As part of his on-going effort to have all of the city’s General Managers better understand and contribute to the Mayor’s number one priority of Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, Mayor Villaraigosa met with Pouria Abbassi, General Manager of the LA Convention Center (LACC).
Although some people might still remember the Convention Center’s reputation as a “White Elephant,” the truth is that under the leadership of Mr. Abbassi and the Villaraigosa Administration, the LACC has finished “in the black” (current operating revenues over current operating expenses) for the last 4 consecutive years. For Fiscal Year 2008-09, LACC posted the highest gross revenues of the last 8 years ($34.4 million) and the highest exhibit hall occupancy for the past 8 years (72%).
According to a 2008 LAEDC study, the LACC activities supported 12,000 jobs and contributed $1.16 billion in economic activity to the region.
And, as an example of Mayor Villaraigosa’s commitment to both economic growth and to being the greenest big city in America, the LACC became the first convention center of its size and age to be awarded LEED Green Building Certification for existing buildings, as well as the first LA municipal building to be awarded LEED certification.
Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-10, and beyond, are obviously going to be much tougher for the LACC, and all convention centers in the United States. Mr. Abbassi and the Mayor’s Jobs Team are already working on plans to keep a competitive edge for the LACC in the future.