Las Vegas Conventions Guide 2026: LVCC, Hotels & Getting Around

Las Vegas is one of the world's biggest convention cities. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) counted 6.0 million convention attendees in 2024, out of 38.5 million visitors. When a big show is in town, it changes everything from hotel rates to how long a rideshare takes, so a little planning goes a long way.

This guide covers the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), how to get there, where to stay, and the dates of the biggest upcoming shows. Facts were checked on official sites in September 2026.

The Las Vegas Convention Center

The LVCC, run by the LVCVA at 3150 Paradise Road, is a 4.6-million-square-foot campus a short distance east of the Strip. The LVCVA says it has 2.9 million square feet of exhibit space and 225 meeting rooms totalling more than 390,000 square feet, spread across four halls: West, Central, North and South. A renovation of more than $600 million was completed ahead of CES 2026.

• Plan your halls first. Big shows spread across the whole campus, and the halls are far apart on foot. Download the show's floor plan and app before you arrive.
• Use the Loop between halls. The LVCVA says the campus Loop carries more than 4,400 people an hour between five stations, and rides within the LVCC are free (see below).
• Wear comfortable shoes and bring a layer. You will walk a lot, and the halls are air-conditioned.

Getting to the LVCC

Las Vegas Monorail

The Monorail is the most reliable way to reach the LVCC from the center of the Strip during a big show, because it avoids the traffic. It runs along the east side of the Strip with seven stations, in order: SAHARA, Westgate, Boingo Station at LVCC, Harrah's & The LINQ, Flamingo & Caesars Palace, Horseshoe/Paris, and MGM Grand. Trains come every 4 to 8 minutes, from 7 a.m. until midnight on Monday, 2 a.m. Tuesday to Thursday, and 3 a.m. Friday to Sunday.

The Monorail sells single rides and unlimited-ride passes; it says buying online in advance is the only way to get discounted tickets, and Nevada residents get local pricing at the station booths. Check current fares on the Monorail's site.

Vegas Loop

The Vegas Loop is The Boring Company's tunnel system, in which Tesla vehicles carry passengers between stations. Within the LVCC campus, rides are free. Trips to stations beyond the campus need a ticket from the Loop's site. Westgate says it has Loop access to the convention center. The network is still growing, so check the Loop's site for which resorts have a station during your show.

Rideshare, taxis and shuttles

Rideshare and taxis are simple at quiet times but slow at the start and end of a big show day, when thousands of people leave at once. Many large shows run their own shuttles from partner hotels; check your show's travel page. See our Las Vegas transportation guide and, for the trip in, the airport transportation guide.

Where to Stay

For an LVCC show, the main choice is between walking distance and a Strip hotel with more to do in the evening. A hotel near a Monorail station gives you a bit of both.

Westgate describes itself as adjacent to the LVCC, with its own Monorail station and Loop access. It is a block off the Strip, so evenings are quieter, and it has meeting space of its own. In September 2026 it was running a limited-time offer waiving its resort fee, which it listed as $49.99 plus tax a night; check whether the offer covers your dates.

On the Strip, see our hotel pages for Resorts World, Wynn, Encore, Harrah's, The LINQ and The Venetian.

Official room blocks: most big shows contract a housing bureau that sells rooms in partner hotels. Book through the show's own housing link, not a third party that emails you claiming to be the show's housing provider.

Other Convention Venues

Not every event is at the LVCC. The main resort venues:

• Venetian Convention & Expo Center (The Venetian): The Venetian says it has more than 300 meeting rooms, part of 1.9 million square feet of shopping and meeting space.
• Mandalay Bay Convention Center (south Strip), connected to Mandalay Bay.
• Caesars Forum, Caesars Entertainment's conference center, near Harrah's, The LINQ and Flamingo.
• MGM Grand Conference Center, inside MGM Grand.

If your event is at one of these, staying in that resort (or next door) usually beats staying near the LVCC.

Big Shows: 2026-27 Dates

These shows fill the city, so check them even if you are not attending: hotel rates rise across Las Vegas during them. Dates are from each show's official site in September 2026.

SEMA is trade-only, and opens to the general public only on its final day, Friday, November 6, 2026. CES uses the LVCC and several resort venues. For every other show, look up the LVCVA's calendar or the show's own site before you book a leisure trip.

Keeping Costs Down

• Book early. For the biggest shows, rooms near the LVCC go first and prices climb; book when housing opens.
• Compare total prices. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC requires hotels and booking sites to show the total price including mandatory fees such as resort fees (taxes can still be added). See our resort fees guide.
• Skip the rental car unless you have off-site meetings: hotel parking and traffic during a show add up.
• Stay near the Monorail instead of paying for rideshare twice a day.
• Eat off the show floor. Convention center food is convenient but pricey; eat breakfast before you go and bring a refillable water bottle.
• Book client dinners ahead. Popular restaurants fill up during big shows.

More general money-saving advice is in our hotel booking tips.

After Hours

Hotel bars near the convention center and at the north-Strip resorts are the natural places to meet other attendees after the show closes. For a client night out, a show is easy to fit in: most run about 90 minutes. See our shows guide, and for dinner, our steakhouses guide. Travelling alone? The solo travel guide has ideas.