Las Cruces (N.M.) Convention Center hosted its first event on Aug. 10 after the completion of its 17,000-square-foot addition to the existing 55,000-square-foot building. The 16-month project focused on adding meeting, breakout and support spaces, as well as entrance areas.
“This substantial expansion of the convention center will allow Las Cruces to be a more competitive player in the meetings and conventions marketplace,” says Albert Herrera, Visit Las Cruces convention sales manager.
The next convention visiting Las Cruces will be the 2019 New Mexico Municipal League Aug. 28-30, bringing more than 500 municipal officials from all across New Mexico for a two-day informational and networking event. The annual conference will include caucuses for mayors, councilors, commissioners, trustees and various other city staff.
Convention attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in “Golden Shield Yard Assistance”, a pre-conference community service project in collaboration with the City of Las Cruces Codes Enforcement Division. The program is designed to assist seniors with clearing vegetation, weeds and trash at their primary residences.
In addition to the larger footprint, the convention center has also recently undergone new management. Earlier this year, the management of the convention center went out for competitive bid, and was awarded to management company SMG, which has experience in eight countries managing 245 facilities of various sizes worldwide.
The LEED-certified Las Cruces Convention Center is 55,000 square feet with just over 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The facility features a 14,500-square-foot exhibition hall as well as a 9,000-square-foot ballroom. There are six breakout rooms totally over 3,000 square feet. Additionally, there is over 5,000 square feet of outdoor space and 2,000 square feet of indoor pre-function space. For more info, visit www.VisitLasCruces.com.
