Neonopolis tenants brainstorm on new attractions for Las Vegas

A comic book festival. A comedy theater.

Several current and former Neonopolis business tenants presented ideas Tuesday to bring more business to Las Vegas.

Started by Neonopolis owner Rohit Joshi, the monthly Nevada Business Forum is meant to bring tenants together to “see that the landlord cares about them” and to “introduce my tenants to all the political leaders for their input into what Downtown is, what the zoning laws are, what the entitlements are,” Joshi said.

Ken Henderson, CEO of Best Agency, said he sees his plans for a “private industry club” as a draw.

He envisions the the shuttered, 57,750-square-foot theater on the third floor of Neonopolis as a place to host rotating comedy, theater and musical acts. Dubbed “Notoriety,” he sees the space equipped with a bar and serving a variety of events.

Henderson told attendees the concept will start out with five theaters, ranging from 70 to 240 seats, and will host acts that might not have the funds to reach the big stage, but still deserve the time and space to perform.

“It’s really about helping the talent become successful, and hopefully building them to become something different,” Henderson said.

He said he hopes to open the theater by August, but it could take longer than that.

“It’s a big machine and I want to open it right,” Henderson said.

Chandler Rice, founder of the Great American Comic Convention, said he sees potential for his comic book event, now in its fourth year.

Basing his model off San Diego’s Comic Con, Rice argued that Las Vegas should be building its own giant entertainment and comic festival from the ground up, and that festival should be his.

This year the event is set for Nov. 17-18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“I want to create a situation in Las Vegas where Las Vegas is a hub of not only entertainment, but comic book entertainment,” Rice said.

Contact Madelyn Reese at mreese@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0497. Follow @MadelynGReese on Twitter.