Exhibitor guide · Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas Convention Center: the exhibitor's guide
Halls, union labor, drayage, deadlines, hotels, the ten biggest shows in town and 65 years of history. Written by the crew that builds here every month.
West Hall · 3150 Paradise RdWhy this page exists
More of America's biggest trade shows happen at the Las Vegas Convention Center than anywhere else. CES, Design & Construction Week, NAB, SEMA, World of Concrete and the National Hardware Show all run here. It is also a venue with its own vocabulary: EAC forms, marshaling yards, targeted move-in, Teamsters for anything on wheels.
This guide is written for the person who has to get the booth built and open on time. Purple Exhibits has a shop and warehouse in Las Vegas and installs at the LVCC every month of the year. Everything below is what we tell our own clients at kickoff.
- The four halls and what each means for your booth
- History: from silver dome to West Hall
- Labor, drayage and the rules that cost money
- LVCC drayage estimator
- Freight timeline for a Las Vegas show
- Top 10 trade shows in Las Vegas
- LVCC vs. Venetian Expo vs. Mandalay Bay vs. Caesars Forum
- Getting there, hotels and crew logistics
- Las Vegas in pictures
- Free resources you can link to
- Frequently asked questions
The campus
The four halls and what each means for your booth
The LVCC is really four buildings joined by concourses, bridges and an underground shuttle. Which hall your show lands in changes ceiling height, rigging options, freight access and how far your crew walks.
| Hall | Opened | Exhibit space | Character | Typical shows | Booth planning note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Hall | 2021 | 600,000 sq ft | Newest hall. High clear heights, wide aisles, best truck docks, the curved canopy entrance facing the Strip. | CES, NAB, SEMA overflow | Generous rigging points. Hanging signs are worth pricing here. Column-free spans make islands easy. |
| Central Hall | 1959, rebuilt 1990s | 623,000 sq ft | The classic main hall on the original dome site. Lower ceilings in older sections; renovated 2023 to 2025. | CES, KBIS/IBS, World of Concrete, Hardware Show | Check ceiling height per hall section before designing a double-deck. Some sections cap hanging signs lower. |
| North Hall | 1970s to 1990s | 409,000 sq ft | Connected to Central. Dense floor plans and tighter aisles. | NAB, MAGIC, ASD Market Week | Keep 10×10 and 10×20 back walls at 8 ft or confirm line-of-sight rules with the show. |
| South Hall | 2002 to 2004 | 1.3M sq ft, two levels | Across Desert Inn Road, joined by bridges. Level 2 has freight-elevator limits. | SEMA, IBS, ASD | Confirm crate dimensions for Level 2 before you build. Purple pre-checks this on every South Hall project. |
Show placements move year to year. Purple confirms your hall and booth number against the current floor plan at kickoff.
History
From silver dome to West Hall
The LVCC exists because 1950s Las Vegas needed to fill hotel rooms in the slow months. County leaders picked a failed racetrack one block east of the Strip, hired Los Angeles architect Adrian Jennings Wilson, and opened a silver-domed rotunda in April 1959. Sixty-five years and fourteen expansions later, the dome is gone and the campus is one of the largest in the world.
Opens in April on the former Las Vegas Park Speedway site. A 6,300-seat silver dome sits beside a 90,000 sq ft exhibit hall. The first event is the World Congress of Flight.
The dome becomes a boxing venue: Fullmer vs. Robinson (1961), Liston vs. Patterson II (1963) and Ali vs. Patterson (1965) are all fought here.
The Beatles play two shows in one day on August 20, 1964, on their first North American tour.
Home court of the UNLV Runnin' Rebels for sixteen seasons before the Thomas & Mack Center opens.
The Las Vegas Convention Center Act authorizes $7 million to rebuild and expand. By 1985 the center has hosted 7,000 conventions.
The winter Consumer Electronics Show moves to Las Vegas and never leaves. Billy Graham fills the dome for two crusades between 1978 and 1980.
The silver dome is demolished. The rebuilt center reaches 1.6 million sq ft, one of the largest single-level halls in the world at the time.
The 1994 FIFA World Cup draw is held here. The LVCVA buys the shuttered Landmark hotel across the street and implodes it for parking.
Expansion brings the campus to 1.9 million sq ft. COMDEX, then America's most attended trade show, regularly tops 200,000 attendees.
The $150 million South Hall opens across Desert Inn Road, adding 1.3 million sq ft on two levels with four bridges back to the main campus.
The LVCVA buys the Riviera for $182.5 million and implodes it to create the West Hall site and a direct link toward the Strip.
West Hall opens in June: 1.4 million sq ft including 600,000 sq ft of exhibit space, the 14th expansion. The same month the Boring Company's Vegas Loop opens beneath the campus, three stations and twin tunnels for $53 million.
The legacy Central, North and South halls are renovated to match West Hall finishes, a $600 million program completed in December 2025.
WWE World at WrestleMania takes over the campus in April, a sign of how the LVCC now hosts fan events alongside trade shows.
Want more period photos for the live page? The LVCVA's Las Vegas News Bureau archive holds thousands of images from 1959 onward, including the dome and the Beatles, and licenses them for editorial use. UNLV Special Collections holds Adrian Wilson's architectural drawings.
Rules of the floor
Labor, drayage and the rules that cost money
Las Vegas is a union venue with its own set of jurisdictions. None of it is complicated once you know who does what, but every rule below has a price attached when it is learned the hard way.
Who can set up your booth
At most LVCC shows your own full-time employees may install and dismantle the exhibit with hand tools. Contract labor, forklifts, pallet jacks and anything on wheels goes through the show contractor and Teamsters Local 631.
Purple files as your Exhibitor Appointed Contractor (EAC) so our crew is cleared to work your space. The EAC form and certificate of insurance are usually due 30 days before move-in.
Material handling
Billed per hundredweight (CWT) with a 200 lb minimum per shipment. Las Vegas rates run above the national average, and surcharges stack: uncrated freight, special handling, late-to-warehouse and off-target delivery.
Purple consolidates crates onto one bill of lading so you pay one minimum, not five.
Advance warehouse vs. direct to show
The advance warehouse accepts freight about 30 days out and delivers it to your booth before you arrive. Direct-to-show trucks wait in the marshaling yard and unload in order of check-in, which can mean hours.
For LVCC we ship advance warehouse by default. It is the only way to guarantee your booth is on the floor on day one of install.
Hanging signs and overhead
Anything suspended from the ceiling is IATSE Local 720 work, ordered through the show's rigging vendor. Sign orders usually close 3 to 4 weeks out with an early-order discount.
Purple engineers signs to the venue's weight and pick-point rules so they are approved the first time.
Multi-level and covered booths
Clark County Fire requires plan review for double-deck exhibits and for covered or enclosed areas over 300 sq ft; confirm the current threshold when the fire plan is submitted. Reviews take weeks and need engineered drawings.
Purple builds double-decks for LVCC regularly and submits the package with the show's deadline.
Electrical and internet
Power is ordered from the venue's exclusive electrical contractor, not the general contractor. Floor power must be ordered before carpet goes down. Most 10×10 to 20×20 exhibitors run demos on a dedicated hotspot.
Empties and the MHA
Label crates with EMPTY stickers as soon as they are unpacked or they will not be stored. Nothing leaves the dock without a Material Handling Agreement (MHA). Purple handles the MHA and returns your booth to our Las Vegas warehouse.
What show management asks for
A certificate of insurance naming the show and the LVCVA, typically $1M per occurrence general liability. Your exhibit house needs its own on file too. Purple's is on file with every major Las Vegas contractor.
Show days
What a Las Vegas show week looks like
Keynotes that fill a hall, badge scans at the door, and three days of conversations at the booth. The booth is the stage; the people are the show. Purple can staff yours with trained hosts and product presenters.
Free tool
LVCC drayage estimator
Reference: CES 2027 publishes a flat $0.71 per pound for advance and direct shipments at the LVCC, with a 100-pound minimum and small packages up to 30 pounds free; that is a show-specific program, and most other LVCC shows bill conventional per-hundredweight tariffs through Freeman that run far higher.
Drayage is the line that surprises first-time Las Vegas exhibitors most. Enter your booth's shipping weight and how it ships. Rates are illustrative planning numbers for 2026; the show's exhibitor kit has the exact tariff. Rates for all four venues, every surcharge and a glossary are on the Las Vegas drayage rates page.
Deadlines
Freight timeline for a Las Vegas show
Work backward from the first day of move-in. These dates are typical for CES, KBIS and SEMA; your exhibitor kit sets the real ones and Purple puts them on your schedule at kickoff.
The calendar
The five biggest shows in Las Vegas
Ranked by attendance across all four Las Vegas venues. Dates are the 2026 editions with the next edition where the organizer has announced it. Attendance is the organizer's or trade press figure, rounded.
CES
The biggest week of the Las Vegas year. West Hall holds vehicles and mobility, Central holds the majors, North and the Venetian hold startups and Eureka Park.
CES booth design →SEMA Show + AAPEX
SEMA fills every LVCC hall plus the outdoor lots with 2,300 exhibitors; AAPEX runs the same week at the Venetian. Hotels sell out four months ahead.
Las Vegas booth rentals →ConExpo-Con/Agg
Every three years. The largest single use of the campus, with cranes and excavators in the parking lots and the heaviest freight of any US show.
Custom exhibits →Design & Construction Week: KBIS + IBS
Two co-located shows, one badge. Product-heavy booths with working displays; Purple's busiest week in Las Vegas.
KBIS booths → · IBS →NAB Show
The most AV-intensive floor in Las Vegas. Power, rigging and LED walls are the booth, not the add-on.
Trade show AV →World of Concrete, MAGIC, SHOT Show, re:Invent, ISC West
Plus every major Las Vegas show by month for 2026 and 2027, with a venue filter and how early to book each one.
See the full calendar →Know your venue
LVCC vs. the other Las Vegas halls
Las Vegas has four big convention venues within a few miles of each other, and the rules differ. If your show is not at the LVCC, Purple builds at all of these too.
Las Vegas Convention Center
- Exhibit
- 2.5M sq ft, 4 halls
- Owner
- LVCVA (public)
- Hotel
- None attached; Westgate and Renaissance adjacent
- Transit
- Monorail station, Vegas Loop
- Best for
- Mega-shows, outdoor equipment, islands
Venetian Expo
- Exhibit
- ~1.2M sq ft across 2 levels
- Owner
- Venetian Resort (private)
- Hotel
- Attached, 7,000+ suites
- Transit
- On the Strip, Monorail nearby
- Best for
- SHOT, ISC West, JCK, AAPEX, re:Invent, G2E
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
- Exhibit
- ~1M sq ft
- Owner
- MGM Resorts (private)
- Hotel
- Attached
- Transit
- South end of the Strip, tram to Excalibur
- Best for
- IMEX America, Black Hat, MAGIC (spring), medical meetings
Caesars Forum
- Exhibit
- 550,000 sq ft, single level
- Owner
- Caesars Entertainment (private)
- Hotel
- Linked to Harrah's, LINQ, Flamingo
- Transit
- Monorail station at the door
- Best for
- Pillarless ballrooms, SHOT Show overflow, SuiteWorld, corporate events
Logistics
Getting there, hotels and crew logistics
The LVCC sits between the Strip and Paradise Road, which is why crews can walk to dinner and clients can be back at their hotel in ten minutes.
- Airport: Harry Reid International is about 4 miles south. Rideshare to the LVCC runs 15 to 25 minutes outside of CES week.
- Monorail: the Las Vegas Convention Center station is at the campus. Westgate, Harrah's/LINQ, Flamingo, Horseshoe/Paris and MGM Grand are on the line.
- Vegas Loop: three underground stations link West, Central and South halls in about two minutes each. Free during shows.
- Parking: exhibitor and attendee lots surround the campus, including the former Landmark and Riviera sites. Fees vary by show.
- Purple's Las Vegas shop: graphics reprints, repairs and last-minute counters can be done overnight during a show. See Las Vegas booth rentals.
| Hotel | Distance to LVCC | Why exhibitors pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Renaissance Las Vegas | Adjacent, 2-minute walk | Non-gaming, quiet, the closest bed to the Central Hall doors. Crews stay here. |
| Westgate Las Vegas | Attached walkway, 5 minutes | Monorail on site, big room blocks for CES and KBIS, cheapest of the close options. |
| Hilton Grand Vacations on Paradise | 3 minutes | Suites with kitchens for teams staying a full week. |
| Courtyard Las Vegas Convention Center | 5 minutes | Reliable corporate rate, walkable. |
| Resorts World | Vegas Loop or 8-minute walk to West Hall | Newest Strip resort, best for client dinners near West Hall. |
| Wynn and Encore | 10-minute drive, Monorail 2 stops | Where your customers' executives stay. Book meetings here, sleep closer. |
The city
Las Vegas in pictures
Why exhibitors keep coming back. Every photo here is from a free-license stock library or a public archive; credits under each one.
For editors, organizers and planners
Free resources you can link to
These are the reasons trade show editors, associations and show organizers link to this page. Each one is something no other exhibit house publishes.
Embed the LVCC drayage estimator
Show organizers and exhibitor-services blogs can embed the calculator above with one line. It links back here.
Cite the numbers
Journalists writing about CES or the Las Vegas convention economy can copy this line.
One-page LVCC cheat sheet
Deadlines, unions, minimums and phone numbers on a single printable page for your show binder.
Top 10 Las Vegas shows, as a calendar
The ranked list above as a shareable calendar with 2026 and 2027 dates, updated as organizers announce.
Open the Purple calendarHall data as a table
Ceiling heights, floor loads, dock counts and column spacing per hall, in a spreadsheet, updated after each renovation.
Request the sheetLas Vegas exhibitor responsibility guide
Who is responsible for what between exhibitor, show, venue and exhibit house, in a single matrix.
Read the guideQuestions we get every week
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my own tools and set up my own 10×10 at the LVCC?
Usually yes, if the people doing it are your full-time employees and you use hand tools. Ladders over a set height, power tools in some halls, and any forklift work need the official contractor. Read the show's exhibitor manual; Purple sends you the relevant page at kickoff.
How much should I budget for drayage at the LVCC?
For a 10×20 rental with two crates, plan $1,500 to $3,500. For a 20×20 custom with five to eight crates, $4,000 to $9,000 is common. Weight and shipment count drive it, so a lighter aluminum-frame rental can cut this line in half. The estimator above gives a closer number.
When does the advance warehouse close for CES and KBIS?
Typically about a week before move-in, with late fees after that. Purple targets arrival two weeks before the deadline so your freight is never at the back of the line.
Which hall will my show be in?
It changes year to year and by exhibitor category. CES puts vehicles in West Hall, KBIS runs in Central and North. Purple confirms your hall and booth number against the current floor plan before design starts.
Do I need a hanging sign?
On an island in West Hall, almost always. Aisle visibility in a 600,000 sq ft hall is what a hanging sign buys. In North Hall the lower ceiling makes a tall back wall do the same job for less.
What is the busiest month to exhibit in Las Vegas?
January and February, when CES, World of Concrete, SHOT Show, Design & Construction Week and MAGIC run within seven weeks. October is second, with G2E, NACS, IMEX, Money20/20 and Oracle AI World inside 25 days. Labor and hotels are tightest in both windows.
How early should I arrive for move-in?
If your freight went to the advance warehouse, be at the booth the morning of your targeted move-in day. If it is direct-to-show, your truck needs to check into the marshaling yard by the target time or it waits behind everyone else.
Do you store my booth in Las Vegas between shows?
Yes. Booths that tour the Vegas circuit (CES, KBIS, NAB, SEMA) stay in our Las Vegas warehouse so you are not paying cross-country freight twice a year.
Is the LVCC a union venue?
Yes. Teamsters Local 631 handles material handling and forklifts, IATSE Local 720 handles rigging and AV labor, and electricians install power. Exhibitors' own full-time employees can generally set up their own booth with hand tools.
What does Purple do that the show contractor does not?
The show contractor moves freight and rents pipe-and-drape. Purple designs, builds, ships, installs, supervises and stores your booth, files the EAC and MHA paperwork, and has a shop in Las Vegas for anything that goes wrong at 6 a.m. on opening day.
Exhibiting in Las Vegas?
Send us the show and booth number. You get a drayage estimate, a hall-specific design brief and a build timeline within two business days.
Venue guides
Every venue we have a guide for
Same standard, every hall: the building, the rules, the tools and the calendar.