Associations and Show Organizers often plan years out to ensure they can secure their show dates. Depending on show size, they often have a large selection of venues and cities to choose from. Below is a list of our most popular cities and venues.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is a major hub for trade shows and conventions, and the city has several key trade show venues. The most notable include: The Las Vegas Convention Center is one of the largest convention centers in the U.S. It spans more than 3.2M square feet and features a wide-variety of meeting and exhibit spaces. Caesar’s Palace and the 550,000 sq. ft. CAESARS FORUM conference center is the newest addition to the Caesars Entertainment family. The 300,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and the two largest pillarless ballrooms in the world.
The Mandalay Bay Convention Center is the third largest venue in Las Vegas with more than 2M square feet of space. The center has unique features such as the Mandalay Bay Beach and Shark Reef Aquarium.
These are just three great options for trade shows in the “Entertainment Capital of the World.” There isn’t an event that can’t be hosted in the city! Attendees can enjoy iconic casinos, incredible food prepared by famous chefs, unique shopping, fabulous entertainment, and vibrant nightlife.
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a popular destination for vacationers and conference visitors. One of the best East Coast trade show cities, Orlando is easily accessible, and it has the infrastructure (hotels, restaurants, entertainment) to support conferences and other tourism, favorable weather, and a large variety of venues.
The Orange County Convention Center has a whopping 7M square feet of space for trade shows and conferences. Multiple large events can be held simultaneously. Other venues close by are the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort , Disney’s Coronado Springs Hotel, Lowes Royal Pacific Resort @ Universal Orlando, and the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek all offering large meeting spaces, hotel rooms, and close proximity to many restaurants and bars.
Our preferred properties in Orlando are the Orlando World Center Marriott and the Walt Disney World Dolphin & Swan Resorts, which also offer excellent facilities for conferences and events. Consider the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center as another prime option for your event needs, providing expansive meeting spaces and luxurious accommodations.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, home to McCormick Place, one of the largest convention centers in the U.S., is an ideal venue for hosting conferences, trade shows, and other events. The Hilton Chicago and the Sheraton Grand Chicago are two hotels that are centrally located and feature multiple meeting spaces ideal for trade shows. Chicago is one of the best trade show cities in the country. Centrally located in the U.S., Chicago is easy for people from all over the country to travel to. The city has two major airports, and the interstate highways give those who want to travel by car easy access. 
The city is known for its architecture, including Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), the John Hancock Center, and the Tribune Tower. It’s a lovely city to walk about when the weather is nice. If out, one can stop to eat Chicago-style deep-dish pizza or Chicago hot dogs, or go fancier and dine at one of many fine dining establishments. For fans of museums and sports, Chicago offers many places and opportunities to experience culture or competition.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is another popular location for trade shows, and it boasts several large convention centers such as the Georgia World Congress Center and the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart.
The city has a wide range of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment establishments, and you’ll experience good ol’ southern hospitality at all of them. When in Atlanta, one should visit the Georgia Aquarium with its more than 100,000 animals from 700 different species.
For those who want to spend more time outside, the Atlanta BeltLine is recommended. The 22-mile trail around the city offers scenic views, public art, and a variety of outdoor activities.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a popular destination for trade shows. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is the sixth-largest convention facility in the country and features over 1.1 million square feet of prime, contiguous exhibit space. Conference teams and attendees alike enjoy the distinctive culture, unique music, and original cuisines like gumbo, po-boys, jambalaya, red beans and rice, étouffée, muffulettas, beignets, and chicory coffee. It’s a place to combine both business and a bit of leisure.
The city has many hotels and accommodations to suit every budget and preference. Most hotels, entertainment venues, and restaurants are within walking distance if one stays in the French Quarter, home to Bourbon Street, the city’s night-time hotspot.
Dallas-Ft.Worth, Texas
There is a multitude of venues in Dallas proper and throughout the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. Here are a few venues (square footage and capacity vary) to consider:
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center hosts over 1 million square feet of exhibit space and is planning a major expansion to be completed by 2028. The Ft. Worth Convention Center, Irving Convention Center Las Colinas, and the Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center are popular venues to host trade shows of various sizes.
Dallas also has boutique venues that are highly unique, including Marie Gabrielle Restaurant & Gardens, The Granada Theater, The Room on Main, Texas Ale Project, The Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden, and Arlington Hall at Turtle Creek to name a few. The boutique venues are also tourist destination sites so it’s easy to plan an event for both business and pleasure. Two major airports make it easy for travelers to arrive and leave the city, including those who travel internationally.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, “Music City,” has a state-of-the-art convention center. The Music City Center (with over 2M square feet of meeting and exhibit space) is located in the heart of downtown Nashville. It is surrounded by hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues, including the
Country Music Hall of Fame.
For those who love music, this is the city to visit for a conference. In Nashville, you’ll find the famous Grand Ole Opry, The General Jackson Showboat which promises toe-tapping entertainment, and the Ryman Auditorium also known as the birthplace of bluegrass music.
Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona
Phoenix is a great destination for corporate events because it has warm weather year-round. Phoenix and Scottsdale are destinations often chosen for their outdoor activities and spa resorts. Scottsdale provides several distinctive venues like the Desert Botanical Gardens, Los Cedros, and Taliesin West. Some popular venues for small to mid-size trade shows are The Phoenician in Scottsdale and the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.
Large events can be held at the Footprint Center, home to the Suns and Mercury basketball teams; the State Farm Stadium which hosted the 2023 Super Bowl; the Phoenix Convention Center with its outdoor space Canyon on Third; and the Rawhide Western Town & Event Center.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is home to many leading technology companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing. This makes the city ideal for technology-related conference events. The newly remodeled Seattle Convention Center Summit Building features 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space and Lumen Field Event Center often hosts boat, car, and home shows.
Rather than taking in indoor spaces when visiting the city, the outdoors should be explored. Seattle is located on the shores of Puget Sound and is surrounded by picturesque mountains. There’s hiking, biking, sailing, and other outdoor recreation. This is where you want to have team-building activities! If venturing into the city, visit the Space Needle which offers stunning views of the area from the observation deck, and Pike Place Market, one of the oldest public markets in the United States.
San Diego, California
San Diego is a multicultural city and a great place for international business events. As the second largest city in California, it offers organizations many venue choices. From the San Diego Convention Center with its panoramic views of San Diego Bay to the Manchester Grand Hyatt in downtown or to the iconic Hotel del Coronado, there’s a space perfect for your size trade show.
Since the city is on the bay, there are many water-oriented activities to pursue when in town for a conference, including whale-watching cruises, harbor dinner cruises, sailing at sunset, and speedboat adventures. The city, as you know, has a famous zoo, and it’s home to more than 4,000 animals representing more than 800 species from around the world.
San Diego, one of the best West Coast trade show cities has near-perfect weather. This makes it a favorite of event planners, tourists, and conference attendees. There’s never enough time to do everything you want!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christy Ricketts
