Caesars Entertainment Corporation will develop CAESARS FORUM, a new 550,000 square foot conference center on the east side of the Las Vegas Strip.

Featuring 300,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, the $375 million facility will include two of the largest pillarless ballrooms in North America, according to Caesars officials.

“Consistent with our post restructuring plans, Caesars Forum is the first installment of our growth strategy for the benefit of Las Vegas and our employees, which will also help meet the increasing demand for group business meetings of all sizes,” said Mark Frissora, president and CEO of Caesars Entertainment.

Upon completion of the new space in 2020, Caesars Entertainment will be able to boast more than 1.3 million sq. ft. of meeting and event space in Las Vegas.

CAESARS FORUM will offer:

• 300,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, including two pillarless 108,000 sq. ft. ballrooms, two 40,000 sq. ft. ballrooms and state-of-the-art boardrooms
• Conference space able to accommodate more than 10,000 attendees
• A 100,000 sq. ft. outdoor plaza, which can be used as flexible space for cocktail receptions, wellness breaks, or breakfast, lunch or dinner
• Direct access to the LINQ Promenade with dining, live entertainment venues, shopping and the High Roller observation wheel
• Direct access to Harrah’s Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel and Flamingo Las Vegas hotels, totaling more than 8,500 hotel rooms
• Accessibility to approximately 20,000 rooms at Caesars Entertainment’s nine Las Vegas properties
• The latest in technology and modern design

“We are excited to be investing in the meetings business in Las Vegas as we continue to see this industry as a strong driver for Caesars Entertainment and our city,” said Bob Morse, president of hospitality with Caesars Entertainment.

He continued, “With its mid-Strip location and state-of-the-art design, CAESARS FORUM will be the ideal location for anyone looking to host meetings and events in Las Vegas.”

Caesars expects to break ground on the new conference center early in the second quarter of 2018, with Friedmutter Group and PENTA Building Group serving as architect and general contractor, respectively.

As part of a series of transactions with VICI Properties, Caesars Entertainment recently announced its intention to acquire 18.4 acres of land as part of its plans to develop CAESARS FORUM.

“Building the two largest ballrooms in the world demonstrates our continued commitment to the meetings industry,” said Michael Massari, chief sales officer for Caesars Entertainment.

He added, “We are excited to provide our customers with a new experience and look forward to building relationships with future clients.”

The conference center is expected to generate nearly 1,000 local construction phase jobs and more than 450 permanent jobs upon opening in 2020, according to Caesars officials.

But in a city already boasting more than 11 million sq. ft. of citywide meeting and exhibit space, is there a need for more conference space in Las Vegas?

“Las Vegas is one of the most desirable places to hold a conference (and) the demand for meeting space is continuing to increase and is strong,” said Reina Herschdorfer, director of marketing of national meetings and events for Caesars Entertainment.

She continued, “CAESARS FORUM will provide customers a fantastic new option. We are looking forward to working with corporate, association customers, trade shows and special event of any size.”