Welcome back to “A Look Back at ECN Tradeshow History.” This month, the archives show an industry balancing recovery, reinvention, and long-term growth. From the opening of the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall and a renewed advocacy push in Washington to taxi protests over ride-sharing and global shows measuring their comeback, these clips capture change in motion. You will also find familiar industry threads: acquisitions, convention center expansion, mobile payment tools, tracking software, and people building careers across decades. Got your own memory to share? Email Mark at Markh@exhibitcitynews.com. We would love to include it in a future edition.
Five Years Ago
May 2021
LVCC West Hall now open for business
The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) officially opened its $980 million West Hall expansion ahead of World of Concrete 2021, marking one of the largest convention infrastructure projects completed during the pandemic era. The 1.4 million-square-foot addition included 600,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 14,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, new meeting rooms, and a massive LED video wall inside the atrium. The project also debuted the underground Convention Center Loop transportation system using Tesla vehicles to move attendees across the campus. Organizers viewed the opening as a major signal that Las Vegas conventions and tradeshows were preparing to return at scale.
The Power of Advocacy
The tradeshow industry intensified its advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., as companies and associations pushed for federal recognition and reopening support during the COVID-19 shutdowns. The story highlighted the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) leadership campaign, which brought industry representatives to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and promote relief measures for live events, conventions, and exhibitions. The movement unified manufacturers, labor providers, venues, and service firms around one message: face-to-face events remained a major economic driver worth protecting and rebuilding.
Ten Years Ago
May 2016
Fifteen Years Ago
May 2011
IMEX America Index finds optimism rising
The second IMEX America Index of Optimism found stronger confidence among North American meetings industry buyers and suppliers. The March survey included 190 respondents, with buyers making up 43 percent. Nearly 73 percent said demand for their services had grown in the prior six months. Just over 79 percent reported winning business from new sources, and 73 percent said they felt more optimistic about the meetings industry than they had a year earlier. Respondents also pointed to face-to-face meetings, technology, economic stability, and the Convention Industry Council economic impact study as factors shaping long-term growth.
International CES sets record international attendance
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) reported 149,529 total attendees, including 31,677 industry professionals from outside the United States. International attendance rose 30 percent and represented 140 countries, setting a record for the show. The four-day event filled more than 1.6 million net square feet of exhibit space and featured more than 2,700 exhibitors launching an estimated 20,000 new products. An independent audit by Veris Consulting LLC confirmed the figures and reported that 43 percent of attendees were senior-level executives. CES also drew more than 5,000 press and industry analysts.
2026 Update: CES 2026 drew 148,392 attendees, slightly below the 149,529 reported 15 years earlier. The bigger shift was scale and global reach. International attendance rose from 31,677 to 55,841, while exhibit space grew from more than 1.6 million net square feet to more than 2.6 million. Exhibitor count also increased from more than 2,700 to more than 4,100. The crowd size stayed nearly even, but the show became more international, larger in footprint, and broader in exhibitor participation.
Twenty Years Ago
May 2006
CCTB annual industry report: Business is booming
The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (CCTB) released its 15th Annual Competitive Analysis Report in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The report surveyed 111 convention and visitors bureaus across the United States and Canada and found continued growth in convention business. Bureau budgets increased 4.55 percent over the previous year. Convention center bookings and hotel demand also rose. Las Vegas led the market with 131,503 hotel rooms, followed by Orlando with 112,981 and Chicago with 101,803. The report also tracked exhibit space growth, labor rates, and planned convention center expansions across major markets.
Sho-Link announces 2 promotions
Sho-Link Incorporated announced two leadership promotions in its Orlando operations team. Rob West, formerly Sho-Link’s Orlando city manager, accepted the role of regional operations manager. Jeff Brosseau, previously Orlando assistant city manager, became Orlando city manager. Sho-Link said the appointments reflected the company’s continued investment in field leadership and operational support across its national labor network.
2026 Update: West remains with Sho-Link Inc. and currently serves as vice president of operations after advancing through several leadership positions during more than 30 years with the company. Brosseau also remains with Sho-Link and now works as a traveling supervisor, supporting installation and dismantle operations across Florida and national events.
Payment tool processes credit cards with mobile phones
Semtek introduced MobileSwipe, a mobile payment processing system designed for tradeshows, meetings, and conventions. The handheld credit card reader connected to a cellphone and allowed exhibitors to process transactions from the booth floor. The system offered real-time authorization, sales tracking, status reports, and encrypted card information. MobileSwipe cost $249, with an additional $15 monthly fee on top of a basic voice plan.
All in the family: They’ve been a model family for generations
Arleen Gibson and her family built a decades-long careers in tradeshow modeling and booth staffing, working events across Las Vegas, Orlando, and major convention markets around the country. The story followed multiple generations of the family, including children and grandchildren who also entered the industry, reflecting how relationship-driven and family-connected tradeshow labor could become. Gibson described the demanding pace of the work, from long show hours to constant travel, while highlighting the role bilingual talent and live booth interaction played on busy convention floors during the era.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
May 2001
Nth Degree acquired for $150 million
Lake Capital, a Chicago-based investment group, acquired Nth Degree in a deal valued at $150 million. The exhibit and event marketing company planned to use the investment to expand internationally and broaden its services in tradeshows, events, and face-to-face communications. Company leaders said the deal would support acquisitions, new partnerships, and continued growth in the global exhibit industry.
Freeman selected as services contractor for Opryland Florida
Opryland Hotel Florida selected Freeman Decorating Co. as its recommended exposition services contractor. The $385 million hotel and convention project in Kissimmee, Florida, included 1,400 rooms and was scheduled for completion in February 2002. Freeman planned to provide exhibit services and on-site support through an in-house office at the property.
Mandalay Bay to build 1.8-million-square-foot center
Mandalay Bay announced plans for a 1.8-million-square-foot convention center expansion, scheduled for completion in summer 2002. The project included exhibit halls, breakout rooms, ballrooms, and a 100,000-square-foot pillarless Mega Ballroom. Mandalay Bay said the expansion would help attract larger conventions and give planners access to nearby Mandalay Resort Group properties, including Luxor, Four Seasons, and Excalibur. At completion, the property expected nearly 2 million gross square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
