VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more
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VEGAS INC C OV E R STO RY Expo. About a half-dozen helicopters will land in a Convention Center parking lot before being towed into the convention hall. APRIL April is traditionally a little light for tourism in Las Vegas because annual conventions tend to avoid having to dodge spring break and the Easter holiday. But there are a couple of staples: • One of the top five Las Vegas conventions every year is the National Association of Broadcasters, which this year will bring an estimated 96,000 people to the Convention Center from April 8 to 11. • Don't forget: Tax day is Monday, April 15. That's the last day to file an IRS tax return without an extension or penalty. MAY May is expected to mark the return of a long-lost Las Vegas pastime: going to a water park. Wet 'n' Wild graced the Strip for years but closed its doors in 2004. This year, Las Vegas will get two parks, both scheduled to open Memorial Day. Wet 'n' Wild is under construction in Summerlin, near the Las Vegas Beltway and Sunset Road, while Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas is in development near the Galleria at Sunset mall in Henderson. May dates to keep in mind: • Vegas Uncork'd, which has become one of the nation's leading "foodie" events, is scheduled May 10 to 12. The city's celebrity chefs will present specialty offerings to thousands of diners, many who travel to the city specifically for the event. • Helldorado Days, a downtown event celebrating western pioneers and the development of what is now Hoover Dam, will be May 16 to 19. The street party also is a great way for local businesses to become involved in the community and show off their goods. • RECon, an annual retail real estate convention, will be May 19 to 22 at the 20130107_VI01_F.indd 15 | • The growing Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers is back. It sets up in Las Vegas every other year. The show, expected to draw 17,000 people, will run at the Convention Center from July 24 to 27. • The second Las Vegas Market furniture exhibit of the year will be at the World Market Center. An estimated 50,000 people are expected to attend the conference, scheduled from July 29 through Aug. 2. AUGUST SAM MORRIS STEVE MARCUS 7 JANUARY 2013 JUNE Festival-goers swing on a ride during the Electric Daisy Carnival. Tacos are displayed during a Vegas Uncork'd food festival. The next one is scheduled for May. | Convention Center. More than 30,000 people are expected to attend. • New to the Las Vegas calendar is the AARP Life@50+ event, scheduled for May 31 and June 1 at the Convention Center. Organizers conservatively estimate 8,000 people will attend, but LVCVA officials hope for as many as 20,000. This year's event will include presentations by Bob Newhart and Don Rickles. The Electric Daisy Carnival electronic music festival returns to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway from June 21 to 23. The event has been so successful that pre-sale tickets sold out immediately. Three-day package tickets go on sale Wednesday. Other June highlights include: • A court case that could alter the Las Vegas skyline is scheduled for June 24. At issue is the future of the Harmon Hotel in CityCenter. Lawyers for part-owner MGM Resorts International will battle general contractor Tutor Perini Building Corp. in Clark Country District Court to decide the fate of the tower. Legal experts say the case could drag on into 2014. • The American Society of Safety Engineers is returning to Las Vegas after a four-year hiatus. About 12,000 people are expected to attend the organization's Safety 2013 event June 24 to 27 at the Convention Center. • Downtown likely will get a boost in June when the SlotZilla zip line opens. It is an 11-story tower with longer, taller zip lines than those currently hanging over the Fremont Street Experience. With school around the corner, August is another slow month for Las Vegas: • One of the biggest breakthroughs on the 2013 calendar will be the inaugural South by Southwest V2V event Aug. 11 to 14 at the Cosmopolitan. Described as a conference and festival for entrepreneurs, it will include presentations, workshops, coaching sessions and pitch events. V2V stands for Visionaries to Vegas, Vision to Venture, Voice to Voice and Venture to Vegas. It's modeled after the successful South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. SEPTEMBER • One of the most important Las Vegas industry shows is the Global Gaming Expo, known as G2E. This year, it returns Sept. 24 to 26 at the Sands Expo Center. More than 17,000 people are expected to attend. • One of the world's premier car auctions also returns to the city. Last year, revenue from the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction hit the $23 million mark. A version of the event, which also is popular in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Palm Springs, Calif., is planned in September. • Also, Pack Expo, a conference on packing materials, will bring 26,000 people to the Convention Center from Sept. 23 to 25. OCTOBER JULY Sports again take the spotlight in July, with basketball center stage. The National Basketball Association Summer League will be played July 11 to 21 at the Thomas & Mack Center and the Cox Pavilion. America's best basketball players come to town July 24 to 26 for the USA Basketball training camp. Other July events include: SUN FILE PHOTO (2010) Cohen Thomas, 3, of Salt Lake City plays with a toy during the 2010 ABC Kids Expo. • The ABC Kids Expo, a trade show for children's products, returns to Las Vegas after two unsuccessful years in Louisville, Ky. It runs Oct. 15 to 18. • The National Business Aviation Association, focused on the private jet industry, will land at the Convention Center from Oct. 22 to 24. About 32,000 people are expected. NOVEMBER The auto aftermarket has grown so big that two shows meet simultaneously in what is now called Automotive Aftermarket Week. • SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, meets at the Convention Center while the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo will be at the Sands Expo Center from Nov. 5 to 8. An estimated 130,000 people will attend the two shows. • One of December's traditional lateyear traffic generators, the Zappos. com Rock and Roll Marathon has been scheduled earlier this year than in the past. The race, which includes Las Vegas Boulevard as part of the course, will be Nov. 17, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. DECEMBER STEVE MARCUS Calves pause for a snack at the National Finals Rodeo livestock area. It seems like only yesterday that we said adios to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Wranglers National Finals Rodeo. But a new season awaits in 2013. The 2013 NFR will run Dec. 5 to 14 at the Thomas & Mack Center. • There's no calendar date for the opening of Caesars Entertainment's Project Linq, which will include a massive observation wheel overlooking the Strip. But company officials say it will ready by the end of the year. • While some may still be experiencing some of the hangover effects of America's Party 2013 last week, the LVCVA promises that the next party will be even bigger. The New Year's Eve celebration brings more than 300,000 people to town. 15 1/3/13 2:09:22 PM