A Look at Las Vegas: At the Top of the Heap

To many, Las Vegas is the ultimate escape from everyday life. The city has established itself as a center for superlative entertainment and dining, as well as lavish resorts. With the space to accommodate the largest shows in the country and a nickname like "The Entertainment Capital of the World," it's no wonder tradeshow managers decide to mix work and play, making the city an indisputable tradeshow hub.

Tradeshow Week Senior Assistant Editor Candice Yang explores the tradeshow industry in Las Vegas.

• Projected 2008 figures reported to Tradeshow Week indicate that Sin City will be bustling with the business of 4.8 million attendees, who will visit 157,920 exhibitors covering a combined 70.8 million net square feet of exhibit space. Compared to the 50.8 million net sq. ft. of showfloor that had been projected in 2007, this year's total registers a 39.4-percent increase. Attendance also expects a remarkable gain of 56 percent, compared with last year's 3.1 million attendees.
• Las Vegas picks up a 10.2-percent market share of the nation's exhibit space, as well as 9.9 percent of the national market in terms of exhibitors and a 5.4-percent market share of total attendees.
• The average booth will occupy 449 sq. ft.
• The average Las Vegas tradeshow anticipates a 289,782 sq. ft. stretch of exhibit space, which will display the products and services of 693 companies to 19,944 attendees.
• The average tradeshow-consumer show hybrid showfloor will span approximately 177,571 net sq. ft., on which 185 exhibitors will try to grab the attention of 7,650 attendees.

Apparel is the apparent ruler of the industries, with 20 shows to be held in the city this year, among them heavyweight semi-annual tradeshows and TSW 200 winners MAGIC Marketplace (MAGIC/WWDMAGIC/MAGIC kids/Sourcing at MAGIC, Project and Pool) and The WSA Show.

Reed Exhibitions' 10 shows make it the show management company producing the most shows in Las Vegas in 2008. Not far behind is second-place Hanley Wood Exhibitions, set to manage eight shows in the city.

February scores the largest slice of the exhibition pie, with 39 shows that took place in Sin City this year. The next most popular time to hold a show in Las Vegas this year is poised just before scorching summer weather hits. The city will host 32 shows in May. Add January's 23 shows to February's 39 and March's 30 and the total, 92, makes the first quarter the premier tradeshow season for the city.

The Las Vegas Convention Center's popularity soars above the rest this year, as it expects to accommodate 70 shows. Tied for second are the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and the Sands Expo & Convention Center/Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, with 42 shows expected to grace each venue this year.