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Las Vegas is doubling down on its bid to revive business travel with the completion of the city’s revamped convention center. The project is on track for full completion by 2025.
A joint venture between AECOM Hunt, a wholly-owned subsidiary of global contractor AECOM, and Penta Building Group, a Las Vegas-based general contractor, recently placed the top spot on the $600 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Centeraccording to a press release.
The project represents a significant investment in the city’s future as a leading destination for conventions and trade fairs.
“Across the country, convention centers are becoming critical players in driving economic growth and vitality, and the Las Vegas Convention Center is at the forefront of this dynamic,” said Corissa Smith, executive vice president of ‘AECOM Hunt and Convention Center Market Leader. “Long regarded as one of the nation’s premier convention centers, this project will further differentiate Las Vegas with state-of-the-art innovations and enhancements to the guest experience.”
The Hunt-Penta JV completed work on the south pavilion in January and will continue the renovation of the central and north pavilions until 2025. Once complete, the center will feature a spacious lobby, new state-of-the-art spaces, digital signage, enhanced technology features and an improved overall experience for guests, according to the press release.
In addition to these upgrades, the renovation also further expands the center’s West Concourse, which was part of a $1 billion expansion completed in 2021. The upgrades are intended to better integrate the West Concourse with the rest of the convention center
Other improvements include a redesigned parking lot and the addition of a Vegas Loop Station to transport guests to and from the nearby Wynn and Encore hotels, according to the release.
Economic impact
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which owns the convention center, launched the $600 million renovation project on the facility’s legacy campus in 2023. Originally conceived in 2016, the project suffered numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now back in the works as Las Vegas experiences a resurgence of business travel.
Last year, the convention center hosted 48 conventions with approximately 1.2 million attendees, according to the release. The place hosts some of the the most important trade fairs in the countryincluding the Consumer Electronics Show, World of Concrete and Conexpo-Con/Agg, North America’s largest construction trade show.
Given the scale of these events, convention center activity continues to be a crucial driver of Las Vegas’ economic growth. In 2023, the convention sector contributed more than $15.1 billion in global economic outputaccording to a report from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
