Las Vegas To Host 380,000 at Trade Shows
Las Vegas is scheduled to host 13 trade shows with a projected attendance of 10,000 or more during the second quarter of 2004. Together, those shows are projected to attract nearly 380,000 total convention attendees to Las Vegas. This represents an increase of approximately 21 percent over the same time frame of 2003. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the collective non-gaming economic impact of these large second-quarter trade shows is estimated to be more than $520 million. “We’re looking not only at a strong second quarter for Las Vegas trade shows, but also at an unprecedented year. For the first time in Las Vegas’ history, the destination will be hosting a major trade show with 10,000 or more attendees during each month of 2004,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, executive vice president, LVCVA. The largest of the shows, the National Association of Broadcasters, had an estimated 90,000 attendees in April, and the National Hardware Show is expected to attract 50,000 this month.
R.C. Willey Plans Reno Location
R.C. Willey, a major furniture, electronics, appliance and flooring retailer, will begin construction in June on a store in the Damonte Ranch planned community off US 395 south of Reno. The new store will feature a 130,000-square-foot showroom and approximately 40,000 square feet of warehouse and support facilties. The 12-acre site is located in the Damonte Ranch Town Center being developed by Lewis Retail Centers. The store is slated to open in spring of 2005.
Grant Encourages Hispanic Hospitality Employment
The federal Department of Labor has awarded a $1.9 million grant to the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (HERE) for its Hi-Demand program, to prepare Hispanic workers for job opportunities in Las Vegas. The union is partnering with 24 hospitality-industry employers, the Culinary Training Academy and Nevada Partners, Inc., a community-based training provider. One of the objectives of the grant is to train Spanish-speaking workers in the English-language skills they need to enter the workforce in the hospitality industry and to be promoted to higher-level positions. Other goals are to help employers better understand and motivate their Hispanic workers, and to improve the quality of service for hotel guests and casino patrons. English-language classes will be held at the Culinary Academy and also at several major hotel-casinos.
Nevada Job Market Maintains Steady Pace
Results of the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the second quarter of 2004, released by employment-services provider Manpower, show Nevada executives plan little change in their hiring patterns through June. In the Las Vegas area, 77 percent of those surveyed said there would be “no change” in the size of their workforce this quarter, compared to 49 percent of Reno employers. While 41 percent of Reno employers surveyed planned to increase their workforce, only 20 percent of Southern Nevada companies planned more hiring. Statewide numbers showed that 31 percent planned an increase and only 2 percent planned a decrease in workforce numbers, while 62 percent planned no change, the same percentage shown in a national survey of 16,000 U.S. employers.
Military Chooses Reno Software Company
A Reno-based company, eTreppid Technologies, has been awarded a federal military contract with a maximum value of $30 million. The U.S. Special Operations Command in Florida, which announced the contract, said complete details could not be made public because of national security concerns. However, the work will involve computer software for video compression, automatic target recognition (ATR) and biometric products, as well as technical support for the Special Forces Operations Command and other government agencies. “eTreppid’s compression technology enables video to be transmitted over satellite radios using the same bandwidth that audio or still images had required in the past,” stated eTreppid’s CEO, Warren Trepp. The work, which will be done in Reno, will continue through 2009.