Route 66 Casino Hotel’s Legends Theater and Alpha win “Best Casino Project” in Commercial Integrator’s 2025 Integration Awards
Alpha’s comprehensive audio visual integration of Route 66 Casino Hotel’s Legends Theater was named “Best Casino Project” in Commercial Integrator’s 2025 Integration Awards.
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minnesota, October 6th, 2025 – Route 66 Casino Hotel and Alpha are proud to announce that their comprehensive audio visual integration of the property’s new Legend Theater has been named “Best Casino Project” in Commercial Integrator’s 2025 Integration Awards.
Created to recognize industry leaders who have taken “the science of systems integration to the level of high art,” Commercial Integrator’s Integration Awards “ celebrate awe-inspiring, immersive and experiential AV projects that integrators have created over the past year.”
Winners of the 2025 competition were announced on September 5 at the CEDIA Expo/CIX 2025 Smart Stage in Denver.
“We are honored to receive this award. The new Legends Theater was built to be the best indoor live performance venue in the Southwest, and this recognition is a tremendous validation of the vision, talent, and effort that went into its creation. We appreciate all our partners who made it happen,” said Maxine Velasquez, CEO of Laguna Development Corporation, the company that manages Route 66 Casino Hotel.
Legends Theater: a “Wow performance” venue
Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico, wanted its property’s 2,962-seat Legends Theater to be the premier facility of its kind in the Southwest. The mandate Route 66 gave Alpha was clear: Deliver a “wow performance” for guests and performers alike.
Working closely with I-5 Design Build and Integrated Lighting Systems, Alpha commenced integration in July of 2024 and completed the project in November of 2024. Alpha’s work encompassed facility integration, engineering, fabrication & installation services, cable infrastructure, 4 LED screens, a performance audio system, and designing the full operational control system.
Showstopper design and integration
The guest experience begins as one encounters the giant direct-view LED video wall that functions as the theater marquee. Inside the facility is a main stage with a 28 foot-wide video wall backdrop flanked by two 16-foot x 19-foot IMAG screens and custom-tuned Meyer Sound PANTHER speaker arrays. All DMX controllable lighting systems on and in front of the stage accommodate a wide array of lighting fixtures for any event.
Powering performance is an all-digital network of Dante audio and NDI video that enables acts to plug in their own lighting, sound and video feeds while providing Route 66 the flexibility to host events ranging from rock concerts to boxing matches, game shows, and all-hands corporate gatherings with their own house equipment.
Among the technical highlights: A Meyer Sound PANTHER speaker system with 20 total cabinets, Yamaha DM7 mixer, four Primeview video walls (three on stage, one at the entrance), a Varilite lighting package, a QSC audio system for back-of-house rooms and general sound & video control, a Vizrt TriCaster live video production system, Panasonic PTZ remote cameras for live production, Scala digital signage for pre-show graphics and menu boards, a RTS intercom system, Applied Electronics motor control and truss systems, and LEX stage power systems and company switchers.
“No place else comes close to matching Legend Theater’s size, flexibility, state-of-the-art technology, and year-round utility,” says Alpha VP Lance Hutchinson.
What made Alpha the right partner to make Route 66’s vision possible?
“Route 66 turned to Alpha to bring this vision to life based on years of trust earned through successful collaborations on projects casino wide, but this one was unique,” explains Hutchinson. “Legends Theater had to be a completely self-contained venue, equipped with full production technology while also giving performers the flexibility to plug in their own systems that meet the requirements of top band riders.”
Adds Hutchinson: “The breadth of our internal capabilities and partner resources made this project possible. Moreover, our ability to handle both design and build resulted in economies and time savings that freed the client to dream big.”
About Alpha
Alpha translates visionary ideas into exceptional and captivating technology experiences. Combining end-to-end capabilities with relentless client focus, Alpha is a multi-industry master who continuously expands the boundaries of what’s possible in markets including sports and live entertainment, casinos, broadcasting, corporate, government, education, and more. Alpha was founded in Minneapolis in 1970 and has grown to become one of America’s premier broadcast and digital solutions providers by enabling our clients to Experience Possible™.
About Route 66 Casino Hotel
Route 66 Casino Hotel, proudly managed by Laguna Development Corporation, offers premier gaming, dining, and entertainment in New Mexico. The property features over 1,060 slot machines, 15 table games, and award-winning restaurants, including Buffet 66, Thunder Road Steak House, Laguna Burger, Stadium 66 Sports Bar, and The Snack Bar. Guests can enjoy first- class entertainment at Legends Theater, a state-of-the-art 2,962-seat venue hosting top national acts. The property also features a 154-room hotel, the award-winning Route 66 RV Resort, and a full-service Route 66 Travel Center.
