The Nov. 10-13 event is a meeting that is expected to attract about 48,000 travel professionals from 197 countries.

Authority staff members say they will host an exhibit at the event designed to highlight future projects in Las Vegas and entice travel professionals to consider directing customers to Nevada.

Also, the authority hopes to recoup about $60,000 in costs directly through contributions from the Nevada Commission on Tourism and 42 Las Vegas hotels and suppliers.

In other action Tuesday, the convention board:

•Approved spending $100,000 to support the upcoming Helldorado Days, most of it related to a return of a rodeo to the downtown Las Vegas event. It also OK'd spending $30,000 for out-of-market advertising and another $70,000 for rodeo prize money.

Helldorado Days is scheduled for May 14-17 in downtown Las Vegas. It will be the 75th anniversary of the event, making it one of the oldest events of its kind in the state.

According to the authority, the event will attract more than 17,000 people, including more than 2,000 from out of town, which translates to an estimated $1.2 million in spending.

•Narrowed the list of contractors eligible to bid on the first phase of a proposed $890 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The authority's board of directors approved a list of five contractors that included Hunt, Turner, Clark Construction McCarthy and M&H Enterprises.

The list was whittled down from eight companies that sought to participate in the bid process.

Next month, authority staff members are expected to make a recommendation to the board of directors.

James Gans, the authority's senior vice president of operations, said the down economy has generated competition for the job.

"Our economic situation is bringing more people to the floor," Gans said.

• Approved a bid by M&H Enterprises Inc. for work in the central hall.

The $9 million bid for new restrooms, a data command center and new freight doors was approved despite another bid that came in at a lower cost. The bid was slightly higher than an $8.8 million bid from Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.

Gans said M&H got the award because of a Nevada statute that allows public project managers to give preference to a bid that is within 5 percent of the lowest bid.

Gans also said the project is likely to cost far less than the original $13.2 million estimate because tough economic conditions are fostering greater competition between companies seeking work.