The agreement, signed last month during a ceremony at the 2018 World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) Annual Member Seminar in New York City, marks the first of its kind between WTC Las Vegas and a Canadian-based WTC entity.

Through the agreement, Las Vegas and Saskatoon will co-market under the World Trade Center brand, create access to key trade information and market research, and facilitate business trade opportunities throughout the world.

“WTC Las Vegas recognizes and appreciates the tremendous value of developing strategic and meaningful partnerships with our WTC partners across the globe,” said Chris Meyer, WTC Las Vegas executive director and vice president of sales for the LVCVA. 

He continued, “In our experience with the WTCA, we have celebrated incredible successes as a result of MOU partnerships and are confident this new venture with WTC Saskatoon will result in a number of monumental wins for both destinations.”

Las Vegas is currently the only North American destination with a World Trade Center designation on the campus of a convention center, Meyer added. 

In 2010, CTA was granted the rights to the WTC Las Vegas license and partnered with the LVCVA in an effort to attract more trade events and international visitors, who comprise 16 percent, or nearly six million of all visitors to Las Vegas. 

According to LVCVA officials Canada is Las Vegas’s top source of international visitation, with nearly 1.5 million visitors traveling to the destination in 2017.  

Meanwhile, strategic partners affiliated with WTC Saskatoon are committed to developing innovative initiatives and programming that will enhance business relationships between Las Vegas and Saskatoon, including John Williams, president of CANWEST CLC Corporation and champion of WTC Saskatoon. 

“We look forward to working together with World Trade Center Las Vegas in mutually promoting each other’s world trade center facilities,” Williams said. “This MOU between our World Trade Centers is a next step in strengthening our economic ties.”

The WTCA encourages mutual assistance and cooperation among its members, and WTC Saskatoon is aligned with WTC Las Vegas in its efforts to promote the importance of business travel and trade opportunities, according to LVCVA officials. 

Besides the MOU with WTC Saskatoon, the WTC Las Vegas has signed memorandums of understanding with WTC Beijing; WTC Brussels; WTC Denver; WTC Dulles Airport; WTC Ft. Lauderdale; WTC Istanbul; WTC Leeuwarden; WTC Miami; WTC Mexico City; WTC Montevideo; WTC Santiago; WTC Sao Paulo; WTC Seoul; WTC Taipei and WTC Twente– business partnerships that are designed to be mutually beneficial in providing information and business contacts, promoting the destinations, developing educational programs and creating an open forum for discussion of trade-related, international and travel issues.

The LVCVA has also established Memorandums of Understanding with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration to promote travel and tourism exports.