To better serve its growing clientele in Las Vegas, independent meeting planning company Experient is opening an operations center in the convention boomtown.
“Las Vegas is by far our largest event market, and we expect it to get bigger as more hotels rooms are built there,” said David Erich, chief operating officer at Experient, at a June 13 press conference. The company ran about 120 meetings in Las Vegas last year and expects to work on about 150 meetings in the city this year. “It’s the right move at the right time,” he said.
The company expects to staff the office, initially, with about 20 people, explained Ed Shartar, Experient’s president and chief executive officer. About seven people have been relocated to Las Vegas, mainly from the Frederick, Md., office, where Experient’s warehouse is located. The rest will be hired locally. Nick Stock, manager, on-site operations, will lead the Las Vegas team, while Robert Colvin, strategic account manager, will lead sales and account management there.
“First and foremost, the move is good for our clients,” said Shartar. Having equipment stored in Las Vegas will make it easier and less costly to meet the requirements of clients at the meeting site—from equipment to logistical needs. Previously, equipment was either shipped from the main warehouse in Frederick or directly from a previous meeting site.
It will also help the company to expand relationships with suppliers and grow the business, added Shartar. “As the business grows, we’ll add more resources there as needed,” he stated. The Las Vegas Operations Center, which officially opens June 19, will also serve Experient’s West Coast clients, mainly from California, Nevada, and Arizona. This is the Twinsburg, Ohio–based company’s 10th office.