Policies and Regulations
Booking PoliciesBuilding Rules and RegulationsNevada Entertainment TaxEvent Booking Policy
The Reno-Sparks Convention Center currently employs a prioritized booking policy with emphasis on Conventions, Trade Shows and RSCVA Special Events. This policy primarily provides for the greatest amount of revenues to the Authority from room tax revenues.
Since the Authority realizes the majority of its revenue is from hotel/motel room tax income, priority is naturally given to conventions, trade shows and RSCVA special events which produce out-of-town visitors to the Reno-Sparks area. To accomplish this, the following policy is currently in effect for the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
It is the responsibility of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center Management to operate the convention center in a sound business manner. In an effort to maximize both economic and financial stability of the convention center, management reserves the right to promote, solicit, develop and make reservations for any activity deemed appropriate to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center's objectives and to qualify all activities requesting space utilization at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
CONVENTIONS, TRADE SHOWS AND RSCVA SPECIAL EVENTS FIRST (1st) TIER BOOKINGS
Conventions, Trade Shows and RSCVA Special Events may book the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on an indefinite basis, based on a room night generating formula established by the Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority Board of Directors. Tentative bookings for these types of events may remain scheduled for a reasonable amount of time pending a firm decision by the Association that is holding the space on the tentative status. However, these types of schedulings may be challenged by a commercial/public show promoter within one (1) year of the date(s) held by such Association, if in the opinion of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center Management, the Association in question appears to be uncertain regarding their intentions to firm their tentative dates. The Association being challenged will be allowed thirty (30) days to reach a decision to firm or release their tentative dates. If no decision has been made by the end of the thirty (30) days, the tentative scheduling will be released and the date(s) will be given to the challenger.
SIMILAR COMMERCIAL/PUBLIC SHOWS
For events that are considered to be competing for the same specialized and specific local markets, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center will require a minimum of a three (3) weekend separation. A weekend is defined as midnight Friday through midnight Sunday. The separation is for show days only. Move-in/move-out days will not be taken into consideration for the weekend separation. All new scheduled events will be scheduled on the new three (3) weekend separation policy for similar events.
Similar events are defined as events which are comprised of at least fifty percent (50%) of the same theme as another show and competing for the same market share in the community in a particular season. For example, but not limited to: Home & garden shows, craft shows, new car shows, boat shows, recreational vehicle shows and job fairs. A season is defined as the following: FALL - September, October, November; WINTER - December; January, February; SPRING - March, April, May; and SUMMER - June, July, August.
The Reno-Sparks Convention Center Management will be responsible for checking the schedule to assure compliance with the three (3) weekend separation policy of similar events.
COMMERCIAL/PUBLIC SHOWS - 100,000 SQUARE FEET OR GREATER SECOND (2nd) TIER EVENTS
Commercial/Public Shows utilizing a minimum one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet and that have been producing events at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center for a period of five (5) years or more, may tentatively schedule space twenty-four (24) months out. If, within the event's tentative status, a Convention, Trade Show or RSCVA Special Event desires that same space, immediate contact will be made with the event's management to reschedule space. If an event has to reschedule their dates while in the tentative status and the event is categorized as a Similar Commercial/Public Show, space will only be tentatively rescheduled earlier in the same month or preceding month if a minimum three (3) weekend separation for similar events exists.
All event applicants that are categorized as Second (2nd) Tier Bookings, will be required to submit event applications for the dates requested. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on the third (3rd) regular business day of each new month.
After reviewing all event applications, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center Management will notify all applicants by written correspondence as to the dates that have been tentatively scheduled.
The Second (2nd) Tier Events will be eligible to be confirmed on the first (1st) of the month corresponding to twelve (12) months before the scheduled event and will not be bumped by a Convention, Trade Show or RSCVA Special Event once a lease agreement is executed. A lease agreement will be issued and All Applicable Deposits must be made by the applicant for space to be considered firm.
If, within the twenty-four (24) month tentative status in a particular season, Conventions, Trade Shows or RSCVA Special Events were to bump all of the tentative scheduled events leaving only one (1) set of available dates in a particular season, the awarding of the only available dates in that season would be based on meeting the following criteria twelve (12) months before the first tentatively scheduled similar event:
- The event applicant who is requesting the largest amount of exhibit space utilization, excluding meeting room space.
- If the event applicants were requesting the exact same amount of exhibit space utilization excluding meeting room usage, the awarding of the available dates will be determined in the following manner: The dates will be publicly auctioned to the applicants in a minimum of five percent (5%) increments above the published minimum rental rate of the exhibit space requested. The available dates will be awarded to the highest bidder.
COMMERCIAL/PUBLIC SHOWS - LESS THAN 100,000 SQUARE FEET THIRD (3rd) TIER EVENTS
These types of event applicants may research and apply for dates on the first (1st) regular business day of each month in the current year for available dates in that entire month of the following year.
For consideration for the available dates in a coming year, all event applicants will be required to submit an event application for the dates that they are requesting. Event applications for dates will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on the third (3rd) regular business day of each new month.
After all event applications have been received, the Reno-Sparks Convention Center Management will review all submitted event applications for the dates in the corresponding month of the following year or, in the case of Second (2nd) Tier events, two (2) years in the future. The awarding of dates will be based on space availability at the convention center in the month that is being requested. Written notification will be sent to all applicants notifying them of the status of dates that have been tentatively awarded.
GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS & NEVADA NON-PROFIT EVENTS FOURTH (4th) TIER EVENTS
Governmental and non-profit organizations may book the Reno-Sparks Convention Center no more than six (6) months before their scheduled event to take advantage of a 20% discount. To qualify for the non-profit rate, a promoter must be chartered with the State of Nevada as a non-profit organization and a copy of the charter must be on file with the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Governmental agencies include but are not limited to, Federal, State, County, City, School Districts, Fire Departments, Police Departments, Authorities and Commissions. These types of events wishing to book space further out than six (6) months will be treated as Third (3rd) Tier events and will pay the full rental rate.
FACILITY RENTAL DEPOSIT SCHEDULE
Deposits are required for all events requesting space once written notification of the awarding of dates has been issued. The deposit schedule is as follows:
- ON AWARDING OF DATES TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT (25%) OF FACILITY RENTAL
- SIX (6) MONTHS PRIOR TO EVENT AN ADDITIONAL TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT (25%) OF FACILITY RENTAL
- THIRTY (30) DAYS PRIOR TO EVENT THE BALANCE OF THE FACILITY RENTAL DUE
Notwithstanding the foregoing, first-time events without a history at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center or an event with a record of slow payment, may be required, at the option of the Management, to remit up to one-hundred percent (100%) of the anticipated facility rental and other anticipated related expenses upon execution of the contract.
FACILITY CANCELLATION SCHEDULE
If an event cancels its dates or reduces the amount of space reserved, the following schedule will apply as a cancellation penalty and deposits will be retained by the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
- NINE (9) to TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRIOR DEPOSITS FULLY REFUNDABLE
- THREE (3) to EIGHT (8) MONTHS PRIOR TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT (25%) OF FACILITY RENTAL
- ZERO (0) to THREE (3) MONTHS PRIOR FIFTY PERCENT (50%) OF FACILITY RENTAL
REVISED DECEMBER 1999
