The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Board of Directors on Tuesday, May 8, approved the schematic design, timeline and budget for the proposed Enhancement Program for the Las Vegas Convention Center.

�We are pleased to be moving forward and enhancing our world-class facility, which is befitting of our destination,� said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO, LVCVA. �The overriding goal of the program is to enhance the customer experience for everyone using this facility. This design improves the functionality, usability and lifespan of our building for decades to come.�

The Enhancement Program�s budget is $890 million, and the majority of the work on the program is set to be complete by the end of 2010. Some meeting room renovation is scheduled for 2011 to accommodate trade show clients.
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The LVCVA will finance $822 million in debt securities and provide the remaining $68 million from capital funds.

The Las Vegas Convention Center opened in 1959 with the World Congress of Flight and has hosted some of the largest trade shows in the world since. In 2006, the building housed more than 90 trade shows and is one of the busiest facilities in the country.

Other projects approved in the Enhancement Program include:

• Building a grand lobby connecting the three halls of the convention center and enhancing the curb appeal of the building. The north/south connector, and entire facility, will include upgraded way finding signage to improve movement around the building.
• Constructing a new meeting room concourse in the South Hall to improve the overall ratio of the meeting space to exhibition space, bringing the facility more in line with the industry.
• Performing essential infrastructure upgrades to the entire campus to improve the functionality of the convention center. Basic infrastructures, such as technology and electrical, will be updated for improved customer experience decades into the future.
• Aesthetic enhancements to provide a single, uniform experience throughout the facility and provide a much more user-friendly appearance to meeting rooms, public areas and restrooms.

ABOUT THE LVCVA

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 and Cashman Center. With approximately 133,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 9.5 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.