SHOW NEWS: Comdex Cancelled Creating Hotel Competition During NIFS/West

John Wolz

Comdex, the computer show that once drew as many as 200,000 visitors to Las Vegas, has been cancelled for 2005. The cancellation opens many of Las Vegas” 131,503 hotel rooms during the National Industrial Fastener Show / West, which is scheduled November 16-18, 2005.
The fastener show headquarters hotels, Paris and Bally”s, may face price competition for fastener industry rooms.
Show management has not posted room rates for 2005. In recent years Paris and Bally”s lowered initial rates after the industry learned rooms booked online or neighboring hotels were cheaper. At one point Bally”s fastener rate last year was $119 and ballys.com offered $89.
Bally”s has been as low as $49 online and Paris $69 in recent years.
The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Bureau reported the average midweek room rate in 2003 was $83.
Hotels.com already shows many Las Vegas hotels are more expensive beginning Friday at the end of the 2005 fastener show than during the show days.
Hotels within three blocks of the fastener show include Bellagio, Caesar”s Palace, Westin, Aladdin, Flamingo, Barbary Coast, Bourbon Street, Days Inn, Super 8 and Econolodge.
Theaters, casinos, restaurants and the airport also may be less crowded without Comdex.
Comdex, first held in 1979, also was cancelled in 2004 after several years of decline. Show owner MediaLive International created an exhibitor council to determine how Comdex “can best meet the future needs of the industry.”\ �2005 FastenerNews.com