Las Vegas is doubling down on its bet for resurging business travel with the topping out of the city’s revamped convention center. The project is on track for full completion by 2025.
A joint venture of AECOM Hunt, a fully owned subsidiary of global contractor AECOM, and Penta Building Group, a Las Vegas-based general contractor, recently placed the highest beam on the $600 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center, according to a news release.
The project represents a significant investment into the city’s future as a leading destination for convention and trade shows.
“Across the country, convention centers are becoming pivotal players in driving economic growth and vitality and the Las Vegas Convention Center is at the forefront of this dynamic,” said Corissa Smith, AECOM Hunt executive vice president and convention center market lead. “Long held as one of the nation’s leading convention centers, this project will set Las Vegas apart even further, with state-of-the-art innovations and guest experience enhancements.”
The Hunt-Penta JV completed work on the south hall in January and will continue with the renovation of the central and north halls through 2025. Once finished, the center will feature an expansive lobby, new state-of-the-art spaces, digital signs, improved technology features and an overall enhanced guest experience, according to the news release.
In addition to these updates, the renovation also further expands the center’s west hall, which was part of a $1 billion expansion completed in 2021. The current upgrades aim to better integrate the west hall with the rest of the convention center.
Other enhancements 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. Initially conceived in 2016, the project faced numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now back on track as Las Vegas experiences a resurgence in business travel.
Last year, the convention center hosted 48 conventions with approximately 1.2 million attendees, according to the release. The venue is home to some of the country’s most significant trade shows, such as 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 remains a crucial driver of economic growth for Las Vegas. In 2023, the convention sector contributed more than $15.1 billion to the overall economic output, according to a Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority report.
