Rossi Ralenkotter, Who Redefined How Las Vegas Sold Itself to Tourists, Dies at 78

Rossi Ralenkotter devoted his career to promoting what he called “the most exciting city in the universe,” spending 45 years at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, a governmental organization funded by hotel-room taxes, responsible for marketing the region as a destination for tourists and business travelers. (The LVCVA also owns the Las Vegas Convention Center.)

Ralenkotter started at the LVCVA as a newly minted M.B.A. in 1973 and ascended to serve as its president and CEO for 14 years, becoming one of the U.S. travel industry’s most distinguished leaders. His retirement during an ethics scandal, in 2018, seemingly did little to diminish his stature in the long run.