Major Public Infrastructure Investment Will Create Jobs, Attract Visitors, and Generate Revenue
LOS ANGELES (September 19, 2025) – Today, the Los Angeles City
Council voted to approve the L.A. Convention Center (LACC) Expansion and
Modernization Project, underscoring the City’s commitment to
maintaining its status as a world-class destination with a thriving
tourism industry. This public infrastructure investment will create more
than 15,000 jobs, add $652 million in General Fund tax revenue over 30
years and draw in over $150 million in additional visitor spending each
year. View a video with renderings of the project here [9] and download
images and the video here [10].
This project will spur much-needed economic growth in the region. Local
businesses, especially in Downtown L.A., are dependent on direct and
indirect spending from the LACC. This vote immediately helps local
hotels as new bookings for the LACC will be confirmed for the upgraded
space. It signals to investors, developers, local businesses and major
industries that the City is committed to building a more prosperous
future as a global leader and the chosen destination for organizations
and associations to convene.
“I want to thank the Mayor and the City Council for their bold
leadership and commitment to this legacy project that will make the
Convention Center a premier destination for decades to come,” said
Doane Liu, Chief Tourism Officer and Executive Director of the L.A. City
Tourism Department. “This decision is the result of years of work with
our City leaders and departments and I’m proud of the tremendous
effort put into this project. When the City of Los Angeles locks arms
and shares a vision, we can successfully complete complex projects that
make a positive lasting impact for Angelenos.”
Los Angeles has been at a competitive disadvantage in attracting large,
citywide conventions due to the lack of contiguous space, especially as
competitors have completed or are in the process of completing major
expansions. The new construction will connect the two existing South and
West Exhibit Halls by adding 190,000 square feet of space to create one
contiguous hall with over 750,000 square feet, and will add 39,000
square feet of new meeting room space and 95,000 square feet of
multipurpose space.
“An expanded and modernized Convention Center will transform the
landscape of Downtown Los Angeles for following generations,” said
Kimberly Weedmark, General Manager of the LA Convention Center. “We
appreciate the LA City Council for their future facing vision as this
project will allow us to increase the number of top-tier programs that
we welcome to Los Angeles while granting our current clients continued
growth opportunities. We are profoundly grateful to the teams at AEG,
Plenary Group, Webcor, PCL and Populous, whose collaboration continues
to set a new standard for excellence in the convention industry and we
look forward to the continued partnership as we move forward with the
execution of the construction of the project. This is an incredibly
exciting time for Los Angeles!”
“On behalf of the entire team at Los Angeles Tourism, we are
incredibly grateful that the City Council has voted to advance the
modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center,” said Adam Burke,
President & CEO, Los Angeles Tourism. “As one of the most powerful yet
often unseen drivers of LA’s tourism economy, meetings and events
generate billions of dollars annually for Los Angeles. They not only
support the City’s General Fund and help fund essential services for
all Angelenos, but also sustain local businesses across the greater Los
Angeles region. As we look ahead to historic years on the horizon, and
as the global spotlight on Los Angeles intensifies, we know the Los
Angeles Convention Center will play an even more vital role in shaping
our city’s future while continuing to welcome guests from around the
globe.”
CONTACTS
Tina Oh, City Tourism Department, christina.oh@lacity.org, 213-765-4247
Nancy Walker, LA Convention Center, nwalker@laconventioncenter.com
213-765-4661
Meryl Vissel, LA Tourism & Convention Board, mvissel@latourism.org,
213-236-2326
ABOUT LOS ANGELES CITY TOURISM DEPARTMENT
The Los Angeles City Tourism Department (CTD) advances tourism policies
and strategies to increase the competitiveness of Los Angeles as a
premier convention and tourist destination. The department oversees two
public-private partnerships – with the Los Angeles Tourism &
Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) and Legends Global – and works
to help the City maximize the economic benefits derived from out-of-town
visitors whose spending contributes to the growth of the local economy.
View more tourism.lacity.gov [11].
ABOUT LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER
The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) is renowned internationally as
a prime site for conventions, trade shows, and exhibitions. Owned by the
City of Los Angeles and professionally managed by Legends Global, the
LACC attracts over 2.5 million visitors annually. The facility is an
integral economic component to the Southern California area, generating
economic benefits through attendee direct and indirect spending and
sustaining over 12,500 local jobs. The LACC also remains an enduring
symbol of environmental sustainability and social responsibility and is
proud to be a LEED® Gold certified facility. Follow us on [12]Facebook
[12], [13]Instagram [13], [14]X [14] and [15]LinkedIn [15]. For more
information, please visit laconventioncenter.com [16].
ABOUT LOS ANGELES TOURISM & CONVENTION BOARD
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) is the
official, non-profit tourism promotion organization for the City of Los
Angeles, and the ultimate resource for where to stay and play in the LA
area. With its mission to improve the quality of life for all
Angelenos through the economic and community benefits of tourism, Los
Angeles Tourism is proud to represent over 1,000 Member businesses
across the region who depend on travel and tourism for their
livelihoods, including over 540,000 residents who work in
tourism-related careers. For more information, visit
discoverlosangeles.com [17], follow at facebook.com/
[18], or @discoverLA on X [19], Instagram [20], and TikTok [21].
