Not Enough Room, Las Vegas beats out Austin for Dell convention

Not enough roomDell’s decision to hold event in Vegas proves Austin must add hotel rooms, finish projects
Austin Business Journal - by Jacob Dirr ABJ Staff

What happens in Vegas doesn’t happen in Austin.

The city recently missed out on about $5.3 million dollars in economic impact after Dell Inc. moved its convention from Austin, where it had been held annually, to Las Vegas, officials said.

This year, Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) expanded its usual 2,000-person North American convention to include its European and Asian operations, increasing attendance to about 4,000 people.

Despite various plans and initiatives under way to bolster downtown Austin’s place as a preferred destination, a critical piece of the puzzle — another 800- to 1,200-room hotel — remains obscured.

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