Named the No. 1 tradeshow destination for the 20th consecutive year, Las Vegas received top honors from Trade Show News Network’s (TSNN) “2013 TSNN Top 250 Trade Shows in the United States” list for hosting 53 of the largest shows.
“We are proud of our standing as the top tradeshow destination for a historic two decades,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, president and CEO, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which manages the facility. “Maintaining the No. 1 ranking is a collaborative effort and a testament to all of the hard working people who make Las Vegas a premier business destination year after year.”
The coveted list by Trade Show News Network represents the top 250 trade shows held in the country in 2013, ranked by net square footage. Las Vegas encompassed 20,113,046 net square feet, or 31.2 percent, of the total space for all 250 shows. International CES was the largest single show held in Las Vegas at more than 1.9 million square feet.
Beating out its two closest competitors, Las Vegas outranks Chicago with 29 shows and Orlando hosting 24. In 2013, the destination held more than 22,000 meetings, welcomed 5.1 million delegates, produced an economic impact of $7.4 billion and supported 61,200 jobs.
Las Vegas alone is home to three of the largest convention centers in the U.S. – Las Vegas Convention Center, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and the Sands EXPO and Convention Center.
“[O]ver the past 20 years, Las Vegas has become a more compelling tradeshow destination every year said John Caparella, president and COO, The Venetian, The Palazzo and Sands Expo. “Our recent multi-million dollar renovation of Sands Expo is a great example of how the hospitality community continues to embrace this important market.”
To maintain its much sought-after top ranking, the LVCVA is moving forward with the Las Vegas Global Business District, a seminal project that calls for a major transformation of the LVCC and surrounding area. Plans include the addition of exhibit, meeting and general session space, the development of World Trade Center facility and a comprehensive multi-modal transportation hub. The Las Vegas Global Business District will be the most significant economic development project of the facility since its original construction in the 1950s.
To see the full TSNN list, visit www.tsnn.com/toplists-us.
LVCC celebrates its 55th year on Apr. 12. Hosting its first tradeshow on Apr. 12, 1952, Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) began its journey to become the No. 1 tradeshow destination in North America. Welcoming 5,000 delegates to the World Congress of Flight at its first event, LVCC today hosts 20 percent of the top tradeshows in the U.S.
Courtesy of Las Vegas News Bureau/Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
