By Ray Smith, Exhibit City News
At the very least, Conex Exhibition Services should send a “Thank You” note to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which awarded the Florida-based company a $288,000 contract to design and build an exhibition booth for WTM London in November.
The convention authority approved the contract at its Sept. 10 regular board meeting, the fourth time in the past six months that Conex has been chosen to put Las Vegas on display at major travel tradeshows.
Previous contracts were granted for World Routes 2024 in the Kingdom of Bahrain ($150,000); IMEX America at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas ($528,000); and U.S. Travel Association’s IPW show in Los Angeles ($300,000).
LVCVA Chairman Jim Gibson wryly remarked that perhaps he should get into the business of exhibition booth design.
The convention authority initially selected Conex to build a booth for IMEX 2023 based on sustainability and cost-saving claims. Some of those components are being used for WTM London, Fletch Brunelle, vice president of marketing, tells the board.
He estimates that some 5,000 travel and tourism suppliers will attend World Travel Market in London, and notes that the convention authority has created a platform for 13 “shareholders” to participate in the tradeshow, including MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Venetian, Resorts World, and the Sphere.
The tradeshow should help boost U.K. visitation to Las Vegas, which dropped to 550,000 in 2023 from a peak of 800,000, Brunell reports.
Las Vegas has increased air service from the United Kingdom, including daily flights on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow Airport in London. British Airways added flights from Gatwick, and Virgin Atlantic resumed service from Manchester, England. Also, Aer Lingus announced weekly service from Dublin, Ireland, scheduled to begin in late October.
More than 3,000 members of the press are expected at WTM London, including bloggers, social media influencers, trade media, and international journalists, looking for stories on the latest destinations, products and services.
SAMSUNG TECHNOLOGY
The board approved an amendment to the convention authority’s contract with Samsung Electronics America, increasing the amount from $6.2 million to $12.1 million, to provide digital media technology for the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Chief Operating Officer Brian Yost says Samsung’s video board in the West Hall lobby has proven to be “incredibly successful” with advertisers and exhibitors. Samsung will install LED boards in the North and South Hall lobbies and grand concourse, along with a 3,200-square-foot LED in the main lobby.
The convention authority negotiated with Samsung for providing digital technology for Phase 3 renovation of the convention center, and the success of its previous work in the West Hall helped in procuring the contract, Yost adds.
LOOP EASEMENT
The board authorized an easement agreement with The Boring Co., developer of the Vegas Loop, along Elvis Presley Boulevard, to connect the underground transportation system with the LVCC Riviera station, the LVCC West station, and the Resorts World station along Convention Center Drive.
The agreement allows Boring to occupy space under LVCVA property to build and operate the Loop’s tunnels, and permits the company to construct emergency exit shafts, and any required emergency work.
