LAS VEGAS — MGM Resorts International will complete their $100 million renovation Mandalay Bay Convention Center (MBCC) later this month.
“We consider ourselves a leader in the meetings and conventions market, and we’re always looking for ways to improve the guest experience…we’ve been very aggressive in getting our schedule out there, getting the announcement out there and being able to get this refresh in place and finalized,” said Ernest Stovall, senior vice president of sales for Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Ambient settings
According to Stovall, feedback from meeting planners helped inspire updates to the MBCC’s ambiance: “They’re looking for a fresh new design… the functionality of the building, it’s kept our customers coming back, it’s just the product needed a refresh to go with it.”
The renovations included renovating the MBCC’s pre-function spaces, meeting rooms and ballrooms, repainting its exhibit space, relocating strobe lights and covering pillars. Artwork by Sarah Anne Johnson and Thank you Muriu Lamps were also hung throughout the exhibition space. Special attention was paid to ensuring that the venue remained in harmony with its tropical theme and highlighted it during these adjustments.
“We didn’t want to stray from our identity… We’re known as one of the premier meetings and exhibition destinations in the country with this tropical theme,” Stovall shared.
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New technology
200 new motion detection cameras, RFID tag locks and Cat6A Ethernet cables are also being installed throughout MBCC during this renovation. The Cat6A cables will double the MBCC’s data transmission rate and increase speeds by 9,400%.
MBCC will also feature two new types of digital signage: 11 digital walls and 20 mobile, flexible display units. Stovall explained that the signage will be “a fantastic amenity and asset,” allowing event organizers to display messages about the event or sponsors, and allowing MBCC to advertise its equipment when the signs are not in use.
The new refresh technology also exemplifies MBCC’s commitment to sustainability: digital signage will save paper that would otherwise be used for event materials, while solar panels on the MBCC’s roof, expected to be the largest rooftop array in North America, and refillable water stations are also being added.
New experiences
Two new restaurants, Michael Mina’s Orla And Carama Wolfgang Puck’s recently opened Mandalay Bay, and two experiences will be introduced later this year: Swingers, a $50 million, three-story adult mini-golf course, and the Bob Marley’s Road to Hope entertainment experience.
“When you look at why people travel or attend meetings, they’re looking for flexible meeting space and networking opportunities… We have world-class business travelers who are here and we want to make sure we’re offering attractions that redefine the business landscape.
“What makes Las Vegas so unique is that we still have the capacity and the manpower to go from an NFL experience (held at MBCC before the 2024 Super Bowl) to a major trade show the following week, and that’s what’s going to continue to set us apart here. What makes me happy is that this refresh really allows us to remain fit for those types of events going forward because they understand that we’ve invested from a digital standpoint, we’ve invested from a technology standpoint and the atmosphere is going to be there for them to host those events,” Stovall said.
Contact Ernest Stovall at estovall@mandalaybay.com.
Photo credit: MGM Resorts International
