$600M Las Vegas Convention Center renovation will boost events by 30%, exec says

The three-year, $600 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center is expected to result in immediate dividends for Southern Nevada tourism.

With additional space available to rent — space that is expected to house the most modern and consumer-friendly meeting venue in the world — is seven months from completion.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill expects the convention center in 2026 to host a record number of attendees with available rental space expanding from 1.9 million square feet before the $1 billion West Hall debuted in 2021 to 2.5 million square feet when the project is completed near the end of December.

Hill and representatives of the project contractors — the AECOM Hunt-Penta joint venture, Miller & Ham Project Development and Klai Juba Wald Architecture and Interiors — on Tuesday gave a hard-hat tour of the work in progress.

Hill is expecting the 2026 convention calendar will see enough business to eclipse the record 6.6 million convention attendees recorded in 2019.

30 percent increase in space

“When we have the full renovation done, we will have moved from 1.9 million square feet to 2.5 million square feet,” Hill said after the tour. “It’s about a 30 percent increase in space, and we want to at least have a 30 percent increase in the economic activity that results.”

Customer demand is what has driven decisions to invest in the facility over the years.

“We had a customer a couple years ago who said, you are finally going to have an A-plus facility in an A-plus city,” Hill said. “And that matters. You know Vegas is a draw. We get shows who want to come to Las Vegas simply because it’s in Las Vegas. Las Vegas elevates the meeting industry like no other city does.

“But to be able to do it in a facility and a venue that they’re excited to be in, that helps them save money, that makes them more efficient and grows the show, is something they’ve been waiting for for 20 years and we’re thrilled to be on the cusp of it.”

Being on the verge of opening comes at a time when there’s a lack of consumer confidence to travel and numerous critics are complaining that trips to Las Vegas have become too expensive because of the continual nickel-and-diming of customers by resorts, concert and sports venues and local attractions.

LVCVA statistics show visitation volume has been down compared with a year ago for the past four months. Passenger traffic at Harry Reid International Airport and the hotel occupancy rate also have been down the past three months. But the average daily room rate has been up compared with last year in six of the last seven months, with the only exception being February when rates were compared with a month that included Super Bowl pricing.

The renovations that have occurred in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s legacy campus since January 2024 are designed to mimic the quality of the new West Hall.

First big renovation in 65 years

Hill said there hasn’t been a meaningful renovation of the North, Central and South halls in 65 years.

In 2024, workers refurbished the east entrance to the South Hall and built new administrative offices and a state-of-the-art board of directors meeting room.

New lighting and signage, enhanced entrances and renovated restrooms were completed at the North Hall later in 2024. Workers renovated North Hall meeting rooms and improved technology, including the addition of LED monitors outside every meeting room and enhanced sound and digital signage.

Expansion of the North Hall concourse between the North and West halls features new glass walls to allow for natural light and views of the Las Vegas Strip and outdoor exhibit spaces.

Work this year has moved toward the Central Hall and the convention center’s grand lobby.

The continuation of the glass wall and a signature ribbon design feature with high-arching curves are underway today from the grand lobby to the Central Hall. New carpet, lighting and digital displays will be going in.

The grand lobby that joins the North and Central halls will include four large digital screens, including a 46-by-78-foot unit, for customer branding, digital wayfinding and enhanced customer experience.

The renovated exhibition space in the Central Hall features new lighting, enhanced entrances and signage.

The outdoor exhibit space in the Silver Lot will add improved technology and dedicated loading zones for shuttle buses and ride-hailing services.

Climate-controlled concourse

Hill said the most expensive enhancement for the $600 million project, covering roughly half the budget, is a climate-controlled concourse that will link the North and South halls. Once completed, the new concourse will enable conventioneers the ability to walk to any exhibition hall without ever going outdoors.

“You had to go outside when it’s raining or when it’s hot or humid or cold,” Hill said. “That’s not a great experience. So about half of the expense in the renovation is in what you see in the front of the building.”

Construction crews are completing the massive job without skipping a beat on the convention calendar. The construction schedule was coordinated to be dark when major conventions and trade shows were in town and the LVCVA didn’t lose a single show during the renovation.

If all goes as planned, CES, meeting Jan. 6-9, will be the first show to take advantage of the new space and features.

An estimated 141,000 people attended this year’s CES in January.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.