Former LVCVA President and CEO passes away at 78
Tourism Leader Rossi Ralenkotter was surrounded by family members at the time of passing, including his wife, five children and 10 grandchildren, following a 16-year battle with cancer.
Key Points
- Ralenkotter spent 45 years with the LVCVA, serving in the President and CEO role from 2004 through this retirement in 2018
- The former Tourism Leader previously stated the success of Las Vegas was its “ability to continuously reinvent itself” to remain ahead of the competition
Former Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter passed away on October 10 at the age of 78 following a 16-year battle with cancer, having spent over four decades helping to promote and market Las Vegas.
Ralenkotter was surrounded by close family members at the time of his passing, including his wife of 37 years Mary Jo, their five children and 10 grandchildren. Having served with the LVCVA for 45 years, Ralenkotter held the President and CEO role from 2004 through his retirement in 2018.
The former Tourism Leader helped convince the National Finals Rodeo to move to Las Vegas in 1985, and motivated the International CES trade show and fellow major conventions to hold events in the city.
“Rossi Ralenkotter is a giant of the meetings and conventions world. Under his leadership as President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Rossi transformed Las Vegas as the world’s leading travel and convention destination,” Consumer Technology Association CEO and Vice Chair Gary Shapiro said.
“He raised the convention industry and made Las Vegas the global focal point for both entertainment and exhibitions. He not only catalyzed Las Vegas and CES success, he made the world better.”
Ralenkotter also helped to establish the college football Las Vegas Bowl and was integral in the production of new minor league ballparks for the Las Vegas Stars and Las Vegas Aviators. The US Travel Association inducted Ralenkotter to its Hall of Fame Leaders in 2014, with names such as Walt Disney and Roger Dow having previously been elected.
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“Rossi Ralenkotter changed the game. His audacious, data-driven marketing campaigns raised the bar for destinations around the globe,” US Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said.
“His warmth and kindness made him a trusted partner not just to his colleagues in Las Vegas, but to travel professionals from coast to coast. The entire travel industry mourns his loss and is better off for every day we had together.”
Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley also spoke on Ralenkotter’s passing, having said, “He was a Las Vegas original and contributed greatly to the growth of the meeting and convention business – and had the vision to expand the convention center — at a time when people thought it would never work in Las Vegas.
“I am honored to have known him and am grateful for his service to our community.”
Ralenkotter previously stated the success of Las Vegas was its “ability to continuously reinvent itself” to remain ahead of the competition, and was the only city which “evolved” to host its consumer base.
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