World Market Center kickoff has ripple effect on tourism

Monday, July 25, 2005 | 11:06 a.m.

Local tourism experts say today's opening of the World Market Center may have a greater impact than most major conventions because of the co-location effect -- spin-off events and related shows are coming to Las Vegas at the same time as major furniture industry exhibitors.

Consider some of the other events on the Las Vegas convention calendar this week:

It's unclear just how many people will be in Las Vegas to show and see furniture this week, since some of the shows will have some attendance overlap. But Chris Meyer, senior director of convention center sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said it's a brand-new market that is a classic example of the success of co-location.

"It's a golden opportunity for worldwide reach and worldwide recognition to create something special here," Meyer said.

Co-location occurs when peripheral businesses and organizations develop shows and events at around the same time so that attendees can take one trip to make several contacts. One of the most successful co-location events occurs in early November when car industry leaders descend on Las Vegas for Automotive Aftermarket Week, a series of shows and meetings that bring more than 100,000 people to the city.

Meyer said that because this week's furniture shows are the first ever conducted here it's hard to tell how many will attend -- but he expects the total to be between 70,000 and 100,000. With conventioneers spending an average of $1,454 a trip, the nongaming economic impact should be between $101.8 million and $145.4 million.

Meyer said the World Market Center event has signed leases to through 2007 and is holding dates through 2012. The Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers, which historically has met every other year, is locked in with the Convention Center through 2011.

One of the key elements to the show is the "world" aspect of it. Meyer said exhibitors are coming from all over the globe to participate, giving Las Vegas an opportunity to showcase itself as a tourism destination for a new audience that hasn't ever seen it.

"There's a huge international component to this," Meyer said. "There are exhibitors from Frankfurt and Milan that are coming to this show."

Triad Expositions LLC, which is presenting its inaugural Las Vegas Furniture Show this week, will follow with another in January.

"When the idea came to mind to hold a furniture show, Las Vegas was the first city we thought would truly appreciate it," said P. Stephan Phelps, president and chief executive of Triad. "People here are conscious of trends in decorating, and with all of the new homes being built and new people relocating to the city every month, it made sense to have the event here."

LVCVA officials don't look at the World Market Center as a traditional convention center, since it will specialize in exhibits for a specific industry. Still, the facility, which is being expanded to eight buildings with a total of 12 million square feet of exhibit space by 2015, will become, in essence, a year-round trade show venue and will take pressure off local convention centers except at times when the co-located events are in town.