Convention Center Expansion in Vegas Likely Means More Space for CES

The Riviera Hotel & Casino, a hotel likely familiar to anyone who's ever attended International CES, shut its doors this week after 60 years on the Las Vegas Strip. And now, the Riviera's closure is likely to lead to an even bigger CES.

In February, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA)- the entity that owns the Las Vegas Convention Center- agreed to purchase the Riviera for around $180 million, with the intention of demolishing it. In its announcement at the time, the LVCVA declared that it would make the space formerly occupied by the Riviera the "cornerstone" of a new Las Vegas Global Business District, which it described as "the largest economic development initiative the LVCVA has undertaken since the Las Vegas Convention Center was originally built in the late 1950s."

In the first phase, the LVCVA plans to add 750,000 square feet of new exhibit space at the site, with more to come in future phases. A people-mover transportation system is also planned to connect convention-goers to the LVCC, about a mile away. The new building will provide both new exhibit and meeting space for shows using the LVCC proper.