Two major conventions extend contracts in Las Vegas

Attendees crowd a South Hall aisle during the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show at Las Vegas Convention Center on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011.

SEMA Show 2011

General contractor Mark Giberti, right, poses with the EasyPuller during the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nov. 2, 2011. His son Jason is at left. Giberti invented the EasyPuller for his own use but never had time to develop the product until the economic downturn, he said. The EasyPuller by Las Vegas Tool combines locking pliers with a slide hammer. Launch slideshow »

MAGIC 2012

Attendees walk past a sign for the PROJECT show inside the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Monday, August 20, 2012. PROJECT is part of the fashion trade show MAGIC. Launch slideshow »

Representatives of two major conventions that annually rank among the top five shows in Las Vegas by attendance and are expected to produce a non-gaming economic impact of more than $1.4 billion over five years have signed new contracts with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, a major automotive show, and MAGIC, Men’s Apparel Guild in California, which brings two fashion trade shows a year to the city, signed deals that will keep them at the Las Vegas Convention Center for five and three years, respectively.

MAGIC’s three-year deal continues the two-shows-a-year schedule, with an economic impact estimated at $611 million. Shows are in February and August each year.

SEMA committed to five more years in Las Vegas and will contribute an estimated $827 million to the local economy. The next show is planned Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.

MAGIC has produced 48 shows in its 24 years in Las Vegas, while SEMA has staged annual shows in the city for the past 35 years.

“SEMA and MAGIC committed to Las Vegas in the early years as we were evolving into a meetings and convention destination,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO of the LVCVA.

Chris Kersting, president and CEO of SEMA, and Tony Calanca, executive vice president of exhibitions for Advanstar, which puts on MAGIC, were in Las Vegas today for a ceremony recognizing the contract extensions.

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