LVCVA, CES officials reopen ‘the best convention center in the world’

Representatives of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and CES on Monday celebrated the reopening of what is now being called “the best convention center in the world.”

LVCVA and CES officials cut the ribbon in the modernized Central Hall Grand Lobby the day before CES 2026 officially opens.

The $600 million renovation first conceived two decades ago, but delayed during the Great Recession before being restarted in 2023, features a glass curtain wall providing an abundance of natural light, three massive video screens and a climate-controlled interior concourse.

The four-day CES, anticipating attendance around the 143,000 that came last year, draws attendees from 150 countries. Last year, the convention resulted in a $381.2 million economic impact to Southern Nevada.

Gary Shapiro, Consumer Technology Association vice chairman and CEO, said CES would use the entire 4.6 million square feet of campus exhibit space, including parking lots, when the show opens Tuesday.

“This is, I will say, now the best convention center in the world,” Shapiro told a gathering of LVCVA executives and ambassadors, CES leaders and people who had a role in getting the renovation completed on schedule.

“We have had an amazing relationship with Las Vegas, and we’ve grown together,” he said.

Shapiro explained that in 1977, when CES was conducted in Chicago, temperatures were so cold that attendees stayed in their hotel rooms instead of attending the show.

“My predecessor, Jack Wayman, had an idea that why didn’t we go to Las Vegas? And at that time, Las Vegas was just known for divorces and gambling,” Shapiro said. “There were no real business events of any type. It was considered a very risky move. But boy, did it work out well for us. It helped establish Las Vegas as a business destination where business travelers can even out the ups and downs of the major traveler. And that sparked a relationship with us which has lasted for at least five decades and we’ve both grown to be number one in what we do.”

First LV CES in 1978

CES made its first appearance in Las Vegas in 1978 and until 1994 had two shows a year, Las Vegas in the winter and Chicago in the summer.

Shapiro and the CTA pressed to expand the Convention Center by adding the two-story South Hall in 2002 and worked with former LVCVA President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter to expand again in the late 2000s.

But Shapiro said he saw an economic downturn on the horizon and pleaded with Ralenkotter to delay the project to expand with a new West Hall and to renovate the rest of the building.

In June 2021, the West Hall debuted and in May 2023 work began to renovate the rest of the building and bring it to West Hall standards.

During renovation work, the Convention Center never lost a customer and maintained its show calendar.

In addition to the improvements in the Grand Lobby and the climate-controlled corridor, the renovation included a redesigned South Hall entrance on the east side of the building and a new boardroom and administrative offices.

Enhancements to the building included updated interiors with contemporary finishes, improved natural light and sightlines, reimagined lobbies and arrival areas, better signage and way-finding technology, expanded food and beverage offerings, energy-efficient systems and lighting upgrades and water-saving features.

The CTA is big on sustainability and CTA President Kinsey Fabrizio announced Monday that the association is presenting a $125,000 grant to the city of Las Vegas for its citywide tree planting initiative and energy-efficient streetlight upgrades.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.