SSL IN ACTION | Robust LED linear lighting beckons to Las Vegas exhibit center patrons

In February 2018, National Geographic described Las Vegas as the brightest spot on Earth based on the view from space at night. While Paris retains the honor of being known as the “City of Lights,” Las Vegas is often referred to as the city of electric lighting — more than 12 million lights, in fact, concentrated on the Strip alone (according to Travel and Leisure in February 2021).

With all of those lights twinkling upon a high concentration of hotels, casinos, and other nightlife venues around the Strip, it’s difficult to design a lighting scheme that stands out. But that did not stop Las Vegas area–based ASA Electrical Solutions and NEDCO Supply from trying.

The facilities team at the World Market Center Las Vegas reached out to NEDCO when it was time to upgrade the lighting at the entrance to the expansive facility that hosts large-scale meetings, conventions, and social events in downtown Las Vegas. The team’s goal was to deliver a dynamic, high-impact lighting scheme to welcome and direct visitors to the main entrance.

Located at 495 Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas, the 5-million-square-foot facility is the largest showroom complex in the world for the international and domestic home and hospitality furnishings industry. Situated on 59.4 acres, the World Market Center showcases furniture, gift, and home decor products, attracting more than 50,000 attendees twice a year. The center’s permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits feature the latest furnishings and decor from more than 4,000 brands.

The chosen lighting had to complement the architectural façade and existing exterior lighting of the four buildings and three pavilions that make up the World Market Center, as well as the overall look and feel of downtown Las Vegas, which features landmark hotels, street murals, iconic museums, and outdoor entertainment.

Deliverables for a desert lighting design

As part of the new lighting criteria, the center’s facilities team determined that the entrance required a flexible, RGBW color-changing product that could easily curve and cover a large area. It also had to be easy to install and operate, and require very little maintenance.

After a thorough investigation, the facilities team, alongside ASA Electrical Solutions and NEDCO Supply, specified IP65-rated Hybrid 3 RGBW in 150-foot reels from American Lighting for all of the entryway arches on the four buildings of the World Market Center. The tapelight’s 360-degree bend radius, 130 lm/ft output, and 3W power consumption at 12V DC operation aligned well with the project needs.

Liz Reinbold, Las Vegas sales manager for ASA Electrical Solutions, said, “Hybrid 3 met all the project criteria regarding ease of use, ease of installation, and longevity. The maximum run of 150 feet enabled us to cover an entire archway area with one reel per arch, eliminating the need for additional drivers or accessories for functionality,” which in turn reduced the contractor’s labor costs.

A brilliant first impression

As visitors enter the World Market Center, they are now greeted with dramatically lit 4,150-foot-tall arches. The fully encased, ETLus listed lighting performs even in extreme Las Vegas conditions, with an operating temperature range from 30°C (-22°F) to 45°C (113°F).

An adjustable CCT of RGB+3000K allows the LEDs to be tuned with a wide range of color programming, along with 0–100% dimming, facilitated by a 120-CTRL-4CH DMX decoder and a CTRL-DMXB-RGBW-4Z DMX controller, also from American Lighting. The World Market Center facilities team can easily experiment with changes for different events, seasons, and holidays throughout the year.

“The facilities team liked the color-wheel option DMX decoder and controller that enables them to dial in the precise color they want to achieve,” Reinbold said.

“The color-changing lighting certainly adds dynamic pop to the facility, while integrating with the existing exterior lighting. Plus, visitors know exactly where to enter,” said Al Saucedo, outside sales for NEDCO Supply. “The facilities team was really amazed at the finished look and light output. The end result was a significantly improved aesthetic appearance of the buildings’ exteriors, which adds to the overall appeal of the area.”

Project Notebook

Client: Las Vegas World Market Center – Facilities Team

Lighting and controls manufacturer: American Lighting

Lighting specifier: ASA Electrical Solutions

Electrical distributor: NEDCO Supply

Get to know our expert

ALYSSA STONE is the electrical distribution national sales manager for American Lighting, a manufacturer of LED lighting solutions, located in Denver, Colo.

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