Las Vegas celebrated this month’s IMEX America trade show and announced a new, three-times-a-week, British Airways Gatwick flight beginning on 29 October that will boost UK direct services to the iconic destination to 20 flights a week. Las Vegas officials made the announcements at a party it hosted at The Grand, Brighton.

According to officials from the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA), more than 39,000 appointments were made during IMEX, which is in talks to continue hosting the show in the gambling capital until 2020.

British Airways will operate a new three-cabin Boeing 777 service three times a week offering a premium Club World cabin with fully flat beds. Together with the Heathrow service, British Airways will now operate 10 flights a week to Las Vegas.

Cathy Tull, LVCVA’s senior vice president of marketing, commented: “Las Vegas continues to grow in its popularity within the UK market, and we expect to see continued increases in visitation in the coming years. The UK is our number-one overseas market and will be key to helping us achieve our goal of growing international visitation by 30 per cent over the next decade.”

Chris Meyer, LVCVA’s vice president of sales, added: “Las Vegas had more than 20,000 meetings last year and will finish on more than 22,000 this year. Next year, we expect more than this. Vegas needs more meeting space!”

Pictured: Cathy Tull