Las Vegas Convention Center Forecasts Record Post‑Pandemic Attendance in 2026
The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) expects a post‑pandemic attendance high in 2026, with 48 conventions drawing roughly 1.23 million delegates across the restored campus.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The projection, released ahead of CES 2026, represents a notable jump from an estimated 1.06 million attendees in 2025 and reflects a busy calendar that includes major returning events and several new trade shows. Organizers highlight the International Air Conditioning and Heating Expo (about 50,000 attendees), INFOCOMM (30,000), FABTECH (30,000), the National Association of Convenience Stores (26,000) and new entrants such as the Sweets and Snacks Expo (16,000) and McDonald’s Worldwide (15,000).
CES – one of the city’s longest‑running and largest events since 1978 – begins Tuesday and will occupy more than 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space across 13 official venues. Airlines have added more than 360 flights to Harry Reid International Airport, including services from nine countries, to handle the influx of delegates.
br>“This milestone signals the next leap for trade shows in Las Vegas, delivering a world‑class Convention Center experience that reflects the scale and ambition of our city. It’s fitting to share this moment with CES, the world’s most influential technology show and our long‑standing partner. Their continued commitment underscores the future of global events in Las Vegas.
The LVCC’s restored Central Hall opened Monday as the final piece of a campus overhaul launched in 2023. The $600 million renovation of Central Hall complements the $1 billion West Hall, which debuted in 2021, and together they form a facility with more than 2.5 million square feet of exhibit space, nearly 400,000 square feet of meeting rooms and parking for over 5,000 vehicles. Southern Nevada as a whole offers nearly 15 million square feet of meeting and convention space, the most of any U.S. destination.
Improvements to Central Hall emphasize natural light and flexible trade‑show space: a glass curtain wall frames a new grand lobby anchored by a 75‑foot‑by‑42‑foot digital screen and two companion displays. A climate‑controlled concourse now links North and South halls so attendees can traverse the campus indoors. The redesigned South Hall adds a new east entrance, a modern boardroom and updated administrative facilities, while the West Hall’s extended ribbon roof creates a cohesive exterior aesthetic.
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Impact on Hotels, Air Travel and the Local Economy
Meetings and conventions are central to Las Vegas’s mid‑week hotel occupancy, filling tens of thousands of rooms Sunday through Thursday and supporting restaurants, entertainment venues and ground transportation. The community funded part of the expansion through a targeted 0.5 percentage‑point increase in the room tax to finance LVCC improvements and ensure the destination remains competitive for large international events.
Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES, praised the city’s scale and logistics: “CES demands the best in hospitality and logistical precision, and Las Vegas delivers that better than any other location. No other place in the world can support a show of this complexity and magnitude, and no other city continues to invest so ambitiously in a better attendee experience, including this remarkable renovation of the LVCC.”
Planners say the 2026 outlook benefits from pent‑up demand for large‑scale gatherings, expanded international flight capacity, and a broader mix of industry sectors represented on the 2026 calendar. The figure of 1.23 million delegates applies to shows on the LVCC campus and does not count events at hotel convention centers such as the Venetian Expo, where the Global Gaming Expo and other industry events also take place.
Since opening in 1959 with a 90,000‑square‑foot exhibit hall, the LVCC has undergone multiple expansions and been the site of notable cultural and political events. Past highlights include speeches by President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., performances by the Beatles, major sporting events and the 1994 World Cup draw – moments that underscore the center’s longstanding role in bringing global attention to Las Vegas.
With the renovated campus now online, city leaders and event organizers say the LVCC is positioned to support a new era of large conventions and to help restore the business travel segment that underpins Las Vegas’s tourism economy.
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