
Jan 15, 2020
MGM Growth Properties and Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust today announced that MGP and BREIT have entered into a definitive agreement to form a new joint venture to acquire the Las Vegas real estate assets of the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay for $4.6 billion. In addition, BREIT will purchase $150 million in MGP Class A shares. MGP will own 50.1% of the joint venture, and BREIT will own 49.9%.
At closing, MGM Resorts International will enter into a long-term triple net master lease for both properties and provide a full corporate guarantee of rent payments. MGM Resorts will continue to… more

Sep 16, 2019
If you were flying home from Las Vegas last week, there’s a good chance you were seated next to a fellow IMEX attendee. This year’s IMEX America, held at Sands Expo and Convention Center from Sept. 10-12, drew an estimated 14,000 attendees and generated an economic impact of more than $20 million, according to show officials.
Held in Las Vegas for nine years now, IMEX included more than 3,500 exhibitors from 150 countries on the trade showfloor. IMEX Group, which organizes the show, estimates a total of 76,000 individual and group appointments took place over the three-day event. That marks… more

Jul 25, 2019
Event groups searching for the right venue that can accommodate and welcome special-needs attendees need look no further than MGM Resorts International. The resort company, which maintains a culture and mission of inclusion, recently hosted the National Federation of the Blind’s annual convention July 7 at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The property team underwent extensive preparation and training to ensure the event’s 3,284 attendees had an unforgettable experience.
As the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind people, NFB had never taken its convention to Las… more

Jul 08, 2019
Leave it to Las Vegas to introduce a fun new transportation option for groups. For many of us who live in metro areas, taking Uber or Lyft has become a weekly or even daily occurrence—so why not shake things up when you’re traveling for a conference?
The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada has launched a new convenient rideshare option for groups of up to 11 riders arriving in the city for meetings and conventions.
Free from surge pricing (we’re looking at you, Uber) and with a limousine-like interior, the aptly named Trip to Strip is an on-demand rideshare service… more

Jun 06, 2019
A new state-of-the-art exhibition space is taking shape in Downtown Las Vegas. Earlier this year, International Market Centers, owners and operators of World Market Center Las Vegas, broke ground in January on The Expo, a $90 million, 315,000-sq.-ft. facility set to open in July 2020.
Upon completion, The Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas will become the new permanent venue for temporary gift and home décor exhibits at IMC’s semi-annual Las Vegas Market. That event showcases more than 4,000 gift, home décor and furniture resources across 5 million square feet of permanent showrooms and… more

May 17, 2019
From Los Angeles to Germany, trade shows around the world saw higher attendance and larger exhibit floors than previous years last month. Take a look:
DSE 2019
Digital Signage Expo—the world’s largest trade show and conference for digital displays and interactive technology—saw the second-largest attendance in its 16-year show history at its Las Vegas show this year, logging a 3 percent increase in end-user attendees over the previous year and a 6 percent increase in total verified attendance (4,260), which includes end-users along with system integrators and advertising executives. This… more

Mar 21, 2019
Trade Show News Network unveiled the 2018 TSNN Top Trade Shows list, with the CES show, held in January in Las Vegas, snagging the No. 1 spot.
The Consumer Technology Association’s show spanned 2,784,167 net square feet and drew 111,854 attendees to venues that included the Las Vegas Convention Center, Sand Expo Convention Center and several others in the city.
The 2018 TSNN Top Trade Shows complete list can be found HERE.
"This recognition from TSNN speaks to the expansion of the tech industry and the way that CES continues to change and adapt to welcome new exhibitors and attendees,"… more

Feb 07, 2019
The biannual MAGIC fashion trade show is reinventing itself by offering a new one-stop shopping experience at a single venue, following feedback from MAGIC buyers.
Starting in August, MAGIC will take place entirely at the Las Vegas Convention Center, eliminating the need for retail industry buyers to hop between this venue and Mandalay Bay Convention Center to shop the massive marketplace.
At the LVCC, MAGIC’s many distinct shows will be able to exist as unique, curated neighborhoods within a single campus. Each marketplace will have its own look, feel and sense of community while… more

Jan 17, 2019
The 53rd annual CES took place Jan. 8-11, attracting around 180,000 attendees and 4,500 exhibiting companies from more than 155 countries. Occupying 2.9 million net square feet of expo space at the Las Vegas Convention Center, this was the technology show’s largest-ever showfloor.
Due to space constraints, the show’s attendance likely won’t grow much more. The goal is to keep attendance capped at around 180,000, says Sarah Brown, senior manager of event communications with Consumer Technology Association, which produces CES. Last year’s show saw 182,198 domestic and international attendees;… more

Nov 09, 2018
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), owner and producer of CES, have expanded their North American business partnerships by establishing an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the World Trade Center Las Vegas and the World Trade Center Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada.
The agreement, signed last month during a ceremony at the 2018 World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Annual Member Seminar in New York City, marks the first of its kind between WTC Las Vegas and a Canadian-based WTC entity.
Through the… more
Partner Voices

Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors.
TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders.
Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA
With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role?
Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”
These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.
Allegiant Stadium
As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward?
Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees.
What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events?
We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.
Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city.
Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.
What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization?
We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.
What are your favorite ways to recharge?
My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.
Valley of Fire
What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing?
I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.