As if Las Vegas didn’t already have enough event capital, Area15 cranks it up another notch. Since its conception in September 2020, this venue has brought 40,000 sq. ft. of otherworldly experiences to groups. Now, Area15 just opened two new venues and unveiled news that it will soon expand by more than 450,000 sq. ft., in the form of new experiences, pop-ups and more opportunities to wow your group.
Before heading into what Area15 has in store for the future, let’s first take a look at what the entertainment district offers in the present.
What Groups Get Now
Area15 is home to 16 rides and experiences throughout the facility, whether it’s taking visitors on a cinematic experience via virtual reality, granting them a bird’s aviation skills virtually or teasing the brains of your group. The experiences may vary in type, but they’re common in the one-of-a-kind experiences they bring.
At Area15, the line that separates attraction and event space gets a little blurry. Take Portal, for example, which has a capacity of up to 900 people and offers panoramic floor-to-ceiling video projection throughout the entire space. This space allows meeting profs to bring their wildest visual imaginations to life.
While Area15 offers an expert design and graphic team for visual projections in Portal, meeting profs can bring their own designs, as well. There’s also an in-space bar, which, coupled with the immersive visuals, can make things a little more exciting and memorable for some.
Illuminarium, just across from the main building, is kind of like The Portal’s big brother. It offers visuals in a couple of different ways, such as “Space: A Journey to the Moon & Beyond,” which gives visitors a 360-degree galaxy experience and “Wild: A Safari Experience,” which brings visitors up close to animals in their natural habitats. The space is 16,500 sq. ft. and can be bought out or you can rent out one space, such as the 2,000-square-foot outdoor patio, for smaller groups.
Even more room can be found outdoors at Area15’s A-Lot—named because it has “a lot” of space—which features a 25,013-square-foot layout and a 1,400-square-foot VIP deck.
Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, Area15’s largest attraction, is what happens when you grant an abstract artist permission to design your grocery store. Inside the 52,000-square-foot venue are more than 70 different minor attractions all reaching out for your attention. According to Drew DiConstanzo, director of sales and marketing for Omega Mart, there are elements in certain sections of the attraction that may connect to or have meaning in other areas, for example, a number on a pipe having some significance elsewhere, which can solve a larger puzzle in the store—so you must keep your eyes peeled.
This puzzle-solving can also take place during scavenger hunts or team-building activities within the space; full buyouts are also an option.
Designed for small and medium-sized groups, Sanctuary features bamboo picked from Indonesia’s Bali and Java regions. Area15’s newest additions are Liftoff Bar and Ride, and a private 18-person dining room inside Area15’s main restaurant, The Beast by Todd English.
Liftoff is a 3,762-square-foot outdoor event space, that doubles as a lounge and slow-lifting 360-degree gondola, large enough to hold 16 people while it takes them 130 feet into the sky. A full-service bar is at the base of Liftoff.
What Groups Can Expect
The anticipated additions to Area15 will allow visitors to experience horror outside of October’s regularly scheduled scary hours. In collaboration with Universal Parks and Resorts, Area15 will be home to a year-round terror-based attraction. It is reported that it will be in a 110,000-square-foot standalone building on Area15’s 20-acre expansion and will also include restaurants and bars.
An additional 85,000 sq. ft. will be dedicated to pop-up experiences and outdoor adventures, such as a salvaged Boeing 747 that will serve as an event space.
“Consumers continue to gravitate toward artful new forms of entertainment providing immersive experiences, authentic connections and real emotions,” said Winston Fisher, Area15 CEO, in a press release. “The demand for more AREA15 experiences is high, and we are ready to dive into this substantial expansion and find more partnerships that will have a lasting impact on the AREA15 District and the City of Las Vegas.”
An opening date has not been announced.
