Nevada casinos are on a roll as in-house winnings continued for the seventh straight month, reaching more than $1 billion in September 2021, the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently reported. The latest figure raised the revenue from the Las Vegas Strip to almost $2.1 billion in the said month.
According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), the state collected $3.7 billion from July to September, up nearly 59 percent compared to the same quarter of 2020. Clark County’s collection rose almost 69 percent to $3.2 billion over the previous period.
Pre-pandemic gaming win levels
The seven-month streak in gaming wins — the amount casinos received from gamblers — of $1 billion or more every month showed gambling at pre-pandemic levels. This is still shy of the record eight-month-straight wins recorded from November 2006 to May 2007, the KRNV NBC Reno reports.
The NGCB, the state’s gaming regulator, notes that casinos took in roughly $1.2 billion in August and $1.4 billion in July. Winnings rose about 22 percent from $952 million in August 2019, when COVID-19 was unknown.
Similarly, hotel occupancy rose 73 percent in September compared to the same month last year, with close to three million visiting the state. However, this was more than 15 percent below the same month in 2019.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority describes September as a consolidation month for the hotel business, adding that room rates were at their highest during the pandemic at $155 per night on average.
Increasing demand for gambling
The Associated Press notes the uptrend in winnings can be attributed to the high demand for gambling, the accessibility of federal stimulus funds, the ongoing recovery of leisure travel, and the relaunching of special events and entertainment.
Heavier vehicle traffic on Interstate 15 connecting a large number of cities including Las Vegas showed higher domestic tourist travel. By contrast, regular international air travel is still relatively low compared to pre-pandemic levels. McCarran International Airport, now known as Harry Reid International Airport, released figures showing 3.8 million passengers boarded a flight in August, down roughly eight percent from about four million in July.
KRNV NBC Reno adds that sportsbooks statewide took roughly $54 million in winnings out of the $786 million worth of wages placed in sports betting. The figure has been regarded as the highest in sports bets since the pandemic, about 63 percent of which were placed via mobile apps.
AP News notes that among the major events in August were the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final in which the United States played against Mexico, a music concert by the rock band Guns N’ Roses, and the NFL Las Vegas Raiders preseason game, all held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
These special events included the boxing match between world champion Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugás at T-Mobile Arena and the reopening of the well-known Cirque du Soleil shows The Beatles Love and Michael Jackson One on the Las Vegas Strip.
Vacationers are back in Las Vegas again despite the ongoing pandemic. But will the city be able to keep its hustle and bustle going?
Will the “Entertainment Capital of the World” soon restore its image as one of the world’s top destinations?
Scroll down and find out.
From the mid-1800s to the Great Depression
Las Vegas is a Spanish word meaning “the meadows.”About 200 years ago, the area was a quiet grassland and a lush oasis in the Mojave Desert, Mexican traders made this valley an ideal stop on their 850-mile journey from Sante Fe, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California.
The valley included a few large springs enabling Mormon missionaries to build the first settlement in the mid-1800s. A railroad was constructed in the early 1900s, allowing Las Vegas to make first contact with the outside world. The railroad connected Salt Lake City (Utah) to Los Angeles, transforming the tranquil stopover into a boomtown in a short time.
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, former President Herbert Hoover announced plans to build a great dam to control floods, provide irrigation water and generate hydroelectric power in Nevada. The plan attracted thousands of workers and their families from different parts of the country to settle in the area to be part of this major project.
The dam, now known as the Hoover Dam, led to another boom for Las Vegas, driving business activities, particularly the tourist and hospitality industries.
From the 1940s to present
After the city’s urbanization in the 1930s as a result of the population influx, the federal government launched two more major projects in the next two decades. These were the building of what is now Nellis Air Force Base along with the defense plant in the 1940s and the Nevada Test Site in the 1950s.
Electricity from the dam made it possible to build hotels, theaters, and casinos, primarily to cater to the city’s working population.
Until the pandemic, tourism and construction businesses thrived. Building of the latest mega-resorts and other large-scale attractions continued, bringing more workers and their families to Las Vegas.
How big is Las Vegas to the Nevada economy?
According to Travel Nevada, a division of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, the tourism and travel industry is an essential part of the state’s economy.
The sector draws millions of international and domestic visitors into the city, providing substantial economic benefits to households, businesses, and the government. It continues to be a key driver of employment, business sales, and tax revenue.
Visitation and spending
The Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs notes that spending by visitors to Nevada produced $68 billion in total business sales, including indirect and induced effects. Visitor spending grew 13 percent over the past five years from around $37 billion in 2015.
The number of tourists to Nevada grew by 325,000 to reach 56 million visits in 2019, a growth of 3.2 percent over a five-year period. Direct tourism-supported employment likewise increased, exceeding 300,000 jobs in the said year.
The report adds that tourists spent $42.3 billion in various sectors in 2019. They spent almost $10 billion on gaming, about $7 billion on lodging and an equal amount on retail, approximately $6 billion each on transportation (both local transportation and air) and on food and beverages, and roughly $5 billion on recreational activities. The value of second home accommodations, such as lodging spending, amounted to $172 million.
Moreover, visitation increased 0.6 percent in 2019, supported entirely by domestic tourists.
Although domestic visits and spending corner the lion’s share of tourism, international visitors spend nearly double in comparison to local tourists on a per person basis.
Impact on business and economy
The report points out that the $42.3 billion visitor spending accounts for roughly 62 percent of the state’s $67.9 billion from total business sales when indirect and induced spending are included. The induced impact refers to employees spending their wages earned from the tourism and travel industry in the local economy
While the majority of sales are in sectors directly serving tourists, close to $3 billion in business sales occur in real estate, finance, and insurance resulting from sales to tourism-related businesses.
Travel produced a total of $39.4 billion in state GDP (gross domestic product) in 2019 when indirect and induced values are taken into account. This represents 22 percent of the Nevada economy.
When in full operation, business establishments in Las Vegas, especially hotels and casinos, make significant contributions to the electricity companies’ revenue. An article on the financial and business news Business Insider website says that, according to Festive Lights, the Las Vegas Strip consumes about 8,000 megawatts of electricity, equivalent to roughly $1.3 million annually. The power bill of a casino, such as the MGM, amounts to a minimum of $100,000 per month.
Impact on employment and personal income
In 2019, direct visitor spending helped around 300,000 workers, increasing 1.3 percent from
2018, and three percent since 2015. The number of employees directly sustained by tourist arrivals accounts for 16 percent of total jobs in Nevada. The tourism and travel sector supported approximately 469,000 jobs when indirect and induced effects are included.
The report adds that the total number of jobs supported by Nevada tourism cover every segment of the economy, whether directly or indirectly. Business suppliers to the tourism industry generated about 76,000 jobs. Examples of these suppliers are building services and business services, such as printers, bankers, and advertisers.
Likewise, the induced effect supported about 92,000 jobs in Nevada. A share of this employment goes to the retail or education and health care businesses.
Personal income — a person’s earnings from wages and other ventures — was valued at $21.5 billion, $13.6 billion of which came from direct income and $7.9 billion from indirect and induced income.
In 2019, the recorded unemployment rate was 3.9 percent. Without jobs supported by visitors, the unemployment rate would reach as high as 34.3 percent.
Impact on tax
Nevada tax revenues from visitor spending, tourist-supported jobs, and business sales reached $10.7 billion in 2019. State and local taxes were valued at $5 billion. Each household is required to pay an additional tax of $4,689 to replace the visitor taxes the state and local governments collected in the said year.
A recent statement from the gaming and resort industry advocacy group Nevada Resort Association (NRA) says the gaming sector is the biggest contributor to state and local taxes. The industry contributed $1.5 billion to the state’s general fund in 2018, almost 40
percent of the total received. Hotel-casino operators remain the largest property taxpayers, taking seven of the top ten positions among the highest taxpayers in Clark County and for spots in Washoe County.
The NRA adds that industry-specific taxes, including room taxes, live entertainment taxes, and gross gaming taxes churned out $1.8 billion in payments in 2018. Such revenue helps school construction and public education programs, local government initiatives, and transportation endeavors.
Las Vegas hard hit by COVD-19 outbreak
The latest study by Applied Analysis for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says the Las Vegas travel and tourism economy has lost around $34 billion due to COVID-19. This figure reflects a 53 percent reduction to the state economy from 2019 to 2020.
Tourist arrivals drop
The report adds that the global travel industry dropped in the early months of the pandemic and
gradually rebounded over the year. In Southern Nevada where Las Vegas is located, travel restrictions and limitations, resort closings, and other pandemic-related reactions resulted in a 55 percent fall in visitor numbers to 19 million, the lowest yearly total since 1989. Similarly, convention attendance dropped to its lowest level in 21 years because the conventions, trade shows, business meetings, and other related events were mostly canceled.
It points out that Southern Nevada’s tourism sector largely depends on spending from visitors on rooms, local transportation, dining, amenities, and other activities during their visits. Tourist expenditures make a substantial contribution to employment, wages, and business activities.
In 2019, the overall economic output associated with visitor spending was valued at about $63 billion, roughly half of the state’s gross economic output. In 2020, the output slid by over half to approximately $30 billion because the tourism industry suffered from fewer visitors and less total visitor spending.
Airport shutting down
In early 2020, McCarran International Airport, the primary government airport for public use in Las Vegas, closed all gates at two concourses due to the weakening air traffic brought about by the pandemic.
The daily newspaper Reno Gazette-Journal (RGJ) reports that the 70-year-old-plus airport consolidated operations and reduced the on-site workforce. The airport, where about 50 million people landed in 2019, shut down B Concourse (all gates, concessions, and retail), C Annex Security Checkpoint, and E Concourse Level 2.
RGJ adds that concourse closures resulting from the travel decline impaired the airline industry. This forced operators to ground planes and passengers to delay their travel plans and stay home.
It notes that airlines substantially reduced flights as air travel demand fell. Southwest Airlines, the biggest carrier at McCarran, operated about 2,000 daily flights in May 2019, more than 40 percent less than normal levels.
McCarran’s domestic flight volume was down about 61 percent in July 2020. International flight volume was down around 98 percent, from 335,125 in July 2019 to 5,371 passengers in the same month in 2020, according to RGJ.
Massive job loss
The tourism industry experienced a significant employment loss, more than 125,000 jobs or roughly a third of the sector’s total workforce. It noted that the pandemic impact on recession was unparalleled in terms of depth and speed compared to previous recessions.
According to the Applied Analysis report, the Southern Nevada tourism industry directly hired about 242,000 workers in 2019. When the spillover effects of tourist expenditure were added, the tourism industry employed 376,800 people.
In 2020, direct tourism-related jobs dropped 32.5 percent to 163,800. Overall employment with indirect and induced effects decreased by 125,600 to 251,200 jobs, shrinking 33 percent. When matching only the pandemic timeframe, that effect goes up to a 44.5 percent drop in employment, the study says.
As the largest regional employer, Southern Nevada’s tourism industry contributes a considerable share of employee wages and salaries. In 2019, the sector generated $11 billion in direct wages, representing 21.5 percent of total wages in the region.
Moreover, the additional indirect and induced impacts supported wages for employees in various sectors of the economy, with a total wage impact of about $17 billion in 2019. As a result of the pandemic, wages received by tourism industry workers decreased by $3.3 billion to $7.7 billion. Aggregate wages including secondary ripple effects declined by $5.4 billion to $11.6 billion, the report cites.
The study further says that as of March 2021, the only industries to have recovered and surpassed pre-pandemic levels were trade, transportation, and utilities. By contrast, the leisure and hospitality industry remained down 30 percent for the same period.
An expected drop in tax collection
The NRA says the tourism industry accounts for almost 38 percent of overall public revenues or taxes in Nevada’s General Fund. Apart from the general taxes that businesses of all types paid, the sector bears industry-specific taxes, such as live entertainment taxes and transient lodging (room) taxes, and gross gaming taxes. In 2020, industry-specific fees and taxes amounted to roughly $1.8 billion.
A long-time supporter of statewide initiatives and services, the industry plays an essential role at the local level. It supports funding for vital services, including school construction, transportation, and other related infrastructure. Without this public revenue, state and local governments would find it difficult to deliver basic government services to the people of Nevada, the NRA notes.
The advocacy group expects about $1 billion in lost tax revenue due to COVID-19. The biggest effect in dollar value is seen on lodging and gaming-related taxes. About $500 million of the foregone revenue tax experts identified was projected to inure to the benefit of the state’s general fund. This corresponds to a loss of close to 12 percent of revenue in a 12-month period, according to a general fund budget of $4.4 billion.
According to the NRA, these values reflect only the sector-specific tax losses. General taxes, including Valorem (property) tax, retail sales, and use tax, will add weight to the fiscal challenges and issues facing state and local governments. These types of taxes are expected to double the impact of industry-specific values.
Las Vegas: The city that never sleeps (along with New York)
There are many reasons to visit Las Vegas, which is famous to most tourists as the ultimate playground. Among the world’s favorite destinations, this colorful and glamorous city offers millions of travelers its entertainment, cuisine, and nightlife scene.
Known for its many nicknames — the Neon Capital of the World, the City of Second Chances, the City of Lights, the Gambling Capital of the World, the Marriage Capital of the World, to name some — the 136-square-mile metropolis provides multiple tourist attractions. CNN Travel lists places to visit in Las Vegas. Below are 10 places to visit:
1) Luxor Hotel & Casino
Named after the city of Luxor in ancient Egypt, the establishment is a 30-story hotel and casino located on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. MGM Resorts International owns and operates the hotel. It provides a 120,000-square-foot casino with more than 2,000 slot machines and about 80 table games.
Luxor Las Vegas started operations in 1993 and was later renovated and extended. The renovation increased its capacity to about 4,400 rooms, including 442 suites. The pyramid-shaped hotel consists of 22-story twin ziggurat towers.
The establishment comprises 20,000 sq ft of convention space, 29 retail stores, a wedding chapel, spa and salon, along with four swimming pools and whirlpools.
2) Fountains of Bellagio
The Fountains of Bellagio is an artificial 8-acre lake in front of Bellagio, featuring an extensive choreographed water performance accompanied by light and music. The water display starts with multi-colored lights synchronized to music and occurs every 30 minutes in the afternoon and early evenings. The water show continues from 8 p.m. to midnight at 15-minute intervals.
Bellagio is a resort, luxury hotel, and casino patterned after the Lake Como town of Bellagio in Italy. It is situated on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, and the former site of the Dunes hotel and casino. The property is currently owned by the Blackstone Group and managed by MGM Resorts International.
3) The Mirage Volcano
The Mirage Volcano is the signature attraction that fronts The Mirage along Las Vegas Boulevard, erupting nightly at 8 p.m., 9 p.m., and 10:00 p.m. Booming sound, fireballs, and water cannons are the notable features of the volcanic eruptions.
Offering almost 3,100 rooms, the Mirage is a Polynesian-inspired casino resort that MGM Resorts International owns and runs. Real estate developer Steve Wynn developed and built the resort that features boxing matches to compete against other famous nearby casinos, such as Caesars Palace and the Las Vegas Hilton.
The Mirage was the first resort built in 1987 using junk bonds. These are bonds that have higher financial risks but offer higher returns than other financial products. The project, which cost $630 million to construct, was regarded as the most expensive resort in Las Vegas history.
4) “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign
One of the most favorite selfie spots in the city, the Las Vegas sign was erected in 1959 and designed by Betty Willis, an American visual artist and graphic designer.
Found at the midpoint at 5100 Las Vegas Boulevard South, the 25-foot-tall post is the entryway to the Las Vegas Strip. It is deemed the city’s unofficial welcome sign to travelers and visitors.
The diamond-shaped sign consists of pointed top and bottom angles and rounded side angles. This double-backed and internally lit signpost is outlined with flashing yellow incandescent bulbs and has an eight-pointed, red-painted metal star over its top.
5) The Neon Museum
Established in 1996, the Neon Museum is an independent, non-profit organization located on Las Vegas Boulevard. The place is one of the museums to visit in Las Vegas and showcases old signs from casinos and other establishments that are displayed outdoors on a 2.62-acre lot.
The city’s business owners, government institutions, and locals viewed the various signs as historically, artistically, and culturally valuable. Every restored sign tells a story about its origin, importance, and contribution to Las Vegas.
Among the exhibits are the old signs from the fronts of Caesars Palace and the old Stardust. The facility is accessible by entering the classic yet futurist-looking visitor center, which is the ex-lobby for the La Concha motel that operated from 1961 to 2004.
6) Fremont Street Experience
A pedestrian mall in downtown Las Vegas, the Fremont Street Experience (FSE) covers Fremont Street’s westernmost five blocks, known as “Glitter Gulch.”
FSE’s centerpiece is a barrel vault canopy measuring 90 ft high at the top and spanning four blocks totaling almost 1,400 ft in length. Each show in FSE starts with the lights on all of the buildings turning off under the canopy.
Free concerts or live music also take place every night. The place is a primary tourist attraction for downtown Las Vegas. It is the location of a zombie-theme maze, the SlotZilla zip line, and the city’s yearly New Year’s Eve celebration.
7) Wildlife Habitat at Flamingo Las Vegas
Home to over 60 exotic birds, 300 fish, and 20 turtles, the Wildlife Habitat is a zoo-like oasis opened in 1995 and situated in the courtyard of the Flamingo Las Vegas. The free attraction features the Chilean flamingos, which are tall, large-bodied birds with small heads, long necks, and pink feathers and bills.
Formerly known as The Fabulous Flamingo and Flamingo Hilton Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas is a casino-hotel owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The 15-acre site houses an almost 73,000 square-foot casino and consists of close to 3,500 hotel rooms. Opened in 1946, it is the oldest establishment that still operates. It was the third casino to run on the Strip.
8) The Park
Stretching from Las Vegas Boulevard to T-Mobile Arena, the Park is between New York-New York and Park MGM megaresort. The $100 million recreation area offers guests open-air restaurants, a walk-through water feature, and an over 40-foot-tall statue of a dancing woman called “Bliss Dance,” to name some.
Formerly called Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, the Park MGM is a hotel and casino that MGM Resorts International owns and operates. The 32-floor building provides almost 3,000 guest rooms with about 259 luxury suites. It includes a more than 100,000-square-foot casino floor providing 60 table games, 15 poker tables, and 1,400 slot machines.
9) LINQ Promenade
Opened in 2013, this open-air attraction is a shopping center that runs from the Strip to the High Ferris Roller wheel. At 550 feet tall, it is considered the world’s tallest observation wheel. One of the signature attractions of The Linq casino hotel, the center is found along the Quad’s southern stretch, and is comprised of restaurants, retailers, and bars.
Formerly known as Flamingo Capri, Imperial Palace, and The Quad, The Linq resort is currently owned and managed by Caesars Entertainment. The establishment started as the Flamingo Capri in 1959. The name was changed to Imperial Palace in 1979 when a new casino building was constructed. In 2012, it was again renamed and became known as The Quad. In 2014, the hotel’s name was changed to The Linq. This space covers over 33,000 square feet of gaming space and about 2,250 rooms.
10) Public art at CityCenter
Public art is among the attractions at CityCenter. It’s art collection is valued at more than $40 million. Among items in the collections are Maya Lin’s “Silver River,” which portrays the flow of the Colorado River, and Glacia, which is composed of ice columns that are 15 feet tall.
Regarded as the biggest privately financed construction project in US history at $9.2 billion, the CityCenter is a 76-acre urban complex and a joint undertaking of MGM Resorts International and Dubai World. It opened more than 12 years ago with roughly 12,000 employees across various projects. Four structures — Vdara, Aria, Mandarin Oriental, and The Crystals — began operations in December 2009. The Veer Towers opened in July 2010.
Is Las Vegas ready again for the world?
The huge market for gambling, games, and entertainment is what has kept Las Vegas booming for many decades. Past surveys showed that almost 40 percent of US residents visited the city in their lifetime, and nearly 90 percent of them gambled. Those who wagered spent close to $600 per trip and four hours per day on average.
Many experts believe that the pandemic will not prevent tourists and gamblers, including the high-rollers, from returning to Las Vegas for long. They are prepared to again pour money into the city beginning this year and beyond. Here’s why:
The US ends international travel ban
Business news channel CNBC reported that on November 8, 2021, the US would lift the 18-month long pandemic travel ban.
The ban, carried out in early 2020 by former President Donald Trump and continued by President Joe Biden at the onset of 2021, barred foreign visitors from about 30 countries, including China, South Africa, Brazil, the U.K., India, and most of Europe from entering the country.
Now that the travel restriction is lifted, visitors with proof of complete COVID-19 vaccination are now allowed to travel into the US. Travelers under 18 years of age who come from countries with low vaccination accessibility are exempted.
An article on the travel resource Travel Weekly website explains that local tourism officials and experts are confident that Las Vegas is poised for a rebound from the pandemic as the country opens its doors again for international tourists.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the government agency and the recognized destination marketing group for Southern Nevada, notes that although international visitors account for about 15 percent of Las Vegas tourists each year, they spend on average between 50 and 60 percent more per individual than local ones.
Overseas travelers, whom industry experts consider a major factor in all parts of Las Vegas’ hospitality business, typically stay longer in hotels and spend more money on food and non-gaming areas.
In terms of family travel and holiday, Asia is viewed as a bigger market than Europe for Las Vegas. Asians normally come during the Chinese New Year in the winter and the Golden Week national holiday in the fall.
In the airline industry, McCarran Airport recently experienced more international traffic. Regular service from Canada started again in June 2020 and from Mexico in July 2020. The total number of international passengers from January to August 2020 stood at 3.8 million, higher than the 2.5 million in the same period the previous year.
Hotel occupancy rising
According to the City of Las Vegas website, the rise in visitation in July 2021 increased the hotel occupancy rate by nearly 80 percent.
Similarly, hotels operated by Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas saw an 89-percent hike in occupancy for the second quarter, reaching as high as 99 percent during weekends. For the first three months of 2021, the 25-year-old hotel and casino operator registered a 63 percent rise in occupancy in Las Vegas, with 85 percent occupancy during weekends.
With hotels getting busier again, customer service process flow is continuously enhanced by businesses so that employees can operate more efficiently to serve guests, offering them the best possible experience throughout their stay.
As in other cities, Las Vegas’ hospitality industry depends on high-quality customer service to thrive. Without customers, the sector will be unable to survive for long. One of the effective ways to competently service guests at any time and in most situations is by having the latest and most efficient office phone systems. A hotel phone system is an important means to provide guests with first-rate customer service. Satisfied customers are likely to come back in the near future and give excellent customer reviews, both of which are beneficial to businesses.
Big events coming back
Las Vegas has been the world’s top trade show destination for more than two decades, according to LVCVA. Every year, the city holds about 24,000 conventions in different establishments and venues with 6.5 million attendees
In 2022, over 40 major conventions, traders shows, and conferences are scheduled in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Travel Guide website lists the upcoming big events. Below are some:
- CES, January 5-8, 2022 (Wed-Sat)
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the world’s biggest event in global consumer electronics and consumer technology. To be planned both in-person and online, the upcoming tech trade show at the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center is expected to draw thousands of exhibitors and hundreds of thousands of attendees.
CES 2019 attracted over 170,000 attendees, with about 58,000 of these from outside the US. The previous event also hosted at least 4,500 exhibitors that displayed approximately 20,000 of the latest products and technologies.
CES 2022 is one of the upcoming Las Vegas events that need proof of vaccination to attend. Only those 18-years and above are allowed to participate in this show.
- SHOT Show, January 18-21, 2022 (Tues-Fri)
The firearm industry professionals will convene again for SHOT Show, the biggest trade show for hunting, outdoor and law enforcement products, and target shooting. This show, which is sponsored and owned by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, is seen to pull more than 60,000 attendees and host not less than 2,000 exhibitors. It will be held at the Venetian Expo & Convention Center.
- Chinese New Year, February 1, 2022 (Year of the Tiger)
Known as Spring Festival in China, the Chinese New Year Las Vegas is said to be the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese lunar calendar.
During the city-wide festivities, Las Vegas hotels and resorts showcase their properties with elaborate decorations, lavish displays, and customary Chinese food and activities. A recent report from LVCVA notes that in 2018, almost 237,000 visitors who came to Las Vegas were from China, the city’s fifth-largest market for international tourists.
- NAB Show, April 23-27, 2022 (Sat-Wed)
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show is deemed as the world’s biggest event for people in the media and entertainment industry. According to the Las Vegas-based educational institution International School of Hospitality, NAB comes with celebrities and other famous media personalities that help bring over 100,000 guests during the four-day event. In 2019, the show hosted more than 1,700 exhibitors from 160 countries. The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) will again be the venue.
- JCK, June 10-13, 2022 (Fri-Mon)
The Jewelers Circular Keystone (JCK) is the jewelry’s most comprehensive trade show where industry professionals meet for business and networking. The convention will take place at Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Convention Center and showcase the latest product designs and trends in a secure environment. The last event brought close to 40,000 participants, including more than 16,000 exhibitors, from all parts of the world.
- G2E, October 10-13 2022 (Mon-Thu)
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is a major gathering for the casino gaming and entertainment industry. Exhibitors include manufacturers, suppliers, and service companies from the various segments of the sector. The annual convention draws at least 30,000 attendees to launch the latest casino gaming machines. Lectures are also conducted during the four-day show, discussing subjects about security and surveillance, sports betting, iGaming, tribal gaming, and compliance, to name some.
- SEMA Show, November 1-4, 2022 (Tues-Fri)
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show is a yearly event bringing together over 70,000 domestic and international buyers. Also known as the SEMA Car Show 2022, the show to be held at the LVCC is regarded as the world’s top automotive trade event. It assembles manufacturers and buyers in every sector of the automotive business, including collision repair, mobile electronics, off-roads, and hot rods.
In 2019, the convention hosted over 2,400 exhibitors, about 3,300 media representatives, and approximately 162,000 persons. SEMA officials expect the upcoming 2022 show will surpass the previous figures.
