In a city of flashing lights, Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) expansion will be an eye-catcher, based on renderings released this week.
“The art and experience are designed to reflect Las Vegas, so the building will feature re-creations of classic Las Vegas neon signs and include an immersive video environment that can be used to display art, event messaging or whatever a client can envision,” says Robert J. Svedberg, principal for tvsdesign, the architecture firm hired for this project.
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is enthusiastic about the concept and eager to add the expansion to their inventory of meeting space. “This is one of the most important days in the history of the LVCVA. These drawings show a modern, innovative design that is as iconic as our vibrant city,” says Rossi Ralenkotter, LVCVA chief executive officer. “Southern Nevada’s economy is driven by tourism and this expansion will propel our convention center forward to enable us to maintain our status as the number one trade show destination in North America.”
The convention center will be celebrating its diamond jubilee next year, and Svedberg is confident the expansion and refurbishment will ensure the facility will continue to be a leading venue for decades to come. “The trade show industry is always changing. To be successful long term, the design must delight and engage guests, provide flexible spaces that can be customized and configured for each event and efficiently designed to reduce set-up expense,” he says. “Nothing changes more rapidly than technology, so the building’s infrastructure is designed to be flexible and robust, allowing each new generation of gadgets to be easily accommodated.”
Phase II
The massive project’s second phase involves a $860 million expansion that will add 1.4 million sq. ft. At least 600,000 sq. ft. of this will be new exhibition space. Plans also include “a spectacular rooftop terrace overlooking Las Vegas Boulevard,” Svedberg shares.
Construction is due to be complete in time for CES, a highly-attended consumer electronics show, in 2021. The popular trade show is a loyal returning customer of LVCC. This past year, it attracted more than 180,000 industry professionals, including upwards of 58,000 from outside the United States.
“The renovation and expansion of LVCC is critical to the growth of CES. It ensures the show will have state-of-the-art facilities and space to grow strategically as more non-traditional verticals are incorporated into CES,” says Allison Fried, director of global event communications for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organization behind CES. “Las Vegas has been the show’s home for more than 40 years and there is no other city in the U.S. that could host a show the size and scope of CES. We are happy and proud to be there.”
Phase III
The third and final phase of construction will involve completely renovating the existing 3.2 million square-foot structure. LVCVA is aiming to finish this in 2023, and projects the expansion will attract more than 600,000 additional convention attendees annually.
Las Vegas currently hosts approximately 22,000 meetings, conventions and trade shows each year with LVCC playing host to 21 percent of convention attendees in southern Nevada in 2017. “As an architect that loves and designs buildings, it is important to remember that it is the destination that attracts the meetings—and Las Vegas is a unique global brand,” Svedberg says. “The expansion will allow events to grow and attract more international visitors, and it will provide new flexibility and a delightful guest experience to keep the international attendees coming back.”
