The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas kicked off the construction phase Tuesday on the planned $39 million expansion of its Pavilion Convention Center with a ceremonial groundbreaking and press conference. The expansion will add more than 60,000 square feet of convention space to the existing 100,000 square feet in the Pavilion.

Rio executives were on hand for the commencement of the construction phase of the 60,000 square foot expansion of the Pavilion Convention Center and to witness the first cement mixer to come onsite and pour the first batch of concrete. In trademark Las Vegas-style, the cement mixer was led to the cement frame by Las Vegas showgirls from Harrah's show, "Skintight" and Chippendale dancers to Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas."

Hands down: With the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in the background, Rio executives celebrate by putting their hands in the first ceremonial pour of concrete at the groundbreaking. The three executives are (from left) vice president of hotel operations Michael Massari, senior vice president and general manager Marilyn Winn, and vice president and general manager Gary Selesner.

The expansion will increase the overall size of the Rio Pavilion Convention Center to a total of 160,000 square feet of space, the eighth largest hotel meeting space in Las Vegas. With the expansion, the Rio Pavilion will be able to accommodate 17,000 people and can be set up in 300 different configurations. The expansion of the Rio Pavilion Convention Center is scheduled for completion next spring