By Ray Smith, Exhibit City News
Top executives in the meetings and events industry from around the world are converging on Las Vegas for the 90th UFI Global Congress, the annual gathering making its debut in the United States, Nov. 1-4, at Aria Resort and Casino.
Many of these decision-makers will be experiencing the city’s glamour and attractions for the first time, says Steve Hill, president and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
“There’s no bigger opportunity for Las Vegas to bring our customers here and see what we have to offer,” the tourism executive says at a press conference preceding the UFI Global Congress. “This is the pinnacle event for the industry.”
It’s only the second time the UFI Global Congress has been held in North America, the first being in 1972 in Toronto. Each year it rotates to a different region of the world. Last year it was held in Muscat, the capital of Oman, and the previous year in Rotterdam. Next year it goes to Cologne, and in 2025 to Hong Kong.
STRONG BIDS
LVCVA approved a $760,000 expenditure in June 2022 to bring the UFI Global Congress to Las Vegas, an investment that will pay dividends in the future and elevate Las Vegas in the circles of meeting planners and show organizers, Hill believes.
Kai Hattendorf, managing director and chief executive of UFI, says there was growing interest among the UFI community to come to Las Vegas, and more U.S. businesses have joined the organization.
“There were some strong bids on the table from Asia, and a really strong bid on the table from Las Vegas,” Hattendorf says. “It was an intense conversation.”
Las Vegas has been denounced by many conventioneers for being overpriced, gouging them with higher room rates, resort and parking fees, and increased rental rates for exhibition space.
Double-digit inflation was part of the conversation in choosing a destination for UFI, Hattendorf admits, but the concern is not confined to Las Vegas. Event organizers in Brazil, Turkey, and other countries are struggling with inflation, forced to raise the cost for exhibitions.
FILLING ROOMS
Trade shows are critical to the Las Vegas economy, propping up midweek hotel occupancy rates by 20 percent, Hill notes. The city boasts some 15 million square feet of meeting and exhibition space, including Las Vegas Convention Center, Venetian Expo, and Mandalay Convention Center.
Convention business forms a foundation for MGM Resorts, says Stephanie Glanzer, chief sales officer and senior vice president for the company. It helps fill 40,000 rooms and 4 million square feet of meeting and exhibition space at 13 MGM properties, where 6,000 events are held each year.
Aria has 500,000 square feet of event space, and MGM is investing $100 million in renovations at the 20-year-old Mandalay Bay Convention Center, updating technology and adding new restaurants.
“It’s an incredible honor to be the first destination in the United States for this event,” Glanzer comments at the press conference. “We want to continue to gain exposure with groups unfamiliar with what we do.”
Founded in 1925 and based in Paris, UFI, known as the Global Association of Exhibition Industry, is a driving force in the development of world trade with a presence on six continents. Participants from more than 50 countries will tackle issues from changing customer expectations to changing business models.
