Las Vegas heads list of top 200 trade shows

Monday, June 5, 2000 | 10:46 a.m.

Las Vegas again leads as a venue in Tradeshow Week magazine's list of the top 200 U.S. trade shows, hosting 34 of the 200 largest events.

It was the sixth straight year Las Vegas has headed the list. Chicago had 23 of the top shows in 1999 and Orlando, Fla., and Atlanta each had 18.

Las Vegas also rented more net square footage than any other city. The city had a 25.1 percent market share in the category by renting 17 million square feet to trade shows in 1999.

Las Vegas currently has more than 6 million square feet of exhibition and meeting space, with 1.9 million maintained by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Sands Expo Center and Venetian Congress Center housing 1.7 million square feet.

The LVCVA is building a 1.3 million-square-foot expansion that would be the seventh largest convention facility in the country on its own.

Computer and technology shows are the top draws for Las Vegas, with the city playing host to Comdex, the Consumer Electronics Show, Networld+Interop and the National Association of Broadcasters. All have long-term contracts in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas' lead could expand next year when the Sands Expo Center hosts the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association Super Show for the first time in January.