Las Vegas Crowns New King of Conventions

Image: Aerial view of the Las Vegas Strip. (Photo Credit: lucky-photo/Adobe)
Image: Aerial view of the Las Vegas Strip. (Photo Credit: lucky-photo/Adobe)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 11:50 AM ET, Tue July 23, 2024

There’s a new sheriff in town when it comes to the number of attendees at conventions in Las Vegas, the unquestioned leader in trade shows.

According to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's research center, the SEMA Show now holds the top spot in the Nevada city, and the $336 billion-a-year specialty automotive aftermarket industry plans to return to Las Vegas again this November for its 2024 SEMA Show.

SEMA stands for the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The 2023 show’s 160,000 attendees surpassed the usual suspects, such as the always-popular Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

That takes some doing. It is also an indicator of the triumphant return of business travel, as many people are returning to in-person events.

A recent study reveals that the specialty automotive aftermarket supports over 1.3 million American jobs, contributes $100 billion in wages and benefits, and generates more than $40 billion in tax revenue annually. 

Shows include travel industry events.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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