What Does Las Vegas Approved Lighting Really Mean?

Las Vegas Approved Lighting Explained!

Las Vegas is one of the top cities in the world for trade show events. Some of the largest conventions and trade shows in the world call Las Vegas home for good reason -- their 10 million square feet of convention space can handle the volume, traffic and grand-scale requirements that make for successful shows. If you plan on attending trade shows regularly, you can expect Las Vegas to be a destination at one time or another. As a result, it's important to understand the rules and regulations surrounding Las Vegas trade show events, especially when it comes to lighting.

The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) is the largest single venue in Las Vegas with nearly 2.2 million square feet of exhibit space and 3.2 million square feet of total space. In the 1990s and early 2000s, LVCC experienced several fire safety incidents arising from the use of stem and track mounted halogen light fixtures attached to exhibit booths. As a result, in 2003 the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Association (the owner of the LVCC) imposed restrictions on the use of halogen lighting. Since then, nearly all of the other hotel and casino convention centers in the Las Vegas valley have adopted these same restrictions. Below is a summary of the regulations.

What is Banned?

• Fixtures that use a linear halogen bulb(s)
• Fixtures that us a non-shielded halogen bulb(s)
• Light bulbs used in fixtures that exceed the permitted maximum wattage marked on the fixture
• Light bulbs that exceed 75 watts

What is Approved?

Halogen lamps must have an additional glass shield to prevent direct handling in order to be approved. The following lights are approved, as long as they do not exceed 75 watts:

• 120V MR16 halogen bulbs with a glass cover
• Sealed PAR halogen bulbs
• 12V MR11 & MR16 halogen bulbs with glass covers

The Las Vegas Convention Center and most other exhibition halls within the city of Las Vegas have some of the strictest display lighting guidelines in the country. So as a general rule, if your lighting is Las Vegas approved, there is a good chance your lighting will be acceptable at most other venues throughout the country. However, if you will be exhibiting outside of the Las Vegas area, you should always check the lighting guidelines of the specific convention center in which you will be exhibiting. Of course, all of Silicon Lightworks LED exhibit lights are Las Vegas approved.