Where I Stand — Pat Christenson: Well-revenued venues

Friday, Aug. 6, 1999 | 9:50 a.m.

Editor's note: In August, Where I Stand is written by guest columnists. Today's guest is Pat Christenson, who has been the director of the Thomas & Mack Center and Sam Boyd Stadium since 1992. A former standout wrestler at Wisconsin, Christenson oversees all operations for both the arena and the stadium. Christenson writes about the community support that has turned his venues into invaluable community resources.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO the Thomas & Mack Center opened. Twenty-five years ago Sam Boyd Stadium was built. Neither of these facilities were of cost to local taxpayers yet their value to the community has been unprecedented.

This fall both of these venues will reopen with $35 million worth of improvements. When they do, the community will enjoy two of the finest venues in the country. The improvements, too numerous to describe here, will provide UNLV and the community two venues that will allow the university to better serve its student athletes and for the community to enjoy first-class entertainment. And again there will be no cost to the local taxpayers.

UNLV and the community have formed an unprecedented partnership, which has allowed the venues to meet their budget the past 15 years while making $15 million worth of improvements. At the same time, with events like the National Finals Rodeo, professional boxing and the Western Athletic Conference championships, the venues have generated more than $1 billion in economic impact to the community.

UNLV has truly been visionary in its support of the operation of these venues. Last year UNLV's president, Dr. Carol Harter, and the Board of Regents continued that tradition with the support of $27 million for the renovation and modernization of both venues. This allowed UNLV to complete life and safety maintenance, as well as modernize both venues.

In addition to this funding, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority allocated $5 million to complete a tunnel and add 9,000 seats to Sam Boyd Stadium, which enabled Las Vegas Events to reach a new 10-year agreement with the National Finals Rodeo and the convention authority to continue the Las Vegas Bowl.

In March, Cox Communications agreed to give UNLV $5 million for the construction of a 4,000-seat pavilion. The new Cox Pavilion will serve as a practice and competition facility for the women's volleyball and basketball teams, as well as a practice venue for the men's basketball team. In addition, the pavilion will host concerts, Broadway shows, UNLV academic events, trade shows, boxing, family shows and corporate gatherings.

Our venues have also partnered with numerous other corporations. These partnerships will allow us to further improve our venues and produce new events.

I am proud to be a part of a community that has embraced our venues and worked with UNLV to maximize the benefits to student-athletes and the community. Our success is attributable to the great vision our regents had 15 years ago and the continued vision under the leadership of Harter and our current regents.

If it were not for the commitment we have had from the corporate community, the Legislature, the convention authority, Las Vegas Events and the hotels, we would not have the venues we have now.

The lion's share of the credit, however, goes to the people who make up our operation. We have never been directed to do what we do. It was our choice.

The people who operate and make up our operation take tremendous pride in operating these venues better than any in the country. It is their vision to deliver the biggest and best events and an entertainment experience like no other.

The past success of these venues is a tribute to the commitment they have made to provide you a truly memorable event experience. That experience will take on a whole new meaning when our venues reopen.