LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — More than 100,000 attendees are expected to pack the Las Vegas Convention Center this week for this year's ConExpo, the largest construction show in North America.
It comes just days after the latest numbers revealed a downward trend for tourism and gaming on the Strip.
WATCH | Anyssa Bohanan has more on the impact officials are hoping conventions like this could have on the local economy:
While some areas of the Valley are seeing numbers trending in a more positive direction, Strip casinos saw a reported 11% drop in tourism and gaming numbers in January of this year compared to last year.
When Channel 13 previously asked LVCVA President and CEO Steve Hill about conventions and expos filling in the gap when it comes to tourism numbers, he said, "Providing a very solid foundation for the destination, it's ballast for us to help weather what's going on."
Hill admitted that, while it wouldn't fill a 7.5% drop in visitation, conventions and expos still make up about 16-17% of volume that he believes could grow.
ConExpo kicks off at the same time as Women's History Month. The expo is set to celebrate women in the construction industry this week with the EmpowerHer Workshop.
Colleen Munro, president of the Munro Group who will also be speaking at the workshop, says that mentorship and inclusion are crucial when it comes to seeing and inviting more women into the industry.
"It's a stereotype that it's male-dominated; it doesn't have to be," Munro said. "I think women bring different skills to the construction industry that's very important for our job sites. Women bring different skills, such as we're used to taking care of families. We want to make sure that everybody is working, everybody is happy. We want to create that culture where everybody does well."
The ConExpo kicks off Tuesday morning at the Las Vegas Convention Center and continues through the rest of the week.
