March 2005
5-minute interview: Rossi Ralenkotter

Rossi Ralenkotter, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), recently introduced an ambitious five-year plan that he says will bring 43 million visitors to the city annually by 2009. It will also include changes at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Here’s what the plan means for show organizers (for more details, see p. 15).

EXPO: What part of the plan do you think will have the biggest impact on exhibition organizers?
Ralenkotter: Our research showed that we didn’t need more exhibition space, but our clients need more meeting room space. So, we’re adding meeting rooms, as well as improving the way traffic flows around the building. We’re adding a grand lobby space, as well as a connection to the monorail. The original part of the building was built in 1959, and there have been a number of additions since then. We’ll also be updating the rest of the building so everything flows and fits together seamlessly.

EXPO: What segments of the meetings/exhibition market do you believe Las Vegas can grow, and how does the five-year plan address these?   
Ralenkotter: We see more potential in the meetings and incentives market, especially among international meetings. We also believe Las Vegas is perfectly suited to host shows that are co-locating. An example would be events like the recent Automotive Week, or the upcoming furniture and wood-working events coming in July. We can offer shows with synergies among attendees the ability to host events at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Expo Center and Mandalay Bay simultaneously. We think we can bring those assets together to attract more co-located events.

EXPO: Attracting international visitors is part of the plan, and international attendees represent a huge challenge for show organizers. How will Las Vegas be able to help show organizers attract these international visitors?  
Ralenkotter: We’re investing a lot in growing the international market, and that includes helping our clients bring international exhibitors and attendees to their Las Vegas shows. The LVCVA has a number of offices in countries overseas. This past year, we’ve organized several trade missions and invited clients to join us to promote their events overseas. For example, earlier this year we organized a trade mission to South America and Brazil. We helped show organizers with press conferences and interviews with local media. We’ve helped them set up appointments with potential exhibitors and helped them host receptions for important in-country contacts. We’ve got a similar trip planned for China, and this is something we plan to continue to do in the future. As part of the five-year plan, we’re also expanding our promotion of Las Vegas as a destination to the consumer market. We have targeted efforts planned in Mexico, the United Kingdom and Canada. I think increasing that brand awareness will also help show organizers attract attendees to shows here.