#1 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
At 110 years old, the auto show continues to reinvent. The Connected Car Expo launched in 2013 during press days, and by last year had expanded so much that it outgrew its presence within the Los Angeles Convention Center, moving to the JW Marriott with nearly double the real estate. For its last show, the press days once again reformatted—this time to become a new trade show that integrated technology and transportation in the modern auto industry. ANSA Productions, which owns and operates the show, combined press and trade days with the Connected Car Expo to form the four-day pre-show event known as AutoMobility L.A. This year it will move from late November to December. Next: December 1-10, 2017
#2 Trade Show, Convention & ConferenceÂ
The comics and culture convention attracts buzz not just in San Diego, where it is located, but from interested eyes all around the country. The show has outgrown the walls of the San Diego Convention Center, now luring about 130,000 attendees to additional venues for parties, stunts, and suites throughout the area. Next: July 20-23, 2017
#3 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
Formerly known as Electronic Entertainment Expo, the show at the Los Angeles Convention Center now goes simply by the abbreviation E3. The Entertainment Software Association announced that last year’s event drew more than 70,000 participants, including 50,300 video-game professionals, analysts, journalists, and fans. The global video-game event displayed more than 1,600 products from more than 250 exhibitors. Next: June 13-15, 2017
#4 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
This year’s show brought more than 100,000 music-products professionals from around the world; it was the largest event in the show’s 115-year history. The National Association of Music Merchants’ show is considered one of the biggest and most important events showing music products around the world. It’s held at the Anaheim Convention Center, where an expansion will allow the 2018 event to offer more room for exhibit, educational, and community areas. Next: January 25-28, 2018
#5 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
Code producers Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher welcomed a top-level group of attendees, sponsors, and speakers to last year’s conference, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill and Melinda Gates, Sundar Pichai, Sheryl Sandberg, and others. The invitation-only event at the Terranea Resort, where industry influencers come together for conversations about digital technology, is now in its fourth year. Next: May 30-June 1, 2017
#6 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
The show is billed as the world's largest natural, organic, and healthy products event. The 2016 edition represented a record-setting year with 6.9-percent growth, more than 77,000 attendees, and more than 3,000 exhibiting companies including more than 600 first-time exhibitors. Produced by New Hope Natural Media, the show is held at the Anaheim Convention Center and Anaheim Hilton. Next: March 7-11, 2018
#7 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
At the weeklong event in Santa Monica, more than 8,000 industry leaders come together for deal-making, screenings, seminars, networking, and parties in the business of independent film. Attendees come from more than 80 countries and seal more than $1 billion in deals at the event, which dates back to 1981. Next: November 1-8, 2017
#8 Trade Show, Convention & Conference (new to the list)
Produced by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, the show held its 25th event at the Los Angeles Convention Center last year. Attendance at the four-day expo increased by more than 10 percent over the previous year, making 2016 its biggest year ever and continuing the ongoing growth trend since the event first took place. Overall turnstile attendance was marked at 304,799, representing a 15-percent increase, and the exhibit hall featured 40 percent more space than the previous year. The 2017 show will include the addition of a full preview day. Next: July 1-4, 2017
#9 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
The event at the Los Angeles Convention Center drew big-name speakers in the travel industry this year such as Rick Steves, Andrew Zimmern, and CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg. Now in its 12th year, the show and its network of related shows is billed as the largest consumer travel show in the country. Next: February 24-25, 2018
#10 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
The event is billed as Southern California’s largest boat-sales event, with the chance for fans to see, board, and buy new boats, gear, and accessories. January’s event marked the first time the show moved to Pomona Fairplex, a departure from its traditional venue of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The event drew about 150 exhibitors and about 300 boats. Organizers bill the show as the oldest and largest on the West Coast. Next: Winter 2018
#11 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
In an effort to bolster its California Marketplace Temporaries product offerings and improve the experience for its buying audience, the L.A. Mart and Urban Expositions joined forces to reorganize the winter edition of Los Angeles Gift and Home Market Week. Urban Expositions moved 200 temporary exhibitors from the Los Angeles Convention Center to the second-floor exhibit hall of the L.A. Mart. The show runs twice yearly, in February and July. It has changed names multiple times, but was formerly known as Lamkt. Next: July 2017
#12 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
Roth Capital Partners hosts the conference, which just wrapped its 29th annual go. It is one of the biggest financial services events in the country, with close to 500 participating companies and more than 4,000 attendees. It includes presentations from public and private companies in a variety of sectors, plus heavily produced parties. Next: March 2018
#13 Trade Show, Convention & Conference
Santa Monica-based venture capital firm Upfront Ventures hosts the annual tech conference—a free and invitation-only event. The program brings together hundreds of entrepreneurs and tech investors, plus thought-leaders and influencers, in a lively, high-design format that stands out in the sector. This year, the fifth annual, the invited-guest count bumped up 25 percent, with 450 people on the first day and 750 on the second. It was the fifth year of the summit, with sponsors including Silicon Valley Bank, Oracle, and NetSuite. Next: February 2018
#14 Trade Show, Convention & Conference (new to the list)
For two decades, the think tank has convened some of the top minds from around the world to tackle challenges. It draws about 3,500 attendees from 50 countries, all of whom are senior-level decision-makers in their respective fields. This year’s 20th annual program has the theme “Building Meaningful Lives.” Next: April 30-May 3, 2017
