What's Happening, Vegas?: Site Of The Day - Las Vegas Convention Planner

I look forward every January to finding a way to attend the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Those elusive exhibit passes for people like me not directly involved the electronics industry are usually available from vendors I know, but seem to be harder to get every year. This year's Consumer Electronics Show will be held at the LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER and SANDS EXPO CENTER from 01/08/2007 to 01/11/2007 with an expected attendance of 150,000 people. These facts are easilly gleaned from the site of the day:
Official Site for Las Vegas Meetings and Travel Professionals.

For the convention planner or attendee, this highly recommended site is invaluable - there is lots of useful information here about what to do in Vegas for the casual visitor and tourist, too.

Now, I've got to get to work on getting those CES exhibit passes!

From the site: About the Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA):

ABOUT THE LVCVA

"The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) was founded to strengthen the area's convention business, thereby eliminating a critical economic problem: the cyclical nature of the tourism industry.

The LVCVA's mission is to attract visitors by promoting Las Vegas as the world's most desirable destination for leisure and business travel.

In the early '50s, community leaders realized the cyclical nature of tourism caused a significant decline in the number of visitors on weekdays, throughout the summer months and during the holiday season. To bring more visitors to the area during off-peak periods, a new market was identified - convention attendees.

In 1955, the Nevada Legislature agreed to finance the Las Vegas Convention Center with a room tax that would be levied on guests staying at Clark County hotel and motel properties. Thereby, visitors, not local residents, would pay the tax. That decision led to the formation of the LVCVA's precursor, the Clark County Fair and Recreation Board.

In April 1959, construction on the Las Vegas Convention Center was completed without any assessment on Clark County residents. Monies collected from room tax enabled the LVCVA to begin a program of destination marketing.

In its current form, the LVCVA promotes tourism, conventions, meetings and special events, all of which contribute to the economic vitality of the "Entertainment Capital of the World." Additionally, the LVCVA owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center.

Today, the LVCVA has an annual budget of $227.8 million for the fiscal year 2006 and has 513 authorized employment positions. In fiscal year 2005, $171 million of the LVCVA budget derived from room taxes. An additional source of revenue to the LVCVA's general fund includes rental of facilities."

For additional information, go to www.LVCVA.com.

Another perspective on the CES:

The International Consumer Electronics Show

By Smash
on Culture