By Ray Smith
Exhibit City News
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is both “honored and thrilled” to be chosen as the host destination for the 27th World Routes Development Forum in 2021, LVCVA President Steve Hill said Wednesday during a press conference at IMEX America at Sands Expo in Las Vegas.
The world’s largest commercial aviation event is scheduled Sept. 13-15, 2021, returning to Las Vegas where it was first held in North America in 2013. Las Vegas also hosted Routes Americas in 2017.
“As the first U.S. destination to host World Routes in 2013, it is an honor to once again showcase our city to the decision makers in the aviation world,” says Hill (pictured below, left, with Steven Small). “Tourism is the driving force of the Las Vegas economy and convenient and efficient air service is crucial in maintaining and growing the visitor base.”
The city will have several new venues by 2021, including Allegiant Stadium, future home of the NFL Raiders, the MSG Sphere and a 1.4 million-square-foot expansion of Las Vegas Convention Center.
McCarran International Airport, which welcomed a record 49.7 million passengers in 2018 and is on pace to top that number in 2019, serves as an economic engine that drives billions of dollars into the community and supports 25 percent of all local employment. McCarran has invested millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements, terminal renovations and technology advancements in recent years.
“Thousands of delegates from around the world will experience everything Las Vegas has to offer,” says Rosemary Vassiliadis, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation. “It lets airline executives experience features and amenities of McCarran International Airport.”
McCarran has improved infrastructure and renovated Terminal 1, doubling the number of international gates, and added a new high-end airport lounge and duty-free retail shops, among other investments. “Las Vegas has worked hard to develop one of the world’s most modern and efficient airports,” Vassiliadis adds.
The airport director says she’s proud of McCarran bringing the latest TSA technology and innovations, adding to its safety measures. “Having technology take over the layers of security and safety is a benefits not only our operations as a whole, but to the individual passenger,” she says.
Las Vegas is also the perfect fit for the world’s largest aviation event. With its entertainment offerings, renowned restaurants and world-famous resorts, Las Vegas is the ultimate tourist destination, attracting more than 42 million visitors a year. It’s also regarded as one of the world’s best conference hosts, boasting more than 11.5 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide. Last year, a record 6.6 million people came to Las Vegas for a meeting, conference, exhibition or tradeshow.
According to a recent study by the LVCVA, the tourism industry in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada generates an estimated $60 billion in economic impact every year. The inseparable connection between Las Vegas and the tourism industry makes it a natural fit for World Routes, which brings together 3,000 senior decision-makers from the aviation and tourism industries to meet face-to-face and discuss the future of air services, develop and plan network strategy and explore new route opportunities.
Steven Small, brand director of Routes, says the conference provides an opportunity for airline executives to determine their routes and destinations. The World Routes Forum moves to a different city each year to give those decision-makers an idea of different airports and cities.
“Routes attracts real decision-makers from the aviation industry,” Small says. “We meet with airports and hosts to determine their expectations and goals. Routes will help Las Vegas achieve those objectives.”
The bidding process to host the Routes conference is extremely competitive, Small adds, and there are few cities globally that can match Las Vegas in visitor infrastructure.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) 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. For more info, visit www.lvcva.com.
World Routes brings together 3,000 top-ranking delegates from over 130 countries in the world’s largest aviation event to discuss and shape the future of the aviation and tourism industry. For more info, visit www.routesonline.com
