Photo: Mandalay Bay Convention Center
There are some big changes at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino that add up to good news for the booming convention and trade show industry.
Based on growing demand, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center is expanding. The MGM Resorts property has built a new 35,000-square-foot exhibit space, a 20,000-square-foot foyer and underground parking in the recently-completed first phase. The second and final phase of the expansion will transition existing space into a 70,000-square-foot carpeted ballroom.
The $70-million project is expected to be done in January, making Mandalay Bay the fifth largest convention and trade show facility in North America and the biggest one actually on the Strip.
“The opening of our convention center expansion is another exciting milestone in the multi-year transformation of our resort,” said Chuck Bowling, President and COO of Mandalay Bay. “The response to booking the space has exceeded our expectations, and we believe this investment will increase visitation to Las Vegas, driving incremental business to MGM Resorts’ portfolio and the city overall.”
The first event to take advantage of the new space is MAGIC – the world’s largest gathering of professionals in the fashion industry.
In addition to the convention center expansion, more than 3,000 rooms at Mandalay Bay have been remodeled. The idea is to make sure that people in town to attend events at the expanded Convention Center also stick around on property while not only taking advantage of the world-class accommodations, but also the dining and entertainment options. The top restaurants include Charlie Palmer Steak, Aureole, Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood, Michael Mina’s Stripsteak and Lupo by Wolfgang Puck. Among the entertainment is the House of Blue, Cirque du Soleil’s production of Michael Jackson One, the Shark Reef Aquarium and events inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center.
When it’s all said and done, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center will consist of more than 2-million-square-feet of space and 900 new underground parking spaces.
