Preview Las Vegas to give insight on region’s economic outlook

The economic outlook for Southern Nevada will be discussed in several presentations Tuesday at Preview Las Vegas, the Vegas Chamber’s largest annual forecasting and networking event.

Preview, which begins at 8:30 a.m., will be at Allegiant Stadium for the first time. About 1,500 people are expected to attend this year’s event.

“I really felt it was a match made in heaven to have the marquee business event of the state inside of a world-class venue like Allegiant Stadium,” said Mary Beth Sewald, president and CEO of the Vegas Chamber.

“There are a lot of impacts to businesses, a lot of forces happening,” she said. “Knowledge is power, so these are topics that businesses need to know about.”

Southern Nevada’s economy, tourism and hospitality, water resources, and the city’s emergence as a leading sporting event destination are topics of the program, which has the theme “Battle Reborn.” The event is also a trade show with displays from local companies offering goods and services.

Preview will be longer than in past years with presentations concluding at 2:30 p.m. Attendees will be able to purchase food from stadium vendors.

Gov. Steve Sisolak will open the speaker presentations with an address. Brian Gordon, a principal with Las Vegas-based Applied Analysis will follow with a presentation on the Southern Nevada economy, focusing on broad trends impacting employment, housing and tourism markets. He’ll also add insights for the coming year.

A national perspective is scheduled with futurist Neil Howe, managing director of demography for Stamford, Connecticut-based Hedgeye Risk Management and the co-author of “The Fourth Turning.” He and Hedgeye co-founder and President Michael Blum will discuss worries about pandemics, rising partisanship, financial bubbles and busts, and global instability.

Following a lunch break, water experts Pat Mulroy, a senior fellow in climate adaptation and environmental policy with UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law, and John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, will talk about the future of water in Southern Nevada.

The program will conclude with Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill sharing the stage with R&R Partners CEO Billy Vassiliadis in a presentation on how the hospitality industry is changing and how Las Vegas is evolving to attract millions of visitors to the region.

Preview will be emceed by entertainer, businesswoman and Strip headliner Susan Anton.

Tickets are available for $95 for chamber members and $100 for nonmembers from the Vegas Chamber website. Tickets will be $10 more the day of the event.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is a sponsor of Preview Las Vegas.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.