LAS VEGAS — All eyes are on Las Vegas as the city is awash in Super Bowl activations leading up to the big game. Super Bowl LVIII marks the first time Las Vegas and the state of Nevada will welcome the biggest game in football, and it will be a windfall.
With an estimated total economic impact of more than $500 million based on previous Super Bowls, Super Bowl LVIII will significantly benefit the greater Las Vegas area and the entire state through direct spending, additional tax dollar generation and increased room occupancy.
What does this mean to trade show organizers? Even more allure to the city that is already a trade show magnet. In September, The Wall Street Journal ranked the top 30 convention centers in the U.S. and three Las Vegas convention centers were in the top 10, with the Las Vegas Convention Center taking the top spot.
The Las Vegas Convention Center features 4.6 million square feet of space with a total of 225 meeting rooms in close proximity to 150,000 guest rooms. With 1.2 million square feet of meeting space, The Venetian Convention and Expo Center came in at number three but was ranked first for its 350 meeting rooms. Mandalay Bay Convention Center ranked seventh.
The game is being held in a stadium that offers abundant group offerings itself — Allegiant Stadium.
Steve Hill, the President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, realizes the importance of the big game. “We are very cognizant that we have one opportunity to get the first Super Bowl in Las Vegas right,” Hill said. “We’ve been working to do this for 60 years.”
Adding to the excitement is the possibility of global icon Taylor Swift being at the game. All eyes have been on her whirlwind romance with Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, and she has been present at every postseason game as the team has battled to earn its spot in the Super Bowl. There is one snafu. She performs in Tokyo on February 10 and the Super Bowl on the 11th. It is doable; even the U.S. Embassy of Japan confirmed this fact. She should make it to Las Vegas in time if she leaves Tokyo right after her concert.
Related. Las Vegas Positions Itself for Trade Show and Business Activity Growth
Big Event Town
“Las Vegas knows how to do big events,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. And it will show the world just this as it hosts the big game and all the ancillary events it attracts.
The city will have a short window to breathe as MAGIC Las Vegas, recognized as the world’s largest fashion marketplace and the most important apparel event in the U.S., starts on Tuesday, February 13.
“As an industry, we need to recognize that our value, although considerable, is completely subordinated to the financial value that consumer events like the Super Bowl, Formula 1, the NCAA, and more bring to any city,” Marty Glynn, CEO of MAD Event Management, said. “We should pay attention to the calendar that represents large sporting events and how that affects hotels, restaurants, transportation and airlines. Sports and entertainment are creeping ever nearer to our industry.”
Jaki Baskow, CEO of Baskow Talent and Las Vegas Speakers Bureau, a celebrity and talent broker company based in Las Vegas celebrating its 45th anniversary, says this has been her busiest week since the start of the pandemic. Sports mania took over trade shows and conventions in town this week, and she booked Peyton Manning, Jon Dorenbos, Erin Andrews, Alex Dowis, and Terry Crews, as well as David Perrico and the Raiders House Band along with the Raiderettes.
“We are a city known for glitz and glamour. Wait until the rest of the world sees how we host our greatest show yet,” Baskow said.
Reach Marty Glynn at marty@madeventmanagement.com; Jaki Baskow at jaki@jakibaskow.com; Steve Hill and the LVCVA at (702) 892-0711
