billion expansion, added 1.4 million square feet including 328,000 sq ft of column-free space — the largest in North America, with 40-foot ceiling clearance. That is why the biggest machinery and vehicle shows come here.

The LVCC Loop is worth knowing about. Beneath the campus runs an underground tunnel system built by The Boring Company, moving attendees between halls in Tesla vehicles in about two minutes. It sounds like a novelty; on a campus this size it is not. Crossing from the West Hall to the North Hall on foot takes considerably longer.

The campus is served by two Las Vegas Monorail stations, which is the fastest way in from Strip hotels on the east side.

Venetian Expo and Mandalay Bay

Venetian Expo (formerly Sands Expo) sits mid-Strip and is directly attached to the Venetian and Palazzo hotels. Its advantage is obvious: for many attendees the commute is a lift ride. If your show is here and you can get a room in the connected hotels, take it.

Mandalay Bay Convention Center anchors the south end of the Strip and is similarly self-contained, connected to Mandalay Bay, Delano and Luxor. It is the furthest venue from the Convention Center, and the Monorail does not reach it — the free tram linking Mandalay Bay, Luxor and Excalibur is the local option.

Getting there and around

From Harry Reid International (LAS): the airport is unusually close — around 15 minutes to the Strip, sometimes less. Taxis and rideshare are plentiful. Note that rideshare pickup at LAS is on a designated level rather than at the terminal door; follow the signs rather than looking for your driver outside arrivals.

The Monorail runs along the east side of the Strip from MGM Grand to the SAHARA, with two stops at the Convention Center. It is the fastest option for venues on its route and skips the traffic entirely. It does not serve the west side of the Strip or Mandalay Bay.

Walking is deceptive. The Strip looks compact on a map and is not — the buildings are enormous, and what appears to be a short walk between two hotels can take 20 minutes, much of it inside casinos. Add the desert heat and this becomes a genuine planning factor rather than an inconvenience.

Rideshare and taxis are the default for everything else. During large shows, surge pricing at opening and closing times is severe — travelling half an hour off-peak saves a surprising amount.

Where to stay

Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other American city, so availability is rarely the problem. Location and price are.

• Attached to your venue: If your show is at Venetian Expo or Mandalay Bay, staying in the connected hotel removes the commute entirely. Usually worth the premium.
• Near the Convention Center (Paradise Road, east Strip): Best for LVCC events. Westgate, the Renaissance and several others are within walking distance or a Monorail stop.
• Mid-Strip: The most central option and reasonable for most venues, with the widest choice of restaurants and evening options.
• Downtown (Fremont Street): Noticeably cheaper, a different atmosphere, and about 15 minutes from the Convention Center by road. A genuine option when Strip rates spike.
• Off-Strip: Cheapest, but you will rely entirely on rideshare, and the fares add up over a week.

Resort fees will affect your budget. Nearly every Las Vegas hotel adds a mandatory daily resort fee on top of the room rate — typically $35–50 a night, not always prominent at booking. Over five nights that is a significant sum, and it is charged whether or not you use any of the amenities it nominally covers. When comparing hotels, compare the total.

CES is a category of its own. In early January the show fills the entire city — rates multiply, minimum stays appear, and rooms disappear months in advance. If your event is CES or overlaps it, book as early as you possibly can. Other very large shows have a similar though milder effect.

Entry

Visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries need an ESTA, applied for online at least 72 hours before travel and valid two years. It is tied to your passport — a new passport means a new ESTA.

Other nationalities need a B-1 business visa, which requires an in-person interview. Appointment waits vary from days to well over a year depending on the country, so start early and ask the organiser for an invitation letter. Las Vegas shows draw global attendance and organisers are experienced with this.

The desert is a planning factor

Las Vegas sits in the Mojave Desert, and the climate shapes both the calendar and your day.

Summer temperatures routinely exceed 40°C, which is why the biggest shows cluster in the cooler months. If you are here between June and September, treat outdoor walking as something to minimise rather than plan around — move between buildings, use rideshare for distances you would walk elsewhere, and carry water.

The air is extremely dry year-round, including indoors where air conditioning runs constantly. Visitors routinely underestimate this. Drink more water than feels necessary; a surprising amount of what people attribute to jet lag or late nights is simple dehydration.

Winter is mild and pleasant during the day but genuinely cold at night — the desert loses heat quickly. A jacket for evenings, even in a city you associate with heat.

Practical notes

Sales tax in Nevada is around 8.4% and is added at the till, not shown on the price tag.

Tipping is expected everywhere — 18–20% in restaurants, a few dollars per bag for bellhops, and cash daily for housekeeping. Las Vegas service staff wages assume it more than most places.

Nevada has no state income tax, which is part of why so many businesses and events base here, though it makes no practical difference to a visitor.

Everything runs late. Restaurants serve well past midnight and meetings can be scheduled early or late without comment. This is a 24-hour city in a way that genuinely affects scheduling — a 7am breakfast meeting and a 10pm dinner are both normal.

Casinos have no clocks and few windows, and you will walk through them constantly since they sit between the entrance and everything else. Allow more time than the distance suggests, and check the time yourself.

Based on what's currently listed, activity here concentrates in March, August and October.

Next up is Black Hat USA 2026 on 1 August 2026.