Tina Quigley, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, had her reservations about LOCATE Las Vegas. The initiative, which entrusted the developmental authority with courting 17 global company leaders in hopes of attracting them to Southern Nevada, already felt like an expensive, time-intensive task. Add on the pressure of doing it during Super Bowl LVIII weekend and they certainly had their work cut out for them.
“I was very worried about the types of companies we would be able to get. Were they just coming for that extended weekend so they could get to the Super Bowl?” Quigley says. “It wasn’t until we started identifying the companies and having these vetting conversations with them that I started realizing, ‘Oh my gosh, I think there are companies who are really truly … interested.’”
Over three days, the touring leaders had a rare look behind the curtain, visiting off-Strip destinations like Red Rock Canyon, and learning about our business ecosystems. They met with more than 150 stakeholders, chief among them being Rama Venkat, dean of UNLV’s Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, who Quigley credits as being one of their most important assets.
“He met with the companies that had any type of engineering-related need or scientific technique, and he was a great partner,” she says. “As a result, some companies I think will probably land here before the year is even over.”
Full story: UNLV’s StepUp & StartUp intern program bolsters the engineering talent pool – Las Vegas Weekly
