Posted on 4/22/126 by Colin Vassallo
Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority president and
CEO Steve Hill told the Las Vegas Review Journal that
despite 19,000 less people attended WrestleMania over the
weekend, the event was still a major success for both WWE
and the city of Las Vegas.
Hill admitted that trying to bring back the same audience a
year later when the bar was “unbelievably high” was always
going to be tough.
“The event last year was just spectacular, but spectacular
to the point that I think it surprised everybody involved.
It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, no, we knew it would be that great.’ It
was – it was spectacular. And so doing the second time a
year apart, that sequel is a little tough,” Hill said.
Hill blamed rising fuel prices, higher travel costs, and
other issues currently dominating the world as likely the
culprit for a smaller audience this year.
“On top of that the consumer sentiment and all of that that
we’ve talked about from a general tourism basis, applies to
WrestleMania fans, too,” Hill said. “And so those two
things, I think the event exceeded our expectations.”
Hill also said that having back-to-back years could have
also played a part in people not traveling to Las Vegas, but
if it was up to him, WrestleMania would be in Las Vegas
every year.
“If you want to look at setting records every year and keep
jumping over the bar that you’ve set, it’s the absence makes
the heart grow fonder kind of concept. It’s helpful to do
those things,” Hill continued, adding that he’d take the
attendance numbers they had any time.