MGM, Wynn seek rapid virus testing
Gaming companies eye return of conventions
At least two Las Vegas casino operators are turning to rapid COVID-19 testing to kickstart the return of meetings and conventions.
MGM Resorts International unveiled its new Convene with Confidence plan Tuesday morning, which is meant to reintroduce these events to the company’s U.S. properties safely using tools like rapid, on-site COVID-19 testing. Later Tuesday, Wynn Resorts Ltd. said it would also deploy the use of rapid coronavirus tests later this year.
The company announcements came the same day Gov. Steve Sisolak said Nevada venues could hold small-scale conventions once again. Organizers can apply to host as many as 1,000 people, as long as they are separated into groups of no more than 250 at a time in areas such as banquet halls.
If successful, these companies’ plans could be a major step in Las Vegas hotel and convention industries’ recovery.
“For all the operators on the Strip, (group business) is everything,” said Josh Swissman, founding partner of
The Strategy Organization, a Las Vegas gaming and hospitality consulting firm.
Company plans
MGM’S convention plan will offer virtual, hybrid and in-person events. Those that include in-person meetings will have the option to use rapid testing and touchless kiosks to screen guests
before they enter an MGM venue.
“MGM Resorts and others are trying to really look at each resort experience or each service we provide and find a way forward,” said Atif Rafiq, MGM’S president of commercial and growth. “This is another indication of Las Vegas trying to lead.”
A Tuesday statement from Wynn Resorts said the company is set to launch a lab inside the Wynn Convention Center expansion in the fourth quarter that would deploy thousands of rapid COVID-19 tests daily “at a fraction of the current cost.”
“Upon opening, the program’s plans will be made available publicly, allowing other businesses to adopt or customize the program to their needs,” the statement said. “Highly accurate testing, produced at scale, will allow Wynn Las Vegas to get back to presenting the entertainment, experiences, nightlife and conventions we are known for.”
Las Vegas Sands Corp. said it is ready to safely welcome back conventioneers.
“Our resort — from the suites of our hotel towers to the meeting space of the Congress Center and
Sands Expo Convention Center— is ready for meetings and conventions to return safely,” said Chandra Allison, The Venetian Resort and Sands Expo’s senior vice president of sales.
Michael Massari, Caesars Entertainment Inc.’s chief sales officer, said the company is thankful Sisolak relaxed the state’s restrictions on conferences and conventions.
Expansions on hold
Las Vegas has seen a construction boom in recent years in order to further expand convention opportunities.
Several companies were set to expand or renovate more than 2 million square feet of meeting space combined in 2020, according to a January report from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
MGM alone saw its convention business more than double over the last 10 years, according to Rafiq.
But that revenue driver bottomed out in recent months, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. Between April and July, the LVCVA reported zero conventions in Las Vegas, as some organizations postponed events and others moved them to states with more lax capacity restrictions.
In a Tuesday press conference, Sisolak urged associations and groups considering taking conventions and events elsewhere to remain in Nevada, promising that the updated capacity requirements are “only the first step” in the state’s efforts to return to a new normal.
“As you plan your next corporate meeting or convention, I know you may be considering locations in other states who have recently announced a complete lifting of all restrictions,” he said. “You deserve better than they are giving you. … We will be the safest destination to bring your employees, customers and families.”
LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill said the state’s new capacity restrictions are a “great first step” for the state’s local meeting and convention industries.
“We encourage everyone who visits, works or lives in Las Vegas to continue taking all the necessary safety and health precautions to allow us to quickly and fully reopen the destination,” he said.