by Ray Smith
Las Vegas drew nearly 5 million convention attendees in 2022, more than double the previous year, and the destination is off to a strong start this year with six-figure numbers reported at CES and the International Builders Show. Peak attendance was 6.6 million in 2019.
The winter MAGIC show wraps up February 15 at Las Vegas Convention Center, TPE 2023 (Total Product Expo) is coming February 22-24 with 5,000 exhibitors and 75,000 attendance, and ASD (Affordable Shopping Destination) is expected to bring 30,000 attendees February 26-March 1.
The monster machines of ConExpo-Con/Agg will roll into Las Vegas March 14-18, dominating some 2.5 million square feet of convention center halls and outside surface parking with heavy construction equipment and demonstrations. The convention, held every three years in Las Vegas, typically draws about 130,000.
Conventions, meetings, and tradeshows continue to rebound from the pandemic, driving Las Vegas hotel occupancy rates to 79 percent in 2022, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
“People want to come to Las Vegas,” President and CEO Steve Hill says following a February 14 board meeting. “Our tradeshow organizers have done a great job of reinventing their shows and reconnecting with customers and showing the value in face-to-face meetings, combined with what’s going on in Las Vegas.”
What’s happening in Las Vegas consumed the majority of the board’s one-hour meeting, highlighted by the unveiling of the logo for Super Bowl XVIII to be played February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium. A Las Vegas host committee attended the Super Bowl in Phoenix, where comedian Carrot Top participated in 15 media interviews on “Radio Row.” The committee also unveiled a 13-foot “Super Ball” sculpture that will be displayed for social media marketing.
“We’re not only on the clock, but we’re in the eyes of the world for the next year or so. We’re certainly excited to get the ball rolling,” Hill says.
Sodexo/Centerplate update
In another report, CEO Hill updated the board on negotiations between Culinary Local 226 and Sodexo/Centerplate, the company that operates food and beverage concessions at Las Vegas Convention Center.
Both sides have had an opportunity to present their thoughts, and are scheduled to meet next week, Hill says.
“Obviously, we’re encouraging both of them to work this out and reach an agreement, and we’re optimistic they can do that,” he told the board.
The Culinary union represents about 300 workers at the convention center, including banquet servers, cashiers, cooks, and dishwashers. The union voted in December to authorize a strike, expressing dissatisfaction over wages and job retention.
Union members employed by Sodexo are scheduled to picket the Las Vegas Convention Center on Thursday, February 16, as workers push for a new union contract. Conventions are booming, but workers contend that their pay is not keeping pace with the cost of living. According to UNITE HERE, a survey of 154 Sodexo workers in Las Vegas, Detroit and Sacramento found 84 percent of them had trouble covering living expenses in the past year.
