institute uncovered fiscal mismanagement with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, a public agency in Las Vegas which is funded by visitor-paid room tax dollars. [29] According to NPRI's investigation the LVCVA entered into a ten-year no-bid contract with R&R, a marketing firm, where R&R overcharged the LVCVA and despite the LVCVA uncovering the over-billing management refused to seek repayment. The LVCVA also allowed R&R to approve its own expenses, and failed to question or oversee most of the expenses being billed to them. The contract with R&R is worth $87 million, including a $40 million advertising contract, which includes a commission for R&R, where the LVCVA cannot identify R&R's expenses. [30] Public records show that Rossi Ralenkotter approved approximately $30,000 in spending that included multiple dinners with bottles of wine, veal, fillets, chocolate mousse dessert and a $25,000 donation to the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, a Denver-based hospital which was giving Ralenkotter an award that year. The documents also show that Ralenkotter used tax dollars to pay for limousine services and a tuxedo. [31] [32]

According to NPRI, the LVCVA is funded by the room tax ($220 million in revenue), taking in more money than the Clark County School District, and is also a state agency subject to state laws regarding employees, benefits, and travel expenses. [33] According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the problems uncovered by NPRI's reports were already documented by an internal auditor and the problems have been addressed by management. [34]

In 2018, an audit committee report disclosed, among other irregularities, board members had been using gift cards, which Southwest Airlines had been providing since 2012, for personal travel. Misuse of the cards had been known since February, 2017. [35]

In March 2020, Ed Finger, the chief financial officer for LVCVA, and Luke Puschnig, the agency's former legal counsel, were among a half-dozen witnesses subpoenaed to testify at a hearing in front of Las Vegas Justice of the Peace, Harmony Letizia. [36]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laughlin, Nevada</span> Unincorporated community in the state of Nevada, United States

Laughlin is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States. Laughlin lies 90 miles (140 km) south of Las Vegas, in the far southern tip of Nevada. As a resort town, it is known for its gaming and water recreation. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,658. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Laughlin as a census-designated place (CDP). It is located on the Colorado River, downstream from the Davis Dam and Lake Mohave, and directly across from the much larger Bullhead City, Arizona. The nearby communities of Bullhead City, Arizona; Needles, California; Fort Mohave, Arizona; and Mohave Valley, Arizona, bring the area's total population to about 100,000. Laughlin is also 286 miles (460 km) northeast of Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Strip</span> 4 mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard with many resorts, shows, and casinos

The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about 4.2 mi (6.8 km) long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester, but is often referred to simply as "Las Vegas".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Valley</span> Metropolitan area in Nevada, United States

The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area is coextensive since 2003 with Clark County, Nevada. The Valley is largely defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a 600 sq mi (1,600 km2) basin area surrounded by mountains to the north, south, east and west of the metropolitan area. The Valley is home to the three largest incorporated cities in Nevada: Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas. Eleven unincorporated towns governed by the Clark County government are part of the Las Vegas Township and constitute the largest community in the state of Nevada.

Jan Jones Blackhurst is an American businesswoman and politician. She was mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1991 to 1999 and the first woman to serve as mayor of Las Vegas. Jones Blackhurst is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Monorail</span> Monorail in Clark County, Nevada, U.S.

The Las Vegas Monorail is a 3.9-mile (6.3 km) automated monorail mass transit system located adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It connects several large casinos in the unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester, but does not enter the city of Las Vegas proper. Built at a cost of $650 million, it was privately owned and operated by the Las Vegas Monorail Company until their 2020 bankruptcy when it was sold to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, a local government agency. In 2022, total annual ridership was roughly 4.3 million, down from a pre-Great Recession peak of 7.9 million in 2007. The monorail is a registered not-for-profit corporation, allowed under Nevada law since the monorail provides a public service. The State of Nevada assisted in bond financing, but no public money was used in construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landmark (hotel and casino)</span> Former casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Landmark was a hotel and casino located in Winchester, Nevada, east of the Las Vegas Strip and across from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Frank Caroll, the project's original owner, purchased the property in 1961. Fremont Construction began work on the tower that September, while Caroll opened the adjacent Landmark Plaza shopping center and Landmark Apartments by the end of the year. The tower's completion was expected for early 1963, but because of a lack of financing, construction was stopped in 1962, with the resort approximately 80 percent complete. Up to 1969, the topped-off tower was the tallest building in Nevada until the completion of the International Hotel across the street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Convention Center</span> Convention center in Nevada

The Las Vegas Convention Center is a convention center in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venetian Expo</span> Convention center in Nevada, United States

The Venetian Expo is a convention center located in Paradise, Nevada, near the Las Vegas Strip. It is part of the Venetian and Palazzo resort complex, owned by Vici Properties and operated by Apollo Global Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riviera (hotel and casino)</span> Former casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Riviera was a hotel and casino on the northern Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It opened on April 20, 1955, and included a nine-story hotel featuring 291 rooms. The Riviera was the first skyscraper in the Las Vegas Valley, and was the area's tallest building until 1956. Various hotel additions would be made in later years, including a 12-story tower in 1966, a 17-story tower in 1975, and a 24-story tower in 1988. By the time of its closure in 2015, the resort included a 103,800 sq ft (9,640 m2) casino and 2,075 rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cashman Field</span> Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada

Cashman Field is a stadium in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is primarily used for soccer as the home field of Las Vegas Lights FC of the USL Championship. Originally built as a baseball stadium, it was the home of the Triple-A Las Vegas Stars/51s Minor League Baseball from 1983 to 2018, and home to the Vegas Vipers of the XFL in 2023. The stadium is connected to Cashman Center, an exhibit hall and theater operated by the City of Las Vegas. The complex, built on the site of a former stadium of the same name, is named for James "Big Jim" Cashman and his family, who have been Las Vegas entrepreneurs for several generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Place branding</span>

Place branding is a term based on the idea that "cities and regions can be branded," whereby branding techniques and other marketing strategies are applied to "the economic, political and cultural development of cities, regions and countries." As opposed to the branding of products and services, place branding is more multidimensional in nature, as a 'place' is inherently "anchored into a history, a culture, an ecosystem," which is then incorporated into a network of associations, "linking products, spaces, organizations and people." As such, the concepts of nation branding, region branding, and city branding, fall under the umbrella term of place branding.

R&R Partners is an American advertising, marketing, public relations, and public affairs firm based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are known for creating the ad campaign "What Happens Here, Stays Here," for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). R&R maintains domestic and international clients through its headquarters in Las Vegas, and eight locations in ; Mexico. In 2013, Adweek named R&R Partners the top marketing agency in the state of Nevada. It was also named one of the best places to work in marketing and media by Advertising Age.

Nevada Policy, formerly the Nevada Policy Research Institute, is a private non-profit, free-market and limited-government policy research organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nevada Policy seeks to promote private, rather than government, solutions to issues facing Nevada and the western region of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown (Nevada gaming area)</span> Nevada Gaming Control Board term for area in and around Fremont Street

"Downtown Las Vegas Area" is the name assigned by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) which includes the Downtown Las Vegas area casinos and the Stratosphere Tower which is located 2 miles (3.2 km) from Fremont Street. The city of Las Vegas uses the term Downtown Gaming for the casinos near the Fremont Street Experience. The land is part of the 110 acres (45 ha) that were auctioned on May 15, 1905 when the city was founded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark E. Brown</span> American businessman

Mark E. Brown is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. Brown is a Chief Executive Officer of Miracle Flights, a national US charity, and a former executive vice president of The Howard Hughes Corporation. He is also the former Partner and President of R&R Partners, the ad agency which created the "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" advertising campaign for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. In addition, Brown was a founder and director of Service 1st Bank of Nevada, and previously served as the President of MBC Communications.

William J. Hornbuckle IV is an American businessman who presently is the CEO and President of MGM Resorts International,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Ballpark</span> Baseball stadium in Summerlin, Nevada

Las Vegas Ballpark is a baseball stadium in the Summerlin South region of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the home field for the Las Vegas Aviators of the Pacific Coast League, who are currently affiliated with the Oakland Athletics. The stadium, along with its primary tenant, is owned by the Howard Hughes Corporation. Las Vegas Ballpark is located in Downtown Summerlin near the intersection of South Pavilion Center Drive and Summerlin Center Drive next to City National Arena and across the street from the Downtown Summerlin shopping center. Construction of the $150 million stadium began in 2018 and was completed in time for the Aviators' 2019 season. It replaced the team's previous home at Cashman Field, where the Aviators had resided since 1983 as the Stars and 51s, respectively.

What Happens Here, Stays Here is a slogan and advertising campaign for the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Las Vegas News Bureau is a promotional agency within the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). It is based in the Las Vegas Valley. It was created as the Desert Sea News Bureau in 1949, originally as a promotional branch of the local chamber of commerce. It consisted of a team of photographers and writers, who would chronicle local attractions for publication in national newspapers and magazines.

References

  1. ↑ https://assets.simpleviewcms.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/lasvegas/BOARD_POLICIES_10_2019_04514505-d06f-4ee1-b738-871d59073070.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  2. ↑ "LVCVA enables Boring to proceed with underground transit system". Las Vegas Review-Journal. December 11, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Shooting Stars: Photo exhibit highlights more than 50 years of Vegas entertainers". Las Vegas Sun. December 23, 2004. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  4. ↑ "A look at Cashman Center's 34-year history as it closes Tuesday — PHOTOS". December 9, 2017.
  5. ↑ "LVCVA to sell $500M in bonds for convention center expansion". Las Vegas Review-Journal. May 8, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  6. ↑ "NRS: CHAPTER 244A - COUNTIES: FINANCING OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS". www.leg.state.nv.us. 244A.637. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  7. ↑ Spillman, Benjamin (April 15, 2009). "LVCVA: What works here, stays here". Las Vegas Review-Journal . Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  8. ↑ "What Happens in Reno is a Victory for Vegas" Casino City Times
  9. ↑ ”What happens here stays with LVCVA” Las Vegas Sun
  10. ↑ "Destination Las Vegas Advertising Awareness"
  11. ↑ "Las Vegas Conventions and Meetings - Planning Help and Facility Maps" . Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  12. ↑ “Ten reasons to hold your event in Las Vegas”, VegasMeansBusiness.com
  13. ↑ "Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval to sign Raiders stadium bill into law at UNLV". Las Vegas Review-Journal. October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  14. ↑ , Las Vegas Sun
  15. ↑ Valley, Jackie (August 16, 2016). "Final Riviera tower imploded, closing chapter of Las Vegas history - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Construction of $935.1M Las Vegas Convention Center starting". Las Vegas Review-Journal. September 11, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  17. ↑ Horwath, Bryan (June 8, 2021). "Officials show off Las Vegas Convention Center expansion as 1st big trade show returns - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". lasvegassun.com. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  18. ↑ "LVCVA awards $500M advertising-marketing contract to R&R Partners". Las Vegas Review-Journal. July 13, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Board of Directors | Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority". www.lvcva.com. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  20. 1 2 "NRS: CHAPTER 244A - COUNTIES: FINANCING OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS". www.leg.state.nv.us. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Las Vegas Chamber adopts new name, unveils new logo". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 15, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  22. ↑ "The LVCVA Board of Directors" . Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Board of Directors | Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority". www.lvcva.com. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Las Vegas Convention Center Earns GBAC STAR Accreditation". Trade Show Executive. August 28, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  25. ↑ "2019 TSNN Top Trade Shows List Unveiled – CES Snags Top Spot". TSNN. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Las Vegas Named World's Leading Meetings & Conference Destination". December 19, 2017.
  27. 1 2 "Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Honored with Top Financial Awards". March 13, 2017.
  28. ↑ "Awards listing" (PDF). www.apa.org. 2007.
  29. ↑ ""Policy Group takes on LVCVA" KLAS-TV" . Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  30. ↑ "LVCVA, ad agency defend deal" by AD Hopkins, Las Vegas Review-Journal
  31. ↑ "Taxpayers make donation; LVCVA chief gets award" by Benjamin Spillman, Las Vegas Review-Journal
  32. ↑ test, publication (December 3, 2008). "NPRI's Transparency Project on the LVCVA" . Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  33. ↑ "LVCVA, ad agency defend deal" by AD Hopkins, Las Vegas Review-Journal
  34. ↑ "Policy Group critical of LVCVA", KLAS-TV, Channel 8
  35. ↑ German, Jeff; Kane, Arthur; Joseph, Brian (April 25, 2018). "Las Vegas tourism boss misused travel cards for personal trips". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  36. ↑ "2 officials tied to LVCVA subpoenaed in gift card criminal case". Las Vegas Review-Journal. March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.