By Richard N. Velotta / Las Vegas Review-Journal Contact: rvelotta@reviewjournal.com | 702-477-3893 Follow @RickVelotta on X
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors approved extensions and updates to five contracts, emphasizing the need for speed, flexibility and scale in promoting the destination. Review Journal
The LVCVA approved five long-term contracts covering global advertising, social media strategy, influencer partnerships, content production, and visitor research, with allocated spending caps totaling nearly $464 million over the next several years. If all optional extensions are exercised in future years, the combined value would rise to more than $815 million, though none of those extensions were authorized at Tuesday’s meeting. Casino.org
LVCVA marketing chief Kate Wik told the Review-Journal that “Las Vegas is not the typical brand; it operates at an entirely different speed and scale.” Hoodline
The five contracts approved are as follows:
R&R Partners received the largest share — a three-year, $309 million contract to continue managing the city’s global brand and creative strategy, with an optional two-year, $221 million extension. Grey Group was approved for a three-year, $122 million social and special projects contract, with an optional two-year, $106 million extension. YKONE, a global influencer marketing agency that established its U.S. headquarters in Las Vegas in 2022, received a three-year, $18.5 million social partnership agreement with an optional two-year, $14 million extension. Frequency Pictures, a Las Vegas-based production company, received a three-year, $12 million production services contract with an optional two-year, $10.5 million extension. Heart+Mind Strategies was awarded a 30-month, $2.56 million market research agreement. Casino.orgReview Journal
Existing contracts with R&R and Grey Group, executed in 2021, are projected to reach their spending caps early in the coming fiscal year, prompting the need for board action. Rather than issuing a new request for proposals, LVCVA staff recommended extending the current deals. Review Journal
The LVCVA’s annual marketing budget is typically between $100 million and $140 million and currently sits at $127 million for this year. The preliminary 2027 budget is projected at $700 million. LVSportsBiz
R&R Partners, the Las Vegas firm credited with the “What Happens Here, Stays Here” campaign, will remain the authority’s principal advertising partner. In a statement, R&R partner Michon Martin said the company was “grateful for the board’s vote of confidence” and would “continue work to capture the magic of Vegas.” Hoodline