"Milestones mark points in history, letting you know where you have gone and how far you have progressed, where you are now and, perhaps, where you are headed,” once wrote David Schwartz, former director of University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ (UNLV) Center for Gaming Research. “In Vegas, the emotional connections and memories are so strong for so many people that they get etched a little deeper.”
To that point, Vegas is fundamentally people-powered, embodied by its powerhouse meetings industry and signature shows like IMEX America, which debuted at the Sands Expo Convention Center, now the Venetian Convention & Expo Center, 15 years ago this October.
[Related: A Writer's Walk Down Memory Lane in Ever-Evolving Las Vegas]
IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer shared her reflection on this major milestone for the U.S. meetings and events industry.
“2026 marks an incredible 15 years of IMEX America,” she said. “While the world has changed enormously since the first show in 2011, our core purpose remains the same: to build better connections across the global business events community. That purpose feels just as relevant and important today as it did on day one.”
Continuing, she noted that “over the past 15 years, IMEX America has gone from strength to strength, evolving alongside our industry. The long-standing partnerships we have built, particularly with our host city and venue, have played a vital role in that journey.”
Adding to the celebrations, IMEX Group turns 25 this year.
“We began in 2001 followed by our first show, IMEX Frankfurt, in 2003, and it is incredibly special that some original team members are still part of our business today,” Bauer said. “To mark the occasion, we look forward to coming together as a team this summer to celebrate everything we have achieved—and the people who have made it possible.”
The 2026 anniversary parade includes group favorite Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino, which opened in satellite Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) group destination Laughlin, 90 miles south of Vegas, in 1966.
This January, the annual Power of Love gala, which raises funds and awareness for downtown’s Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a sold-out show at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Groups can rent The Center’s breathtaking Frank Gehry-designed event venue.
In May, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) celebrated its 30th anniversary at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
[Related: From Elvis to Sphere, Las Vegas Just Keeps Rolling]
Category One Is Priority One
Meanwhile, Vegas marches forward. As late UNLV history professor and acclaimed author Hal Rothman once observed, “Las Vegas isn’t concerned with what we were yesterday or with what we are today. It’s tomorrow that entices us.”
Built on ambition, Las Vegas never sleeps on securing its “category one” status. On May 23, 1926, daily passenger air service began in Las Vegas, accelerating tourism growth. A century later, Harry Reid International is the world’s fifth busiest airport, with a growth trajectory that is fueling plans for a second airport.
Inaugurated in 1959 with the World Congress of Flight, Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) is approaching its 70th anniversary ready for the long-haul following five years of phased reinvestment projects.
From the $1 billion, 1.4 million-square-foot West Hall expansion in 2021 to the completion of the $600 million elevation of the legacy LVCC campus this January, upgrades to the 4.6 million-square-foot facility have gone far in maintaining Las Vegas’ convention and tradeshow dominance.
Last month saw another major milestone with the installation of the final structural beam atop the forthcoming Hard Rock Las Vegas Hotel & Casino’s centerpiece 600-room Guitar Hotel tower. Welcoming groups in 2028, the multibillion-dollar transformation of the former Mirage will also feature a 3,000-room resort tower, 200,000 square feet of versatile space, 5,000-seat arena and plentiful amenities destined to rock the Center Strip.
