Event Recap: 2018 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show

2018 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show Introduced New Trends and Standards to the Industry with Product Launches, a Premier Speaker Lineup, and More During the Three-Day Convention.

The 2018 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show brought together over 30,000 owners, operators, industry professionals and suppliers to the Las Vegas Convention Center during North America’s premier nightlife and bar industry convention, March 26-28, 2018. The 33rd annual convention schedule brought new concepts to the floor with the first ever eSports & Gaming Pavilion, product launches, keynote sessions, bootcamps, certification sessions and a series of educational workshops.

“The Nightclub & Bar Show offers industry professionals the opportunity to learn from one another, from their strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures.  Each year we work to create programming that provides new concepts and innovations that keep up with the ever-changing trends within our industry.”
– Thom Greco, Chairman of the Nightclub & Bar Advisory Board

On Tuesday, March 27, the expo floor opened with a star-studded red carpet and ribbon cutting ceremony with Chairman of the Las Vegas Host Committee Oscar Goodman; pro BMX rider Ricardo Laguna; celebrated chef Brian Duffy; Jackyl lead singer Jesse James Dupree; and Vanderpump Rules stars Tom Sandoval and Scheana Marie. The star of the morning was NFL Analyst and former Quarterback Ron Jaworski, who served as the ribbon cutter for the 2018 convention.

This year’s educational lineup featured more than 70 conference sessions that introduced attendees to new and old concepts that would help to strengthen their brands, including a “Bring Us Your Challenges – Open Consulting,” “Sustainability in Cocktails,” “Wine in Bars: Why you Need it and How to Do It,” “Cannabis Beverage Trends,” “Understanding an Active Shooter” and “The Shift from Millennials to Gen Z.”

This year’s education series was highlighted by keynote presentations from David Grutman, Ron “Jaws” Jaworski and the first-ever eSports, Streaming and Innovation panel, The Bar of Tomorrow.” The keynote program identified business strategies used by the most influential minds in the industry and ways owners and operators can leverage new trends to breakthrough the mold and really success in the industry.

Offsite Trainings brought select attendees into a variety of venues where they learned first-hand from operators how to build a successful venue. This year, guests had the opportunity to explore Wynn Nightlife, OMNIA Nightclub and Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club. In addition, Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits hosted a variety of mixology classes at their state-of-the-art facility.

To allow guests the opportunity to see Las Vegas’ famous venues in action, attendees mixed and mingled at exclusive networking and nightlife events featuring live entertainment top Las Vegas nightclubs and bars including Foxtail Pool at SLS Las Vegas, XS Nightclub at Encore Las Vegas, Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, OMNIA at Caesars Palace and Hyde Bellagio.

The 34th annual convention will return to Las Vegas in 2019 between March 25-27, and will offer thousands of products spanning all facets of the industry: bar equipment, spirits, craft beer, alcohol-free beverages and mixers, furnishings, technology, food, venue equipment, glassware, décor, menu designs, social media, apparel, lighting and more. In addition, a series of educational workshops, keynote sessions, certifications, off-site trainings and networking events will offer an interactive experience for both industry veterans and the next generation of influencers.

For updates throughout the year, visit NCBShow.com.