Steve Hill becomes the new chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Sept. 1, succeeding the retiring CEO Rossi Ralenkotter. The LVCVA Board of Directors selected Hill to be the organization’s ninth leader.
“I am honored the Board of Directors selected me as CEO of the LVCVA,” says Hill. “ The Authority is an integral part of the Southern Nevada economy. I look forward to working with our tremendous team and our mission partners to innovate, improve access to and around the destination and drive growth to keep Las Vegas the number one choice for business and leisure travelers alike.”
Hill is a longtime resident of Las Vegas. He founded Silver State Materials more than 30 years ago which supplied concrete and aggregates for many projects in the community. After Hill sold that company, Governor Brian Sandoval appointed him to serve as the first director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development in 2011, where he guided the development of “Moving Nevada Forward’” the plan for diversifying Nevada’s economy. During his tenure, Hill helped create numerous programs, including “Workforce Innovations for the New Nevada,” the “Battle Born Venture Fund” and the “Knowledge Fund,” which will leave lasting impressions on higher education, workforce development and business incubation.
“As an entrepreneur, Steve Hill helped build many resorts on the Strip and, as the inaugural leader of my Office of Economic Development, he helped make Nevada an attractive place to build businesses, bringing some of the world’s most innovative companies to the Silver State,” says Governor Brian Sandoval. “I know Steve will be equally successful at the LVCVA; he is the right person, at the right time to lead the organization.”
His work with GOED played an integral role in bringing business such as Tesla, Apple, Solar City, Barclaycard, Amazon and Hyperloop One to Nevada. Gov. Sandoval went on to appoint Hill as the chairman of the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee which was charged with reviewing and recommending major economic development projects to the governor and Legislature for approval. The SNTIC reviewed several proposals and recommended approval for both the Las Vegas Convention Center District expansion and renovation project as well as the Raiders Stadium. Hill was also chosen as the chair of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority which provides oversight of the construction and operation of the stadium. He is also a member of the Southern Nevada Sporting Event Committee which will recommend a process in which to attract major new events to the destination.
“Steve understands this market, literally from the ground up, and brings operational prowess that will ensure our $1.4 billion expansion will be transformational in the meetings and convention business,” says Lawrence Weekly. “We know he will continue to transform the LVCVA to ensure we remain the top convention center and destination marketing organization.”
Hill is taking over the LVCVA at a busy, transitional time for the organization as the largest infrastructure project in its history, the expansion and renovation of the LVCC is about to begin. The project is set to add 1.4 million square feet of new space, with at least 600,000 square feet of usable exhibit space. The project should allow the destination to attract more business and allow existing clients to continue to grow their conventions.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center. With nearly 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and more than 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. Download the virtual reality app, Vegas VR, to experience Las Vegas from an iPhone or Android by visiting http://www.vrtv.vegas/. For more info, visit www.lvcva.com or www.visitlasvegas.com.
