The D Las Vegas’ Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and the MGM Las Vegas Village are proving that outdoor space can be utilized efficiently to increase traffic from locals and out of state visitors alike.

With more and more of today’s market focusing on experiences rather than things, casinos world-wide are faced with the challenge of inventing new ways to attract visitors with more than gaming, and it appears as though MGM Resorts International and Derek Stevens’ D Las Vegas have done just that.

Recently, the D Las Vegas’ Downtown Las Vegas Events Center hosted Knockout Night at the D, which was aired live by the CBS Sports Network on cable and featured a two-card headline boxing event. Most of the outdoor seating provided fans with a good view of the action and prior to the main event a DJ entertained the crowd. According to CDC Gaming Reports, for now, the venue hosts as few as 1,500 people for boxing matches and as many as 10,000 for outdoor concerts. The events help to increase traffic to the Fremont Street casinos, as well as improve the overall Las Vegas experience for entire families.

Other venues, including the MGM Las Vegas Village, which opened about two years ago, are experiencing similar success. In May the MGM hosted the popular Las Vegas Helldorado Days festival, Las Vegas’ longest-running civic event, which featured the Helldorado PRCA Rodeo. The outdoor village is located directly across Las Vegas Blvd. from the Luxor Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The four-day festival moved to Symphony Park from the former city hall building on Las Vegas Boulevard in 2013 and organizers of the event are hoping that the venue change this year will help to renew interest in the event.