Place With Most Space Wynns Out

LAS VEGAS—In a shot across the bow to his Las Vegas competitors, Steve Wynn has announced plans to secure a stronghold in the city's tradeshow arena. Earlier this month, in a first-quarter earnings conference call, the hotel mogul revealed his intentions to add more than 1 million square feet of convention space to the company's inventory in the form of a “lush and glamorous” convention complex – one he believes will take meetings and conventions to another level.

According to Jeff Gloeb, Wynn vice president of sales, the upscale venue, which will replace the golf course behind existing properties Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Wynn Las Vegas, will have 1 million to 1.5 million sq. ft. of exhibit space. Upon completion, Wynn's complex would join the ranks as one of the four largest convention spaces in Las Vegas.

Preliminary sketches have been drawn, but definitive design plans will take about a year, Gloeb said. Neither construction costs nor dates for ground breaking or completion will be set until the scope of the project is determined, he added.

“Because the exhibit hall is still a concept,we do not have any definitive configuration of the space,” Gloeb said. “We do know that it will be state-of-the-art, convenient to access and aesthetically pleasing to our customers.”

Wynn Las Vegas and Encore currently have 200,000 and 50,000 sq. ft. of convention space, respectively, but once the project is completed, the properties could hold between 1.25 million and 1.75 million sq. ft.

Tentative plans for the complex, stretching approximately 2,000 feet behind Wynn Las Vegas and Encore, will include two adjacent hotel towers with about 5,200 rooms, a large lake with a fountain and an underground tram that will cross Paradise Road and connect to one of Wynn's closest convention neighbors, the Las Vegas Convention Center.

According to Wynn, the hotel towers will be integrated with the convention facility via a 150-foot corridor that will enable guests to walk directly from the hotel lobby into the space. The design will allow attendees to avoid lengthy walking to and from events, as well as the hassle and distractions of the casino and other public areas.

Gloeb said this is an example of Wynn's overall vision for conventions in Las Vegas – convenience.

Wynn admitted that one inspiring factor for the timing of this project was a close neighbor and competitor – Las Vegas Sands Corp. – which has had its own plans to expand the 1.1 million sq. ft. Sands Expo & Convention Center/Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, a project Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson announced three years ago. But, so far, exactly when the project to add 800,000 sq. ft. of space to Sands Expo will begin hasn't been clear and has been delayed several times.

One might ask if news of Wynn's intended project might re-inspire Sands into action.

As of press time, representatives from Sands were unavailable for comment.

As more convention space comes online in Las Vegas, a competitive atmosphere among rival venues would be expected. Yet, two of Wynn's largest neighbors seem anything but concerned. According to representatives from the LVCC and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in the Las Vegas community, if more convention space means more business coming to the destination, they are all for it.

Chris Meyer, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority vice president of convention sales, couldn't be more enthusiastic about a new convention center across the street from the LVCC. He believes more convention space means higher visitation, which in turn means additional room tax dollars fed back into the LVCVA to promote Las Vegas, and that's just what he wants.

“I don't view anyone as competition except (other destinations),” Meyer said. “If we're going to add a higher level of customer experience for our tradeshow attendees and exhibitors, then that just makes our destination even greater. Now I'm getting another million square feet plus of space to drive visitation? Hallelujah!”

Meyer added that he isn't concerned about Wynn's venue taking business away from the LVCC. He said his venue has its own strategy for promoting and securing business, such as a long-term leasing program that has booked shows four to 12 years in advance, including the SEMA Show and The Intl. Builders' Show/TecHomExpo.

He also added that Wynn's new space could be a great opportunity for several shows waiting eagerly to bring their events to Vegas.

Richard Harper, vice president of sales and marketing at Mandalay Bay, isn't daunted by the potential competition either. He believes the ultimate goal that works best for a city fueled by conventions is to work collectively as a community to get business to the destination, then worry about who gets the business. As long as a new venue markets in this vein, he added, the city can only benefit in the long run.

“I'm very glad to see that our success has inspired others to enter the marketplace,” Harper said. “As long as we all continue to have the common goal of bringing new business to the city, that's what works best. The beauty of the hotel community in Las Vegas is that we all know what our mission is … let's get them to the city and then fight tooth and nail to see who gets them.”