Top L.A. official calls for private firm to run convention center
LA’s top budget official said Monday, Los Angeles should turn management of the Los Angeles Convention Center over to a private firm, taking that responsibility away from city employees
The Los Angeles Times reported that in an 18-page report, City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana said such a move could save the city from $14 million to $37 million over a five-year period. He advised Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council to launch a competitive search so that a private firm could be in place starting July 1.
Anschutz Entertainment Group, currently seeking to build a new downtown football stadium, has expressed interest in recent years in running the convention center, which is located next to two key AEG assets: Staples Center and the L.A. Live entertainment complex. AEG’s NFL stadium plan would involve the demolition and reconstruction of one wing of the convention center, reported the Times.
Santana said only 11% of the people who went to the convention center during the 2010-11 fiscal year were there for "citywide" conventions — major events that attract visitors to hotels across the region, not just downtown. Instead, many of its events were trade and consumer shows that don’t require overnight stays, he said.
That would change, Santana said, if city officials hire a private manager and expand the power of the convention center’s oversight board.
"Our biggest competition is Sacramento," Santana said. "And with all due respect to Sacramento, Los Angeles is an international city and we should be competing with Chicago, New York and San Francisco."
Santana’s proposal quickly drew negative reviews from the city’s labor officials. Service Employees International Union Local 721, already fighting a plan to turn the Los Angeles Zoo over to a private operator, signaled it would do the same with the convention center.
Santana also made other recommendations, calling for the city to set a goal of tripling the number of so-called citywide conventions by 2020. He also said the convention center should change its booking policy to attract more major conventions.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Geoff Ceasar
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps