LAS VEGAS– The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) hosted 300+ community leaders during its State of Economic Development event on Thursday, February 23 at Vū Studios. The annual event shifted from a public to an investor-only program this year but still brought together key private and public stakeholders to provide insight into economic investments being made in the Greater Vegas region.
The program began with a panel discussion with current Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) Director Tom Burns as well as the three most recent former directors: Michael Brown, Paul Anderson, and Steve Hill. The group reflected on missed opportunities while also providing insight into what the future holds for economic development in Southern Nevada. They also tried to clear up some common economic development misconceptions.
“Sometimes there’s a sense that if we sit back, companies will just come to us,” said GOED Director Burns. “That’s not true. We live in a very competitive environment and other states have very aggressive economic development plans. We’re not the only ones on the playing field.”
Next, a panel of economic development leaders from Southern Nevada municipalities provided insights and updates on $1B in new developments and initiatives within their jurisdictions. The municipal leaders also discussed growth priorities in 2023 and beyond and the ways in which they partner together to ensure the entire Greater Vegas region succeeds.
Jeremy Aguero of Applied Analysis then moderated a fireside chat with Sam Joffray, President & CEO of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee and Ryan Erwin, Chairman of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Economic Development Committee. The group noted the big game is expected to create $1+ billion in economic impact and approximately 5,000 jobs for the Greater Vegas region. But they say the exposure for the city will be more important than the money.
“The eyes of the world will be on Las Vegas,” said Erwin. “I believe we can turn this single event into a long-term economic development project for this community, so it isn’t just a one-time influx of money. Our goal is to turn this into an opportunity to showcase this city to businesses who aren’t already here.”
Finally, LVGEA President & CEO Tina Quigley took the stage, and, channeling her inner Elvis, told the crowd we need “a little less conversation, a little more action.” The theme of her segment: instead of talking about our problems, we need to start taking action.
“We do have a lot of work to do to reduce our vulnerability and to stay competitive with our neighbors,” said Quigley. “But the truth is, we have a tremendous number of individuals, businesses, and institutions doing amazing things in the region, and we need to do a better job of celebrating our achievements and promoting our region’s potential.”
Attendees also received copies of LVGEA’s 2022 Annual Report and 2023 Community Map.
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