Miami to Move Forward with Convention Center Headquarter Hotel Project
November 19, 2018
Last week, an overwhelming majority of voters from the City of Miami Beach approved the lease of public land for a privately-funded convention headquarter hotel that will be connected to the newly renovated and reimagined $620 million Miami Beach Convention Center.
The yes vote on ballot item No. 388 sets the completion of Greater Miami’s convention center district in motion, according to City officials.
“The City of Miami Beach residents have spoken loud and clear,” said City of Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. “A super majority of nearly 64 percent is no easy feat and this is a huge victory for the City and for the community.”
He added, “The new privately-funded headquarter hotel will generate funding for educational programs, traffic reduction measures and environmental resiliency projects.”
Considered the missing ingredient in the destination’s meetings and convention package, the privately-funded, 800-room convention headquarter hotel will be an integral part of the convention district that will make Greater Miami more competitive in securing meetings business, thereby fueling more travel and tourism jobs and increasing economic impact to the community, according to William Talbert III, CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB).
“The headquarter hotel connected to the re-imagined Miami Beach Convention Center has been the missing piece in our destination’s world-class meetings and conventions offerings (and) now, the approved HQ hotel will bring important associations and conventions to Miami and the Beaches that would not have considered us an option before,” Talbert said.
He continued, “Now that the voters have spoken, the private developer will go through the City of Miami Beach’s Design Review Board and permitting process. This decision is a landmark moment for meetings in Miami – and meetings mean business!”
As the anchor to Greater Miami’s meetings and conventions industry, the reimagined and expanded MBCC includes a new 60,000 square foot grand ballroom, 500,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 84 breakout rooms and a six-acre public park capable of serving as incremental event space.
In September, Miami and the Beaches welcomed The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the first citywide convention to take advantage of the newly transformed MBCC, followed by The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) Congress, held Oct. 31-Nov. 4.
In just two short months, these conventions generated approximately $10 million in economic impact for the local community, according to GMCVB officials.
“We were fortunate to have early adopters like AHIMA who believed in the destination and booked the reimagined MBCC without a headquarter hotel,” said William D. Talbert III, president and CEO of the GMCVB.
He continued, “We knew they and others like them would not book again without a connected convention hotel. We have a world-class destination and now a world-class convention center package to offer meeting planners and clients.”
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Partner Voices
Every day, MGM Resorts hosts organizations and individuals from around the world with a diverse array of business purposes, needs and expectations. But they all have one thing in common—a host committed to making their meetings sustainable and unforgettable through close partnership and responsible meeting practices.
Harnessing the Sun
Meetings at MGM Resorts are predominantly powered by the sun, thanks to its innovative 100-megawatt solar array. As the largest directly sourced renewable electricity project in the hospitality industry, the solar array features 323,000 panels and produces up to 100% of MGM Resorts’ daytime power needs in Las Vegas.* Built in 2021, the solar array reduces the carbon footprint of meetings—and all of MGM Resorts—while still delivering an enlightening and electrifying guest experience.
Leading Water Stewardship
Knowing water is essential to operations, guests and employees, MGM Resorts has long employed various conservation measures and has doubled down on its commitment in recent years to become a leading corporate water steward. In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate, a United National Global Compact, becoming the first gaming company to endorse the initiative. The company replaced more than 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas and pledged to reduce water use by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030. Between 2007 and 2022, MGM Resorts saved more than 6 billion gallons of water through water conservation.
Fostering Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
MGM Resorts serves a world of diverse people, perspectives and experiences by cultivating a workforce culture that embraces all of humanity. From mindful recruitment and hiring practices to meaningful social responsibility initiatives, MGM Resorts is a welcoming and inclusive space for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members and more. The company’s commitment to supplier diversity drives innovation by extending competitive opportunities to local and diverse-owned suppliers, while the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program provides diverse-owned businesses tools and resources to enhance and grow their businesses.
Paying it Forward
MGM Resorts knows that great companies must serve the greater good. That’s why paying it forward is part of its approach to meetings and events. Through the Feeding Forward Program, MGM Resorts collects and preserves unserved and untouched food from conventions held at its properties, then safely donates to food-insecure people through a partnership with Three Square, Southern Nevada’s primary food bank. Since 2016, MGM Resorts has donated more than 3.7 million meals, with a goal of 5 million meal donations by 2025. Donations include unserved perishable prepared foods from events, perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens and nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses.
From world-class venues and experiences to industry leading responsible meeting practices, MGM Resorts is proud to host meaningful and sustainable events.
*Not including The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
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