Event Recap: 2015 LVGEA Annual Dinner

Over 700 business leaders, lawmakers, and community stakeholders gathered for the third annual Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance dinner on October 15th at Aria Resort & Casino.

The packed ballroom featured a record-setting crowd in attendance, celebrating the successes in economic development throughout the year and outlining new opportunities for Nevada moving forward. Keynote speaker and businessman, Bill Foley, called Las Vegas a “no-brainer” for businesses considering a move to the area and provided an update on his ongoing efforts to secure a National Hockey League team in the city.

“My simple view is that hockey will change the mindset of Las Vegas. It’s a great city. It has terrific restaurants and terrific entertainment, but why don’t we give it something else to really be proud of, like a professional sports franchise,” said Foley.

Also speaking at the event was chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Jonas Peterson. Peterson believes that Nevada is standing at crossroads in economic development and recognized how far the Silver State has come in the four years since the recession. “We live in a New Nevada that is today swinging upward on a rising economic tide with new medical schools, projects to secure our water supply, the state’s largest infrastructure project ever in Project NEON along Interstate 15, the state’s first professional sports team, and Resorts World along the Strip,” Peterson said.

In a reception prior to the event, local businesses showcased their products, highlighting some of the innovative technologies shaping the New Nevada. Among the featured items in the showcase were a 3D printed car from Local Motors, a re-configurable robotic arm by Haddington Dynamics, a data collection drone from Unmanned Systems Inc., and numerous student-led projects from Clark County School District’s Career and Technical Academies.