Designing for Las Vegas: A Full House of Finishes for Allegiant Stadium to Enhance, Protect & Cool

Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, opened in 2021 with a construction price tag of $1.9 billion, making it one of the world’s most expensive stadiums to build. Nearly two million people visit the facility each year for professional and collegiate football games, special events and headlining concerts. Just two years after opening, it has become one of the biggest draws in Las Vegas. Billboard named it the Top Venue in the World in 2022. While the 10-level fully domed venue has exceeded expectations by nearly every metric, it also comes with some formidable challenges, including its sheer size at 1.8 million square feet to its setting in the searing sun and heat of the Mojave Desert.

Through a partnership with the Raiders, PPG paints, coatings and specialty materials played a central role in the design and construction of the extraordinary facility, thanks to solutions that balanced the need for high-end aesthetics fitting of its location near the Vegas Strip with durable, long-lasting protection for interior, exterior and structural steel surfaces. For PPG, the Allegiant Stadium project required a range of decorative and protective solutions from four different PPG businesses; color expertise to perfectly match the Raider’s signature black and silver for the exterior curtain walls; and exterior coatings infused with infrared reflective pigments to help cool the building with less energy.

Join PPG’s Gary Edgar, Manager of Architectural Specifications, Industrial Coatings, and Christopher Sotiropulos, Vice President of Stadium Operations, who was instrumental in the stadium’s design and construction. Christopher will share what it took to build—and maintain—a venue of this size and stature, as well as ongoing initiatives that improve sustainability and guest experiences.

Learning Objectives:
Discover what aspects make certain coatings ideal for withstanding heat and sun
Learn how certain coatings can help affect the life cycle of a building
Coatings can affect the sustainability of a building, specifically how exterior coatings can affect internal heat mitigation
Discover how various coatings are used on different metallic surfaces and how they can affect the metal itself
This session is FREE to attend and located in Meeting Room S229. Availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and space is limited.

Speakers:
Christopher Sotiropulos was named Las Vegas Raiders’ Vice President of Stadium Operations in 2022 and is entering his 17th season with the Raiders. In his current role, Sotiropulos oversees all aspects of stadium operations for the Raiders and Allegiant Stadium. In addition to management of events and overall operations, Sotiropulos oversees capital projects in the building, including the new construction of additional premium suites and exterior canopies to add shade and misting support for employees and guests. Sotiropulos was instrumental in the construction of Allegiant Stadium and was a key driver in the design and construction. Allegiant Stadium was named the Top Venue in the World in 2022 by Billboard and was the #1 ranked stadium in the NFL for overall guest satisfaction by Voice of the Fan Survey. In addition, Sotiropulos oversees initiatives related to sustainability, parking and transportation, and employee engagement and satisfaction. Sotiropulos also oversees security and fan conduct related matters and is a liaison with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Clark County Fire, and Community Ambulance to develop and maintain appropriate emergency preparedness plans. Future projects that Sotiropulos will develop and work on include planning for SuperBowl LVIII and the design and implementation of the development of a station connected to The Loop (The Boring Company). Prior to being named Vice President of Stadium Operations, Sotiropulos served as the club’s Director of Stadium Operations and Guest Experience for seven seasons. Sotiropulos was instrumental in the creation of the guest experience department at the Raiders and overseeing fan conduct and guest satisfaction during the team’s tenure in Oakland. Prior to joining the Raiders full-time in 2010, Sotiropulos was an intern for the Silver and Black and assisted with various departments including ticketing, marketing, and merchandise. Sotiropulos majored in Sport Management and received his degree from Syracuse University (2006-2010).

Gary Edgar is specification manager, building products, of PPG’s industrial coatings business. Edgar has been with PPG for 22 years, including 17 years devoted exclusively to the company’s air-dry fluoropolymer and BRP (build restore protect) coating systems. He manages products such as factory-applied PPG DURANAR™ and PPG CORAFLON® Fluoropolymer liquid and powder coatings, along with CORAFLON® ADS field-applied coatings. Edgar is responsible for product recommendations, product training and warranty approval and is a NACE certified coating inspector.