Las Vegas Is Named the Second-Best City for Conventions in North America

(AsiaGameHub) –   When considering ideal locations for major conventions, Las Vegas is often the first city that comes to mind. With its extensive array of hotels, conference facilities, and a hospitality sector uniquely equipped to accommodate large crowds, it seems like a natural choice. Nevertheless, data from Cvent, a firm that monitors the meetings and conventions sector, places Las Vegas as the second-ranked convention city in North America.

Cvent’s List Reveals Something Unexpected

Las Vegas trailed only Orlando in the 2025 rankings for top North American convention destinations. Even so, three local properties—The Venetian, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, and Wynn and Encore Las Vegas—earned positions among the top 10 convention hotels on the continent.

These rankings were derived from data encompassing over $20 billion in global sourcing and request-for-proposal activity processed via Cvent’s platforms throughout 2025. This includes the Cvent Supplier Network, which serves as a premier global marketplace for sourcing group hotels and venues. A representative from Cvent noted that the record-breaking sourcing volume in 2025 indicates a trend that goes beyond simple demand-led growth.

According to Cvent, Las Vegas boasts 291 qualified hotel venues, 300 special event venues, and 4.6 million square feet of dedicated meeting and convention space. The city also provides over 150,000 guest rooms, led by the MGM Grand, which features 7,093 rooms. Other statistics provided include an average daily room rate of $193, an 83.6% occupancy rate, roughly 3,800 restaurants, an average daily food expenditure of $81, and a 12% tax rate.

Why Did Orlando Steal the Top Spot?

Orlando’s ability to surpass Las Vegas may be attributed to the proactive efforts of Visit Orlando, the convention and visitors bureau for Orange County, in drawing event organizers to the city’s facilities.

Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, stated in a release on Wednesday that the bureau works in close coordination with its partners. This effort is supported by Cvent’s technology, which links meeting planners with the necessary resources and locations. She further noted that the city’s ongoing evolution and capacity to host events of varying scales have bolstered its reputation as the premier meetings destination in the country.

Interestingly, while Orlando holds the title for the top convention city overall, none of its individual hotels appeared on the top-10 list of convention host properties.

Cvent indicated that the 2025 rankings underscore two primary trends: the comeback of major gateway cities like New York City and the sustained growth of emerging meeting hubs such as Nashville and Austin. This reflects a growing preference among planners for destinations that blend large-scale event infrastructure with unique local character, a factor likely instrumental in Orlando securing the top position on Cvent’s list.

Separately, Las Vegas is anticipating a significant surge in visitors for Memorial Day, with local hotels and resorts currently preparing for the expected influx of tourists.