In a continuing effort to enhance its international business relationships, World Trade Center Las Vegas recently signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) at the 49^thWorld Trade Center Association General Assembly in the Netherlands with host World Trade Center Leeuwarden, World Trade Center Twente and World Trade Center Denver.

The agreements encourage Las Vegas to co-market with the three cities under the WTCA’s expansive brand to create access to key trade information and market research as well as facilitate business trade missions around the world. 

“Following a record-breaking year for business travel, with more than 6.6 million people traveling to the destination to attend a meeting or convention, there is no question Las Vegas is a place where business gets done,” said Chris Meyer, WTC Las Vegas executive director and vice president of sales at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). 

He continued, “The WTCA network provides a valuable resource to make connections that will drive business forward and our MOU agreements with WTC Leeuwarden, WTC Twente and WTC Denver are sure to generate new and lucrative opportunities.” 

The partnership between WTC Las Vegas and WTC Twente has already shown itself to be beneficial for both destinations as evidenced by the successful arrangement of a Netherlands delegation at the most recent POWER-GEN International, held Dec. 5-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

“After the WTCA General Assembly in 2017 in Las Vegas and in participating with a Dutch trade delegation during POWER-GEN International 2017 at the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center, the MOU between our World Trade Centers is a next step in strengthening our economic ties,” explained Freerk Faber, director of WTC Twente.

The Netherlands is one of the top fifteen international markets for Las Vegas that brought in nearly 58,000 visitors in 2016, a 4 percent increase from the previous year. 

The newly signed MOUs will further enhance collaboration to build and reinforce the Las Vegas brand as a serious global business destination while growing international visitation to both the destination and large trade shows such as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). 

Additionally, the MOUs provide the opportunity to expand business opportunities across a number of industry sectors. 

WTC Las Vegas’ MOU partnership with WTC Leeuwarden represents an instrumental collaboration between the “Entertainment Capital of the World” and the “European Capital of Culture,” with the two organizations making plans to collaborate on elevating the reputation of each destination’s versatile offerings. 

“We look forward working together with World Trade Center Las Vegas because we can offer them the latest technologies in the water sector and they are the specialist in the organization of congresses and expositions,” said Evert Jan Schouwstra, managing director of WTC Leeuwarden. 

He added, “It is a clear win-win situation.”

In addition to the new memorandums of understanding with WTC Leeuwarden, WTC Twente and WTC Denver, the WTC Las Vegas has signed MOUs with WTC Montevideo; WTC Dulles Airport; WTC Taipei; WTC Mexico City; WTC Brussels; WTC Beijing; WTC Miami; WTC Istanbul; WTC Seoul; WTC Sao Paulo; WTC Ft. Lauderdale, WTC Santiago and WTC Trieste. 

These relationships are mutually beneficial in providing information and business contacts, promoting the destination, developing educational programs and creating an open forum for discussion of trade-related, international and travel issues.

The LVCVA also has a MOU with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration to promote travel and tourism exports. 

“With the new World Trade Center Denver Development breaking ground and opening in 2020, we will now be in the business of offering larger global conventions,” said Karen Gerwitz, president of the World Trade Center Denver.  

She added, “We are honored to enter into a partnership with WTC Las Vegas and the LVCVA to learn from the very best in the business.”

WTC Las Vegas is a partnership between the LVCVA and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), owner and producer of CES, known as the world’s largest global technology event. 

In addition to marketing and branding Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, the LVCVA operates the LVCC, the nation’s only convention center designated as a World Trade Center site and one of the largest convention facilities in the U.S. 

Together, the LVCVA and CTA market Las Vegas to business travelers around the globe under the World Trade Center brand.

“World Trade Center Las Vegas has experienced incredible success in fostering mutually-beneficial relationships in southern Nevada and around the globe,” said Karen Chupka, CES executive vice president. 

She continued, “The international appeal of efforts and initiatives from both CTA and the LVCVA align perfectly with the World Trade Center Association’s mission of helping member organizations connect globally and prosper locally.”