LVCVA subsidizes Shriners’ convention

Wednesday, April 11, 2001 | 10:39 a.m.

In early July about 14,000 Shriners will meet in a Las Vegas convention, their visit underwritten by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The LVCVA board of directors unanimously approved a $118,000 expenditure Tuesday to sponsor the event, one of a handful of meetings in which conventioneers seek -- and get -- a sponsorship for their activities.

"We do it for fraternal groups and service clubs," said Rossi Ralenkotter, vice president of marketing for the LVCVA. He estimated that on average, about two or three sponsorship requests are granted by the LVCVA board each year.

The LVCVA is financed primarily with receipts of taxes on hotel rooms.

The Imperial Council of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine puts its convention up for bid to several convention cities each year. The group stipulates that the host community sponsors the group's officers' preconvention activities and its Shrine parade.

Preconvention activities for Imperial Divan members will cost an estimated $82,800 while the parade production, for permits, police and barricades, will cost about $35,600.

Ralenkotter explained that the LVCVA staff evaluates the size of the group, when it plans to meet and what kind of economic impact it would have on the community before making a bid. The LVCVA seeks assistance from resorts and evaluates the meeting's worth to the city.

In the case of the Shriners, the meeting will be July 6-10 -- historically, a relatively slow period for the city. LVCVA analysts say the nongaming economic impact of hosting 14,000 Shriners during that time would be about $13.5 million.

Conventioneers are expected to fill 10,675 rooms at 13 different hotels.

"This is something that's quite different from the traditional business convention," Ralenkotter said. "We do it for some reunions and for groups like the Lions, Kiwanis and the Rotary Club."

The LVCVA board also approved a $10,000 cost overrun for a golf tournament and welcome reception for an event last January. The board budgeted $30,000 to sponsor a United Kingdom golf team for the third annual Trans Atlantic Golf Challenge in Las Vegas. But the costs climbed to $40,000, requiring a budget transfer to cover the overage.