LAS VEGAS – Las Vegas maintains its long-standing reputation as the leading destination for business travel as it is named the No. 1 trade show destination for the 22nd consecutive year, according to the Trade Show News Network’s (TSNN) “2015 TSNN Top 250 Trade Shows in the United States” list. Las Vegas hosted 54 of the largest shows held in the country last year.
“Las Vegas consistently provides our convention clients with the most professional and productive experience possible, and is proud to be named the No. 1 trade show destination for the 22nd year,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, President/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “It is critical that we continue to provide the most professional and productive experience to our convention delegates. We need to continue to invest in our convention infrastructure to make sure we are always ahead of the competition.”
The coveted list by Trade Show News Network represents the largest 250 trade shows held in the country last year, ranked by net square footage.
The Consumer Technology Association’s CES 2015 show snagged the top spot with more than 2.2 million square feet of exhibit space across several Las Vegas convention facilities. CES 2015 welcomed more than 3,600 exhibitors and nearly 170,000 attendees.
“It’s no surprise that Las Vegas, once again, was ranked the No. 1 city on the 2015 TSNN top 250 Trade Show list, with 54 of the biggest shows being hosted there,” said TSNN President Rachel Wimberly. “The combination of world-class resorts, convention and meetings venues, restaurants and entertainment, to mention a few highlights, make Las Vegas a very desirable destination.”
Las Vegas’ closest competitor was Orlando with 24 shows, followed by Chicago and New York hosting 21 shows each. To see the full TSNN list, visit http://www.tsnn.com/toplists-us.
Even with more than two decades under its belt as the No. 1 trade show destination, Las Vegas works hard to maintain that ranking. The city that evolved to host people is always evolving to improve the experience and ensure its top ranking.
More than $7 billion in current and proposed development is on the books to add to the destination’s appeal, including the T-Mobile Arena, TopGolf Las Vegas, Resorts World Las Vegas, renovation of the Julius Tower at Caesars Palace and the Monte Carlo theater, just to name a few. In addition, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is progressing with its Las Vegas Convention Center District project that will expand and renovate the Las Vegas Convention Center.
To recognize the importance of the meetings and convention industry in Las Vegas, and across the nation, the resort industry will be honoring the inaugural Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Thursday, April 14. Las Vegas will host a panel of Las Vegas industry leaders who will discuss the importance and impact of the meetings industry on our city. Panelists will include Michael Massari, Senior Vice President of National Meetings & Events at Caesars Entertainment; Chuck Bowling, President & COO at Mandalay Bay; Chandra Allison, Vice President of Sales at The Venetian and Palazzo and Chris Flatt, Executive Vice President of Hotel Sales & Marketing at Wynn Las Vegas. The panel will be moderated by Rossi Ralenkotter, President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Special Guest Roger Dow, President & CEO of the U.S. Travel Association will give an industry overview prior to the panel.
Las Vegas Meetings Snapshot:
Nearly 22,000 meetings in 2015
5.9 million delegates in 2015
$9.3 billion impact to local economy
$2.7 billion in local salaries and wages supported
Supports 66,500 jobs
