It stopped being a surprise a long time ago. More like a ritual, a good habit... Las Vegas was crowned destination number one for business tourism in the United States in 2015, according to the "2015 TSNN Top 205 Trade Shows in the United States" ranking published by the Trade Show News Network's (TSNN). Las Vegas hosted 54 of the 250 largest trade shows organised in the United States last year, putting it ahead of Chicago and New York.
This is the 22nd consecutive year that "Sin City" has claimed the title of MICE destination in the United States, and there's every reason to believe that the tradition is set to continue in the next rankings. Indeed, in July 2016 alone, 350,000 visitors travelled to Las Vegas to attend a business event or convention: a figure up 16.5% on the same period in 2015. But it's in January that the destination really comes into its own: every year, the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) brings together some 3,600 exhibitors and 170,000 visitors in over 200,000 square metres of exhibition space.
The city is also continuing to invest to maintain its leadership. The local tourism authorities are talking about ongoing investments to the tune of 9 billion dollars, which will lead in particular to the extension and renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center set up by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Other developments are planned for MICE customers, including a 5,000-seat auditorium at the Park Las Vegas - still known as the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino - and the inauguration of the Lucky Dragon Hotel-Casino, Resorts World Las Vegas and Alon hotels, while the Julius Tower at Caesars Palace is in the process of being renovated.
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Business tourism in Las Vegas: key figures for 2015
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