NFL may throw Las Vegas Market a wobbly pass
Even if you’re not a big NFL fan like me, it might be a good idea to scan the sports pages of your favorite newspaper or Internet site to see if an idea being floated by league commissioner Roger Goodell is adopted.
Goodell and several team owners have discussed adding one or two games to the regular season schedule. If that ever happens, it could affect the Las Vegas Market’s winter show.
Under the scenario being discussed, the additional games would be tacked on to the end of the season, which would push the playoffs and the Super Bowl back a week or two. That could put the big game — which in recent years has been played the last Sunday in January or the first Sunday in February — squarely on top of the Vegas market.
That would be a big deal because Super Bowl weekend is one of the busiest weekends in Las Vegas. Hotel rates, among other things, are significantly higher than marketgoers are accustomed to paying.
There won’t be a problem in 2010 since the market is scheduled for Feb. 1-5 and the game is locked in for Feb. 7. But that’s not the case for 2011, when the market is scheduled to begin Feb. 14.
If the NFL pushes the game back to the second Sunday of February, that would be Feb. 13. And I can’t imagine market organizers would want to start their show the day after the Super Bowl.
To their credit, World Market Center leaders are aware of the possible conflict, but they’re taking a wait-and-see attitude.
“Should the NFL decide to add games … we will immediately review the impact and explore whether a date move is in the best interest of attendees,” said Dana Andrew, vice president of marketing and public relations.
She said WMC officials have a lot of flexibility, given Las Vegas’ massive infrastructure, but they’re reluctant to change dates again (this year’s winter market was the first held in February) because they believe the early February period is an ideal time frame for buyers and exhibitors.
“We would only contemplate a change for unforeseen conflicts like this,” said Andrew.
Would you want to work Super Bowl weekend?
Nomar Highpoint commented:
Hotel rates are higher than marketgoers are accustomed to during superbowl weekend? Have you seen the hotel prices in high point when we come to town? How about the restaurants that have a regular menu and a “market menu” why don’t you mention that in your article….. By the way, the hotels in Vegas are REAL hotels.
Larry Thomas commented:
Tom, you are correct that two pre-season games would be eliminated, but based on what I’ve read (mostly on the nfl.com site)it seems like Goodell wants to keep the start of the season as the Sunday after Labor Day.
Nomar, if the NFL lengthens its season, it would have no impact on the High Point Market dates, so there was no need to mention High Point in this post. Besides, complaints about high hotel and restaurant prices in High Point have been well-documented in other Furniture Today articles.
Thanks to everyone for your input.
Tom commented:
Actually, they would negotiate reducing the preseason schedue to two games instead of the four they have now. Whether they would keep the starting date to the regular season as it is now is up for debate. My guess is they would start earlier due to the cold weather issues in the northern climates.
John Sikes commented:
Vegas is over as a major market, who cares when it is.
