Photo Credit: CTA/CES
Las Vegas’ reputation as the premier global destination for trade shows and conventions wasn’t built overnight.
For nearly three eventful decades, the destination has been recognized by top trade show publications as the No. 1 place to do business, whether it’s for groups of 10, 100 or more than 100,000. Las Vegas has developed and maintained long-standing relationships with some of the biggest worldwide industry events, hosting them annually in the destination.
One of the most anticipated events on the Las Vegas trade show calendar every year is CES, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual tech showcase. Each January since 1978, it’s where exhibitors and vendors have unveiled their newest technologies and products. In 2024, more than 138,000 attendees representing 161 countries, territories and regions flocked to this mammoth convention in Las Vegas. CES hosted 4,312 exhibitors, including 1,442 startups, and held 292 conference sessions, featuring 1,150 speakers. And that’s all in just a four-day span.
The automotive industry’s premier event, SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Market Association), has been held here annually since 1977. This massive gathering of vehicle enthusiasts, major automakers, industry buyers and accessories manufacturers attracts more than 160,000 attendees each fall filling convention centers in Las Vegas to capacity.
Spanning across various industries, Las Vegas has been the destination for decades, and for many to come. In January, nearly 60,000 professionals from the concrete and masonry industries gathered for World of Concrete. It was the 20th consecutive year that the event was held exclusively in the city. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) held its NAB Show 2024 in April, with more than excited 61,000 registered attendees, 54% of which were first-time convention-goers. After hosting several NAB conferences in the 1980s, Las Vegas became its permanent convention home in 1991.
The Bar & Restaurant Expo, formerly known as the Nightclub & Bar Show, celebrated its 38th year in Las Vegas in 2024, with more than 13,000 attendees from taverns, restaurants, sports bars, nightclubs, lounges and more. The flair bartending competitions alone provide amazing entertainment during the show. Speaking of tossing things in the air, the demonstrations at the International Pizza Expo & Conference can get a little saucy, to say the least. In its 40th year, the Pizza Expo convention attracted more than 11,000 pizzeria owners, operators and pizza chefs in March.
MAGIC has held twice-annual trade shows in the city since 1989, and the spring 2024 show attracted more than 78,000 attendees from the fashion industry.
The list doesn’t end there. Cyber security Las Vegas conferences Black Hat and DEF CON, along with JCK, the world’s largest jewelry show, have each been held here annually for 30 years. The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) has been meeting here since 2001, and IMEX America has made the destination its home since 2011. Top industry experts have also gathered to spill the tea in the destination about new advancements at the World Tea Expo every year since 2012.
It’s easy to see why these major shows continue to choose Las Vegas conference centers; the city has it all. The destination features more than 15 million square feet of exhibit and event space, including 3 of the 10 largest convention centers in the United States. The destination was literally built to handle large-scale events, with Harry Reid International Airport conveniently located just minutes from 151,000 hotel rooms. Adding in the expert hospitality and service, unbeatable entertainment, dining, live sports and other nearby attractions, Las Vegas business events provide the best value proposition of any destination.
When it’s time for you to choose where to host your events in Las Vegas, consider the many unique corporate event spaces the destination has to offer. From resort ballrooms to restaurants to speakeasies with separate rooms just for group gatherings, the city can accommodate groups of any size or budget with its array of on-site meeting spaces in Las Vegas. The destination is also among the global leaders in sustainable business practices.
Hold your next industry conference in Las Vegas and see why the biggest trade shows happen here – and stay here.