Meeting News - December 17, 2007 - (Page 22)

Convention Centers Megacenter Will Pack Mega-Punch in Las Vegas Las Vegas Sands’ Megacenter complex at the Palazzo and Venetian hotels and the Sands Expo and Convention Center will add 1 million sf of convention space Las Vegas––When the Palazzo, a $2-billion hotel tower with more than 3,000 hotel rooms, opens on Dec. 20, Las Vegas Sands Corp. will aggressively tout its Megacenter as one of the largest meetings, incentive, convention, and exhibition complexes in the country. The Megacenter will be comprised of the Palazzo hotel, the Venetian hotel, and its recently expanded Sands Expo and Convention Center. The total area of the complex is 19 million sf, and there is 2.25 million sf of meeting space. The complex boasts more meeting space than some cities and accommodates up to 55,000 attendees with its under-one-roof proposition. The Megacenter offers more than 7,000 luxury hotel rooms, with such amenities as high-speed Internet access, in-suite refreshment centers, dual-line phones, fax, copiers, and printers. In addition, it combines 30 restaurants, two spas, casinos, a theater, and a collection of retail shops. “The idea is to offer meeting planners the most compelling overall package in the most exciting city in the world,” said Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. But it’s not without serious competition. The Megacenter is positioned against several new resort compounds under construction in Las Vegas, namely Echelon Place and MGM/Mirage’s CityCenter, opening through 2010. Edited by Mariana Lemann mariana.lemann@nielsen.com KY Expo’s North Wing Goes to Bat for Louisville Louisville, KY—The Kentucky Exposition Center has officially opened its new $55-million North Wing, which adds 215,000 sf of exhibition space for a total of 800,000 sf of usable space at the convention center. The wing, which replaced a previous one, is connected to a new 35,000-sf lobby and mezzanine with meeting The new Palazzo sports a Megacenter. Broward County CC Hotel In Fort Lauderdale’s Hands Fort Lauderdale, FL––Prospects for a Hilton-brand convention hotel, highly promising several weeks ago, now seem distant in light of opposition from Fort Lauderdale city officials concerned with traffic congestion and views of inland waterways. “The question about the convention center hotel is really in the hands of the city of Fort Lauderdale and how it feels about what it sees,” County Commissioner Lois Wexler told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Hilton plans to deliver a $398-million property by mid-2011. Proponents of the plan say the county has lost business by not having a bona-fide convention center property. Moniker for Raleigh’s CC Area Will Go to the Highest Bidder Raleigh, NC––City officials, representatives of two corporations, and a 22 MeetingNews local resident have been in talks over rights to the name of the city’s downtown convention center area. The expected deal would put a name on the plaza that encircles the convention center, rather than limiting it to just the building that is slated to open next fall. “It’s a home run for the city and the taxpayers,” City Councilman Philip Isley told media outlet WRAL.com. “Any private money we can get to help finance this $200million-plus facility is really money the taxpayers don’t have to spend.” A naming rights deal for the plaza could recoup more than $1 million to the city over the next three to five years. In late November, convention center director Roger Krupa said a deal is expected to be inked within 90 days. Fewer than 10 convention centers across the country bear corporate names. Contracts reportedly range from $250,000 to $850,000. Dallas Convention Center’s Hotel Plans Still Discussed Dallas––Dallas City Council’s Economic Development Committee is still discussing the construction of a downtown convention center hotel. Sites being considered for the hotel have not yet been made public, but according to the Dallas Morning News, they include a location at Eddie Dean’s Ranch on Lamar Street, the area next to Reunion Arena, and a patch of land between the convention center and the Morning News building, known as the Chavez property. Some city officials consider the latter to be the preferred site, which could cost $30 million. To be eligible for state and city incentives, the locations must be at least four acres and no more than 1,000 feet away from the convention center. Estimates for the project’s cost are approximately $350 million. Kentucky Exposition Center’s new lobby and mezzanine. rooms and a VIP suite. The new wing will join with two major new projects planned for Louisville: the 22,000-seat Louisville Arena, to break ground next summer and open in 2010, and a 250room Westin hotel, to be built as part of Louisville’s Museum Plaza project. The arena will feature 700,000 sf of exhibition space, while the hotel, also planned for a 2010 opening, is expected to offer a ballroom, fitness center, spa, and 40,000 sf of space to showcase contemporary art. H —Christopher Hosford www.meetingnews.com December 17, 2007 http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - December 17, 2007

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