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If you compare pricing season to season and holiday to non-holiday, the variance becomes truly extreme. MGM Skylofts during slow periods will go for as low as $510 a night. The New Year’s rate this past year was $10,000.
Room rates also increase when large conventions are in town or when a particular hotel hosts an event. The Riviera was the hotel for the DEFCON convention and their rates moved up about 300% during that conference for example.
Below is a list of conventions, 20,000 attendance or more, in Vegas this past year. Conexpo is held every 3 years but most are annual. CC is an abbreviation for the Las Vegas Convention Center. Please check our Conventions page for more information.
| Convention | Venue | Start | End | Attendees | Rank |
| CES |
CC, Sands |
01/7 |
01/10 |
148,000 |
1 |
| Nat'l Assoc. Broadcasters |
Convention Center |
04/14 |
04/17 |
140,000 |
2 |
| Conexpo - Con/Agg |
Convention Center |
03/11 |
03/15 |
135,000 |
3 |
| AAPEX/SEMA |
Sands |
10/30 |
11/2 |
130,000 |
4 |
| MAGIC |
Convention Center |
02/12 |
02/15 |
120,000 |
5 |
| World Of Concrete |
Convention Center |
01/22 |
01/25 |
85,000 |
6 |
| Shooting, Hunting |
Convention Center |
02/2 |
02/5 |
45,000 |
7 |
| Surfaces |
Sands |
01/30 |
02/1 |
40,000 |
8 |
| Cellular Telecomm. |
Convention Center |
04/1 |
04/3 |
40,000 |
8 |
| JCK Show |
Sands |
05/30 |
06/3 |
40,000 |
8 |
| Adult Entertainment |
Sands |
01/9 |
01/12 |
37,000 |
11 |
| World Shoe Assoc. |
MB, Sands |
02/21 |
02/24 |
37,000 |
11 |
| Cosmetics, Hair And Nail |
Convention Center |
06/28 |
06/30 |
37,000 |
11 |
| Photo Marketing Assoc. |
Convention Center |
01/31 |
02/2 |
36,200 |
14 |
| National Mining Assoc. |
Convention Center |
09/22 |
09/24 |
36,000 |
15 |
| WSA Show |
Convention Center |
07/28 |
07/30 |
35,000 |
16 |
| RECon |
Convention Center |
05/19 |
05/21 |
30,000 |
17 |
| Infocomm |
Convention Center |
06/18 |
06/20 |
30,000 |
17 |
| Great West Truck |
Convention Center |
06/26 |
06/28 |
30,000 |
17 |
| The Show |
Convention Center |
02/26 |
02/27 |
28,000 |
20 |
| Cosmoprof |
Mandalay Bay |
07/13 |
07/15 |
27,500 |
21 |
| Global Gaming Expo |
Convention Center |
11/13 |
11/15 |
27,000 |
22 |
| Lightfair |
Convention Center |
05/28 |
05/30 |
26,000 |
23 |
| Realtors |
Sands |
11/12 |
11/16 |
25,000 |
24 |
| Nxtcomm |
Convention Center |
06/17 |
06/19 |
25,000 |
24 |
| Promotional Products |
Mandalay Bay |
01/14 |
01/18 |
24,500 |
26 |
| Interbike |
Sands |
09/24 |
09/26 |
24,000 |
27 |
| NFR Cowboy XMAS Gift |
Convention Center |
12/6 |
12/15 |
20,000 |
28 |
| INTEROP 2008 |
Mandalay Bay |
04/27 |
05/2 |
20,000 |
28 |
| Hospitality Design Expo |
CC, Sands |
05/14 |
05/17 |
20,000 |
28 |
Convention attendees pay above the regular rate despite booking as a very large group. This is because the large conventions absorb so much hotel capacity throughout the city and gambling wins per convention attendee are less than for a full-time tourist.
Normally group rates are 15% or so lower than regular rates but major conventions may be the exact opposite or even much higher than regular rates. If you visit Vegas during the same days and same hotels as the convention, you may be charged the convention rate even though you are a regular tourist. To save money, try to stay at a non-convention associated hotel if you are staying during a major convention’s run.
      
       
    
      
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