Spring is just a few short days away and sports are on my mind. With events ranging from rugby to racing, it seems there is an activity for every kind of sports enthusiast this month.
Basketball is big news for our destination. Every year, thousands of out-of-town fans flock to Las Vegas to catch all the college hoops action, especially the first round of March Mayhem, which is consistently one of the busiest weekends in Las Vegas. This year, Las Vegas will once again host four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball conference tournaments including the West Coast Conference (WCC), Western Athletic Conference (WAC), Mountain West Conference (MWC) and Pacific Athletic Conference (PAC 12). If you can’t make it to the games, no need to sit at home, a number of resort partners are offering special deals and hosting viewing parties.
Another fan favorite returning to Las Vegas this month is Big League Weekend at Cashman Field March 25-26. World Series champs, the Chicago Cubs, will return to Las Vegas for their 13th consecutive appearance during the event to take on the Cincinnati Reds. Over the years, Big League Weekend has become one of Las Vegas’ favorite springtime traditions.
March sporting events in Las Vegas truly have a global appeal. The annual USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament will return to Las Vegas March 3-5, bringing 19 international rugby sevens teams to compete in 79 matches throughout the thrilling three-day tournament at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Engines of almost every variety will also be rolling through the destination this March. The excitement includes the Monster Jam World Finals XVII and NASCAR Weekend with high-energy events like the Mint 400 off-road competition, the Kobalt 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and the Boyd Gaming 300 NASCAR Xfinity. The Las Vegas Host Committee will be out in full force to celebrate the return of NASCAR Weekend. On March 9, you can find us at the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa taking photos and thanking fans for choosing Las Vegas as their NASCAR-viewing destination of choice. This event will also serve as the kickoff for the NASCAR Hauler Parade, which features 18-wheeler haulers parading down the Las Vegas Strip on their way to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s a sight to see!
Although sports events create big draw for leisure visitors in March, the destination has no shortage of business travelers this time of year. Convention attendance in March last year reached nearly 700,000 visitors, which contributed to an all-time high for convention visitation in 2016. In total, Las Vegas welcomed more than 3.7 million visitors in March 2016 and more than 3.6 million people in March 2015. As one of the busiest months in Las Vegas, the increase in visitation is expected to continue this year. On March 7-11, the Las Vegas Convention Center is pleased to welcome CONEXPO-CON/AGG once again. The construction show is expected to attract nearly 130,000 attendees. In addition to providing a boost to Las Vegas convention business, CONEXPO- CON/AGG marks a momentous occasion for the Las Vegas as the show is the first to utilize the Diamond Lot for outdoor exhibits. You may recall, the Diamond Lot is the Las Vegas Convention Center’s new 26-acre outdoor parking and exhibit space that sits on the land previously occupied by the Riviera Hotel & Casino. The Diamond Lot opening represents the completion of phase one of the Las Vegas Convention Center District project, which will help solidify Las Vegas’ reputation as North America’s leading trade show destination.
As you can see, there’s always a lot of action happening in Las Vegas. It’s a lot to keep track of and we’re constantly looking for new Las Vegas Host Committee ambassadors to help spread the importance of tourism and support the many events our city has to offer. Anyone from the community can become an ambassador by registering on our website www.lvcva.com/host or emailing our office at lvhostcommittee@lvcva.com. It costs nothing other than your commitment to better our community. We’ll provide you with materials to help you stay up-to-date on the latest tourism-related news and the events happening in Southern Nevada.
We hope you’ll find some time to enjoy our fabulous city this spring, and as always, thank you for supporting our number one industry- tourism! Cheers! +
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