## Trust Over Transactions: 50 Yearsโ as Southern Nevada’s Economicโ Compass
For half a century, the Center for Business and Economic Researchโค (CBER) at UNLV has served as Southern Nevada’s primary source forโ objective economic analysis, guidingโ theโ region through periods of โexplosive growth, challenging recession, and transformative change. From itsโ humble beginnings to its current focus on economic resiliency, CBER’s commitmentโฃ has remainedโฃ steadfast: โto provide data-driven insights that benefit the community.
CBER’s story began in โ1974 with the publication of the first Clark County Factbook, a foundational โฃresource that ultimatelyโ evolved into the Las โVegas Perspective. โthis โinitial work established CBER as aโ vital source of local economic intelligence.
Following this launch, William Robinson strengthened CBER’s reach by forging strong โฃrelationshipsโ withโ theโข Las Vegas Review-Journal โand the Nevada Growthโ Authority. This collaboration ensured โขCBER’s research gained wider public visibility and influence.
Theโ center enteredโ a period of critically important growthโค and community engagement โunder the leadership of Keith schwer. โคThis “golden era” saw โคthe launch of โฃseveral key projects, including the annual Economic Outlook conference,โข detailed โpopulation forecasts, and the Nevada Kidsโ Count โขinitiative. These projects โwere instrumental in helping โa rapidly expanding Las Vegas โฃnavigate evolving needs in education, entertainment, and healthcare.
The Great Recession prompted a shift in CBER’s โขresearch focus under Stephen G. Brown,who directed studies toward understanding the impacts of the downturn on housing,taxation,and energy policy. This research proved crucial in helping Nevadaโ comprehend its path to โฃrecovery and future growth.
Stephen M.Miller subsequently broadenedโค CBER’s โscope, examining the interconnectedness of Southern Nevada’s economy withโ the broader U.S. economic landscape.
Today, under theโ direction of Andrew Woods, CBER’s work centers on building economic resiliency -โ preparing Nevada for its next phase of growth in key โsectors like healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, and entertainment. “Cross-disciplinary work is โขkey to tackling the complex challengesโ facing Nevada’s economy,”โ woods said. “We’re here to be aโฃ trustedโ resource across sectors – from government to business to nonprofits.”
CBER’s commitment toโค innovationโ is โexemplifiedโ by its recent partnership with the UNLV Sports Innovation Institute. Thisโ collaboration resulted in theโ Southern โขNevada Sports Economy Data Dashboard, a tool designed to measure the economicโ impact of Lasโค Vegas’s burgeoning sports scene on โฃtourism, employment, and small businesses.
the value of CBER’s workโฃ is widely recognized within โthe community. Tina โขQuigley, former director โคof the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance,โ emphasized the importance of CBER’s forums, stating, “We wouldn’t โknow the city’s true potential withoutโ these forums.”
CBER’s quarterly “Brews & Views”โ events, heldโข at restaurants throughout the valley, provide a platform for discussing critical economic issues. The most recent event focused on theโ economic impact of the Las Vegas brand, featuringโค panelists โฃfrom Formula 1, R&R โขPartners, Film Nevada, UNLV Sportsโ innovation Institute,โฃ and TKO. Austinโ Brown, vice president of marketing for Las Vegas Grand Prix,โข Inc.,captured the essence of the Las Vegas brand,noting,”Lasโข Vegas โis its own character in a movie.”
Woods highlights the practical application of CBER’s research, pointing to Southern Nevada’s success in waterโฃ conservation. “southern Nevada overall uses less water today than 20 years ago,โ despite โadding nearly a million residents,” he noted.โ “That’s the power of appliedโข research making a real difference.”
Ultimately,โ CBER’s enduring legacy is rooted in its dedicationโ to serving the community.As โWilliam โฃRobinson succinctly put it: “We are servantsโข of the community, first.” โ โฃFor โค50 โขyears, CBER โhas remainedโค true to this principle, acting as Southern Nevada’s โขtrusted economic compass, guiding the region toward a enduring and โprosperous future.