Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas plans to expand its convention center, the site of this year’s Hospitality Design Exposition and Conference (HD Expo). The expansion will include new exhibit space and a rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) array-the largest convention center array in the world.
Plans include the addition of more than 350,000 square feet of exhibit space to the existing 1.7 million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center, as well as underground parking and more carpeted ballroom space. Upon completion, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center will boast more than 2 million total square feet and 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space. This changes its ranking in North America from No. 7 to No. 5 in total square feet and from No. 11 to No. 5 in square feet of exhibit space.
Committed to building to LEED Gold standards or better, MGM plans to uphold its eco-friendly reputation. Along with the build, an additional rooftop solar PV array will produce approximately 3.4 million kilowatt hours annually. The previously announced 6.2MWdc solar PV array on the current convention center is slated for completion in August, and the combined array will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 1,300 homes.

“As a fast growing expositions organizer currently holding 13 annual trade shows in Las Vegas, including four at Mandalay Bay, we are very pleased with the decision to expand and expect to take advantage of the new space as soon as it’s complete,” says David Loechner, CEO of Emerald Expositions, Hospitality Design magazine’s parent company.
Construction is scheduled to begin in late this fall with new exhibit space available in August 2015 and anticipated completion of all spaces in January 2016. With a 70,000-square-foot ballroom and five divisible spaces within, the new space will allow for maximum flexibility and more breakout areas for corporate groups.
