Las Vegas Convention Center  The Las Vegas Convention Center (commonly referred to as LVCC) is a government building in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Being one of the largest convention centers in the world with of exhibit space, it hosts shows with an estimated 200,000 participants. It is the largest single-level convention center in the world. The Conexpo-Con/Agg construction trade show in 2008 used the most space, . The LVCC is adjacent to the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel and is accessible from the Las Vegas Monorail at the Convention Center station. At the end of 2010, the entire Las Vegas Valley had more than of exhibit space. City and county community leaders realized in the 1950s, the need for a convention facility. The initial goal was to increase the occupancy rates of hotels during slow tourist months. A site was chosen one block east of the Las Vegas Strip at the site of the Las Vegas Park Speedway, a failed horse and automobile racing facility from the early 1950s. A 6,300 seat, silver-domed rotunda, with an adjoining exhibit hall opened in April 1959. It hosted The Beatles on August 20, 1964. The Convention Center was the site of several major professional boxing fights in the 1960s, including Gene Fullmer versus Sugar Ray Robinson on March 4, 1961; Fulmer versus Benny Paret on December 9, 1961; Sonny Liston versus Floyd Patterson on July 22, 1963; and Muhammad Ali versus Floyd Patterson on November 22, 1965. Also, the venue was home to the UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team from 1966 to 1982. It was demolished in 1990 creating space for expansion. When completed, , with for exhibitors, makes it one of the largest single-level facilities in the world. The Las Vegas Convention Center Act of 1971 authorized the use of $7 million to rebuild, remodel or expand the center. By 1985, the center had held 7,000 conventions since its opening. A 1998 expansion increased the center to . During the expansion, the closed Landmark Hotel and Casino (across from LVCC) was imploded to add more parking. While it functioned, COMDEX was the most attended trade show in the United States with over 200,000 attendees on several occasions. In 2000, early planning began for an expansion of the center. The expansion was started in 2002, and it added the South Hall. When completed in 2004, it crossed over a major roadway (Desert Inn Road) with four bridges connecting the facilities.