LAS VEGAS, NV, USA – The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) which operates the WTC Las Vegas in conjunction with Consumer Electronic Association (CEA) ®, conducted a trade show trade mission in May in Shanghai, China, in conjunction with the inaugural CES Asia™ show. The trade mission is an opportunity for Las Vegas to promote participation and attendance at Las Vegas-based tradeshows. For Chinese-based businesses, the mission provides access to the global marketplace through the many international trade shows held in Las Vegas.

As part of the trade show trade mission, representatives from globally recognized associations and companies including CTIA- Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, Emerald Exposition, Helicopter Association International, National Association of Homebuilders, National Association of Broadcasters and Reed Exhibitions met with local companies to explore advantages of participating in Las Vegas-based trade shows.

The group represented a collection of industries including technology, design, sports and apparel, retail, fashion, home improvement, electronic media and aviation. They are responsible for attracting more than 576,000 international and domestic business travelers to Las Vegas each year.

Las Vegas is a global destination for international commerce through its robust and varied trade show network. Las Vegas hosted more than 22,000 meetings, conventions and trade shows last year attracting more than 5 million business delegates. It has been named the No. 1 trade show destination in North America for a record 21 consecutive years hosting 60 of the 250 largest shows. The largest of which is International CES® , which recently announced a record 176,000 attendees with nearly 49,000 coming from outside the United States.

Traveling to Las Vegas and participating in a trade show is now easier than ever with recent changes to the visa program. Late last year, the Obama administration announced a bilateral agreement with China to extend the U.S. visa validity period from one year to 10 years for eligible travelers, the longest validity possible under U.S. law. China is the number one source of Asian visitors to Las Vegas with an estimated 300,000 in 2013. The U.S. government estimates as many as 7.3 million Chinese visitors by 2021 in part due to the new 10-year visa. That could translate to more than 1 million annual Chinese visits to Las Vegas by 2021.

The group represented the following Las Vegas-based trade shows: NAB Show, CTIA Super Mobility, ASD Trade Shows, Couture Events, Globalshop, Hospitality Design Expo, Interbike Expo, Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, Sports Licensing & Tailgate Show, Wedding & Portrait Photographers and International Pizza Expo.

PHOTO: Chris Meyer, vice president of global business sales for the LVCVA talks about Las Vegas as a business destination during a media conference.