Meeting and convention industry leaders in Las Vegas, Nevada, united on March 30 to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) by serving local charitable organizations.
Organized by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), GMID annually showcases the economic impact of meeting and events-related travel spending, which totaled nearly $100 billion in 2022.
For Global Meetings Industry Day in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) coordinated a unified effort for local resort sales teams and Las Vegas meeting and convention customers to give back to a variety of local causes.
Hands-On Help
Caesars Entertainment employees assembled 2,000 hygiene kits for Communities in Schools. Wynn Las Vegas employees served meals to more than 250 at Catholic Charities. Wynn also joined Virgin Las Vegas employees and area meeting and convention customers at Three Square to fill 1,296 backpacks for food-insecure Clark County School District students. Three Square is southern Nevada’s only food bank and the area’s largest hunger-relief organization.
In addition, MGM Resorts International, Station Casinos, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, and Resorts World Las Vegas employees assembled more than 5,000 hygiene kits for Catholic Charities. Team members at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas organized more than 1,000 meals for HERO School, City Impact Las Vegas, Las Vegas Rescue Mission, and New Day Adult Care to celebrate Global Meetings Industry Day in Las Vegas.
“Since its inception, GMID has always been about making a difference and supporting communities, which is also a core tenet for Caesars Entertainment,” says Kelly Gleeson Smith, vice president of sales for the company. “We are incredibly proud of our team and industry colleagues for getting involved this GMID by making an impact in their community as well as spreading the message that ‘Meetings Matter.’”
Meetings Impact
The 15 million square feet of meeting and event space in Las Vegas is more than any destination in North America. The city hosted nearly 5 million convention attendees in 2022 and anticipates an even stronger 2023. During a normal year, spending by visitors attending conventions directly supports 43,000 jobs in Las Vegas and results in a direct economic impact of $6.6 billion.
