Upgraded facilities and a full slate of major trade shows position the city for a rebound in business travel
LAS VEGAS – Tourism officials and industry analysts say Las Vegas is poised for one of its strongest convention years on record in 2026, with a renovated Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and a dense calendar of major trade shows expected to fuel a rebound in business travel despite uneven leisure-tourism trends.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) projects that the LVCC will host about 1.23 million convention and trade show attendees in 2026, up from an estimated 1.06 million in 2025. The increase is tied to a roughly $600-million renovation that will be fully completed in early 2026. Officials say the upgrades will give the city more flexibility to accommodate larger events and simultaneous shows across multiple halls.
The projection accounts only for the publicly owned convention center and does not include major private venues such as The Venetian Expo and Mandalay Bay Convention Center, or the extensive meeting facilities inside Strip resorts. When combined, Las Vegas hosts one of the largest concentrations of convention space in the United States.
Tourism data show that convention attendance in 2025 was already inching upward even as overall visitor volume softened. Analysts attribute the divergence to higher travel costs and greater price sensitivity among leisure travelers. Conventions, by contrast, tend to bring higher-spending visitors and help fill hotel rooms during weekdays, traditionally the slowest part of the week for resort operators.
Major shows anchor the 2026 calendar
Las Vegas’ 2026 lineup features several of the city’s highest-attendance events.
CES, one of the world’s largest technology trade shows, will open the year from January 6 to 9. Organizers and local officials expect attendance of around 140,000. In March, ConExpo-Con/Agg, the triannual construction machinery show, is set to draw about 139,000 participants.
Later in the year, the combined Automotive Aftermarket Week events are projected to be the largest gathering on the calendar, with an estimated 160,000 attendees across the LVCC, The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum.
Other high-volume events include the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention and the SHOT Show, each historically attracting more than 60,000 participants. New-to-Las-Vegas events such as the Sweets and Snacks Expoand McDonald’s Worldwide Convention add to the roster.
Industry publications and meetings analysts describe 2026 as potentially the city’s “strongest year yet” for trade shows, citing aggressive bookings, expanded capacity and a recovery in corporate travel budgets.
Mixed visitor trends shape expectations
Las Vegas welcomed 41.6 million visitors in 2024, one of its strongest years since 2019. Visitor volume in 2025, however, has trended lower, with year-to-date counts running below the prior year. Forecasts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) project 39 to 40 million visitors in 2026, indicating a modest improvement but not a return to peak levels.
Economists note that volatility in leisure travel makes business events increasingly important to the region’s economy. Convention visitors typically spend more on lodging, dining and transportation, and their weekday presence stabilizes hotel occupancy rates.
A key test for the meetings economy
For Nevada, where tourism and gaming remain central economic pillars, the strength of the 2026 convention cycle will test the effectiveness of recent public investments and the city’s ability to compete for global meetings.
