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.
