More Las Vegas Shows Seen ‘Falling Out’ in Q1

COVID-19's cancellation of CES 2021 as a physical show (see 2007280034) typifies the shaky Q1 outlook for Las Vegas conventions, said Wynn Resorts President Marilyn Spiegel on a Q2 call Tuesday. Other trade shows are “going to be falling out” in Q1, “but we see that by about April, there's some firmness,” she said. NAB Show 2021 is scheduled for April 10-14 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. There’s “not much left on the books” for recouping convention business in 2020, said Spiegel. “And in 2021, the first quarter is a question mark.” Others say similar (see 2008040062). Without its customary “convention base,” the Strip has become “super-regional,” said Wynn CEO Matt Maddox. Customers from “drive-in markets” are dominating the traffic, and two-thirds of them are “nongamers,” he said.