Las Vegas is universally known as a top tourist attraction, but a recent list of convention destinations found that Sin City is also the nation’s leader in trade shows.
According to the Casino City Times, the Trade Show Network News (TSNN) annual award for the top trade show destination in the U.S. went to Las Vegas, NV, for the 22nd consecutive year.
TSNN announced Las Vegas as the winner as part of its “2015 TSNN Top 250 Trade Shows in the U.S.” list. Rossi Ralenkotter, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), believes that the city’s continued efforts to provide a memorable experience to visitors is what sets it apart from the rest.
“Las Vegas consistently provides our convention clients with the most professional and productive experience possible, and is proud to be named the #1 trade show destination for the 22nd year,” Ralenkotter said.
“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,” he added.
About 50% of the largest 200 shows in the U.S. take place in just three cities: Las Vegas, Chicago, and Orlando. Therefore, it was not a shock when Las Vegas was named as the country’s top destination for trade shows.
“It’s no surprise that Las Vegas, once again, was ranked the #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 was the runaway winner when it comes to total trade shows in 2015, hosting 54 unique events throughout the year. Orlando was a distant second-place with 24 shows, followed by Chicago and New York City hosting 21 shows each.
As trade shows in Las Vegas continue to grow in popularity, tourism officials are looking for creative ways to provide visitors with the best experience possible. As TSNN reported, the LVCVA recently unveiled a Virtual Reality Companion app to show potential tourists what it’s really like to explore Las Vegas.
The Virtual Reality Companion app was first showcased during the ITB Travel Trade Show in Berlin, Germany. With the app, trade show attendees from all over the world can sample everything the city has to offer, from gondola rides at the Venetian to zipline rides on the Las Vegas Strip.
If the LVCVA continues bringing this app to international trade shows, it’s safe to say that Las Vegas will keep its title as the top trade show destination in the U.S. for years to come.
