News

Click Here for video courtesy of City of Las Vegas

YESCO and the city of Las Vegas announce the installation and official lighting of two brand-new, 50-foot-tall showgirls on the corner of Main Street and Las Vegas Boulevard. These new showgirl signs are double the height of the prior showgirl icons installed in 2018, which each stood 25-feet tall. The showgirls will light up for the first time August 31 at dusk.

The retro-style showgirls will create a lasting legacy for the city as they join the previously installed dice sculptures and sidewalk roulette table to welcome visitors to downtown Las Vegas.

“With an extensive history of fabricating, installing and maintaining Las Vegas’ most internationally recognizable signs, YESCO is thrilled to complete the newest iconic project for the city,” said Jeff Young, executive vice president of YESCO. “These historic signs will welcome visitors to downtown Las Vegas for decades, and we’re proud to have partnered with the city of Las Vegas to bring them to life.”

“Over the decades, YESCO has created some of the most notable signs in Las Vegas, with other recent examples including Downtown’s Gateway Arches and signage at the Circa Resort & Casino,” said city of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman. “These gorgeous signs will continue to elevate Las Vegas’ image as a world-class travel destination beloved by people around the globe.”

The previously installed, 25-foot-tall showgirl signs are currently undergoing refurbishment due to weather damage. They are scheduled to be installed in the Las Vegas Arts District this fall on the corner of Fourth Street and Las Vegas Boulevard, in front of the Las Vegas Deuce double decker bus stop.

FUN FACTS/OLD SHOWGIRLS:

• Height: Each showgirl was 26-feet tall by 8-feet wide
• Weight: Each showgirl weighed 3,250 pounds.
• The showgirls were internally illuminated with white LED modules.
• The headdresses were part of the graphic face and not separate.

FUN FACTS/ NEW SHOWGIRLS:

• Height: Each showgirl is 50-feet tall by 15-feet wide
• Weight: Each showgirl weighs 6,800 pounds
• The showgirls are internally illuminated with white LED. The headdresses are lit with exposed full-color LED pucks designed to scintillate or twinkle.
• Each headdress is more than 5-feet tall and 6-feet wide. They were fabricated separately and were the last elements to be installed after the showgirls’ graphic panels were installed.

We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Performance Outdoor Advertising located in Eastern Idaho. The 12 digital billboard faces can be seen driving through the heart of Pocatello as well as Blackfoot, Idaho. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a larger part of the community in Pocatello and Blackfoot.

Visit https://www.yesco.com/billboard-locations/ to look at the new locations.

Click Here for Downloadable Photos

YESCO announces its new exhibition, “Lighting Up Las Vegas: YESCO Marks a Glittering Century,” will move to the East Las Vegas Library. Currently on display at the Clark County Museum through Monday, August 29 and formerly at the Nevada Humanities Gallery in downtown Las Vegas, this exhibition will open to the public at the East Las Vegas Library on Thursday, September 15. This exhibition is sourced from the LVCVA News Bureau’s extensive archive collection and from UNLV’s Special Collections. This joint exhibition, organized with the support of the LVCVA’s Las Vegas News Bureau and The Neon Museum, examines the history and impact of YESCO in Las Vegas.

The exhibit was originally planned for 2020 to celebrate YESCO’s 100^th anniversary, which took place that year, but was delayed due to the COVID pandemic. “Lighting Up Las Vegas” follows the intertwined stories of the company, city and technology, as well as the men and women who made it all possible.

Las Vegas and neon are synonymous with each other. When anyone thinks of Las Vegas, their mind’s eye instantly conjures images of its dazzling skyline and brilliant lights. YESCO has played a significant role in creating Las Vegas’ shining reputation. The company has created countless signs defining the look and feel of Las Vegas. From its early use of neon on Fremont Street in the 1930s, to the Strip “spectaculars” of the 1950s and 1960s, to the cutting-edge technologies of today, YESCO has shaped the image of Las Vegas. Its iconic signs have come to be recognized as works of art, and their significance transcends their function as mere advertisements.

PHOTOS ON DISPLAY INCLUDE:

Boulder Club/Photo 5947:

In 1945, the Boulder Club hired YESCO to redesign its 1933 sign. The new sign, credited as the first “spectacular,” combined a tall vertical tower that read “Boulder Club” and “Enjoy the Old West.” The sign industry used the term “spectacular” to refer to the largest and brightest signs.

Aladdin/Photo 19038-7:

YESCO and AD-ART competed for the Aladdin sign. YESCO won the bid, and they designed and installed it in 1966. The three-sided marquee featured a modeled genie lamp at the top covered in incandescent bulbs.

Stardust/Photo 7232-3:

In 1958, YESCO’s design for the Stardust set a new standard for signage on the Strip. Designed by Kermit Wayne, the sign wrapped the building in neon and featured three-dimensional planets and comets. It was 216 feet long and 27 feet high. 
Photo by Milt Palmer/Las Vegas News Bureau.