After four years of brainstorming, three years of meetings, two years of negotiating deals and a year of celebrating—hosting 1,000 events in all—the Centennial Committee called it quits Monday during a wrap-up meeting at Cashman Center. Only it isn't quits.
Turns out the nonprofit 501(c)3 organization created to disburse Centennial monies will continue to operate, with the Centennial Committee's executive committee—got that?—serving as the board of directors. The Centennial Committee's executive committee's board of directors—got that?—will answer to the Las Vegas City Council.
Get it?
Got it?
Good!
Deputy City Manager Betsy Fretwell said the nonprofit will work to build upon "legacy projects" that enhance the city's cultural experience. There was also talk of using the nonprofit to host special events, support historical preservation projects and—you guessed it—to help Downtown. The operating agreement between the city and the nonprofit must be amended before any of this can happen.
As for the Centennial celebration itself: It might've captured more attention outside of Vegas than inside, spreading the brand to places like the annual Rose Bowl Parade and hundreds of countries around the world (an estimated 259 stations broadcast the cutting of the world's largest birthday cake).
In his usual role as lead dog in the sled pack, Mayor Oscar Goodman headed the Monday meeting. The 35-member committee sat in a square-shaped "U," with two podiums and a screen in the opening. Sitting in the middle seat, facing the screen, Goodman declared the celebration a "rousing success." Other committee members said Vegas' outline will serve as a blueprint for officials from other cities on hosting 100th birthday celebrations. There'd be more high praise—enough to fill a church—from former senator and governor Richard Bryan and the other top-of-the-masthead names comprising the Centennial Committee.
Though the committee skipped discussion of projected revenues and expenses—there were handouts on a table and members received a breakdown in a report—the Centennial celebration could very well turn a profit. The goal is for projected net income to be equal to or greater than 10 percent of projected revenues. Projected revenue through June 30, is $287, 893.53. (The figure doesn't include the $627,209 Clear Channel refund the committee will ask for to compensate for missed objectives).
Here are some more Centennial-related numbers:
Events on Demand
1,000: Number of Centennial-related events.
Invested
$1.3 million: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors' Authority promotional campaign.
$1.9 million: Clear Channel's sponsorship.
License to Bill
54,209: Centennial license plate registrations to date.
$40,816: Revenue from an auction of the first 100 Centennial license plates from LV.
$1,046,475: License plate revenue projected from October 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006.
On Board
14: Initial number of board members.
35: Final number of board members.
Read All About It
80: Press releases on the Centennial.
259: Stations broadcasting the cutting of the world's largest cake.
2,800: Newspaper stories about the Centennial.
$202,000: Amount spent purchasing media space.
Sellers Market
$500,000: Revenue from 70 product lines of Centennial-related merchandise.
Show Us The Money
$2,495,807.85: Projected revenue.
$732,914.32: Budgeted expenditures.
$1,475,000: Proposed legacy projects (Post Office exterior renovation, neon sign rehabilitation, La Concha restoration, small grant for Historical Preservation Committee, maintenance for murals, time capsule and markers).
$287,893.53: Net income projected through June 30.
Viva Music Vegas
35: Number of countries where Centennial music CDs were sold.
$230,000: Revenue from Centennial music CDs.
Vegas' World Wide Web
300: Media outlets receiving credentials for the Centennial website.
258,000: Unique visitors to the website.
1.2 million: Page views on the website.
Centennial Trivia
Question: What was the three-pronged goal of the Las Vegas Centennial Committee?
Answer: To educate. To celebrate. To commemorate.