Friday, March 21, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority plans to nearly double the amount of exhibition space it administers in the next 15 years and will intensify international marketing to keep occupancy of a growing number of hotel rooms near capacity.
Thomas Smith, vice president of facilities for the LVCVA, told a breakfast gathering of the Southern Nevada Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties that the goal isn't to attract bigger conventions, but to have the ability to handle several gatherings at the same time.
"Ideally, we'd like to have one on its way in, one on the convention floor and one taking things down at all times," said Smith, who said he envisions square footage for convention and meeting space administered by the LVCVA growing from about 1.3 million to more than 2.5 million.
To keep occupancy in Clark County's 120,000 motel and hotel rooms and recreational vehicle spaces above 90 percent, Smith said the LVCVA is beefing up its international marketing.
Offices in Great Britain, Germany and Japan will steer travelers to some new non-stop international flights to McCarran International Airport. In May, Condor, a charter operation of Lufthansa German Airlines, will start up direct service between Frankfurt and Las Vegas. Virgin Atlantic Airlines will offer flights between London and Las Vegas.
While broadening the scope to find new visitors will bring more global travelers to the city, advertising in America's heartland will continue to seek out domestic travelers and the mass audiences conventions offer.
Smith said the LVCVA doesn't have any answers to solving the traffic congestion problems that erupt whenever a massive convention like Comdex visits the city. The organization has budgeted to build a pedestrian overpass at Paradise Road and Convention Center Drive to move foot traffic from the parking lot at the old Landmark hotel-casino site and beyond to the Strip over to the convention center.
The LVCVA also has encouraged large conventions to hire traffic monitors to keep pedestrians off the streets when trade show floors open and close. Large groups also are being encouraged to rent buses to move convention traffic between the resorts and the center.
Another bid to keep pedestrians and cars away from each other has been effected by lowering the level of Desert Inn Road south of the convention center. Supply vehicles can easily access the center via overpasses along Desert Inn which also are used by pedestrians parking in a lot on the south side of the street.
Eventually, the convention center will be expanded over the top of Desert Inn.
Smith said engineers are considering turning Paradise Road and Swenson Street into one-way pairs to improve the traffic flow around the center during busy periods.
Smith also told NAIOP members:
* The LVCVA is considering proposals to raise the room tax that funds the organization's budget. Currently at 8 percent, the room tax is lower than the national average of about 13 percent and New York City's rate of 23.5 percent. The debate is being raised in response to discussions about the need to improve infrastructure in Las Vegas.
* The organization has budgeted $50 million to help build a spring training baseball site in Henderson. "I used to be a great baseball fan," said Smith, "until I had to negotiate with some of the team owners." Major League Baseball officials have said it isn't likely Las Vegas would be able to host spring training until four teams could be lured from existing training facilities in Florida or Arizona.
* He is pleased with private-sector attempts to build convention and visitor facilities. He specifically said he hopes Paul Tanner's Ply Stadium Partners group is successful building a domed stadium near downtown Las Vegas because any facility built by the private sector is one less that has to be considered with public dollars.
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