Laughlin’s new event center hosts its first big show

LAUGHLIN — There’s a buzz in the Southern Nevada gaming community of Laughlin where a brand-new entertainment facility hosted its first event Saturday night.

A championship bull riding competition was expected to draw about 3,000 spectators to the $4 million Laughlin Event Center.

“Everybody’s excited to attend this first event,” said Connie Davis, executive director of the Laughlin Chamber of Commerce. “This new event center is going to be an amazing venue and it’s going to bring a lot of top-name entertainment and be a huge boost to the economy here.”

The event center is owned by Marnell Gaming LLC, which also owns and operates the Colorado Belle and Edgewater casino resorts in the Colorado River casino town about 100 miles south of Las Vegas.

Jeff Pfeiffer, general manager of the casinos and president of the Laughlin Tourism Commission, said adjustable seating configurations can accommodate different-sized crowds up to 22,000 people.

Pfeiffer said hosting a smaller audience for the bull riding competition will allow management and staff to test and polish operations before the venue plays host to more than 9,000 people for the March 15 Reba McEntire concert.

Other top country music recording artists performing at the event center this spring include Rascal Flatts (April 12), Jason Aldean (April 24) and Alan Jackson (May 17).

Management is bringing in a diverse lineup of entertainment to attract a broad demographic of locals and visitors alike, including the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, which plays April 26, and Los Tigres Del Norte &Paquita La Del Barrio, which performs on May 3 for Cinco de Mayo.

The venue also plans to host sporting events, and Dana Carvey and Larry the Cable Guy will perform at the Laughlin LaughFest in early October.

“Our whole intention is to broaden the base of entertainment and special events to drive more people to Laughlin,” Pfeiffer said. “It’s not just something that benefits our two casino properties, it’s going to benefit all of the other properties and communities on both sides of the river.”

Pfeiffer said other business might blossom along with the event center, generating more jobs and commerce for Laughlin.

MJ Smith, executive director of the Laughlin Tourism Commission, said the success of previous concerts at temporary venues are cause for optimism that the new event center will enjoy a promising and prosperous future. And she said the venue brings a higher caliber of entertainment than the town has been able to consistently attract in the past.

“These are headliners that you would enjoy at a major destination. Here you can enjoy them at a more reasonable price,” she said.