Las Vegas Hosts Record-Breaking LVL UP Expo 2024

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Visitors engaging with gaming activities at the LVL UP Expo 2024.

News Summary

The LVL UP Expo 2024 in Las Vegas set a record with over 100,000 attendees, featuring diverse gaming activities, celebrity signings, and interactive experiences. This year’s expo included major tournaments and educational panels, highlighting the event’s growth since its inception in 2013. Attendees enjoyed a variety of activities, from cosplay meetups to competitive gaming events, showcasing the vibrant gaming and anime culture in the region. As the expo continues to expand, it solidifies its place as a key event for fans and participants alike.

Las Vegas Hosts Record-Breaking LVL UP Expo 2024

The LVL UP Expo in Las Vegas, held from April 25-27, 2024, marked a significant milestone by attracting over 100,000 attendees, making it the largest gathering in the event’s history. This year’s expo featured more than 250 vendors and provided a diverse range of activities, including professional gaming tournaments, signings from prominent voice actors, and interactive installations. The expo has steadily grown since its inception in 2013 when it began with around 1,000 attendees at the Henderson Convention Center.

Key Highlights of the Expo

This year’s LVL UP Expo included competitive gaming events, such as the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, which saw over 600 contestants compete for a reward of $10,000 in prizes. In addition, a new high-caliber Call of Duty: Mobile competition, named the Samsung Galaxy Gear Up Cup, boasted an impressive prize pool of $100,000, attracting a multitude of serious gamers from around the region.

The event also featured a guest list of notable celebrities, including Giancarlo Esposito, renowned for his role in Breaking Bad, and Sean Schemmel, the voice of Goku from the popular Dragon Ball franchise. Attendees of the expo were treated to signings from these icons, alongside participation from 50 other voice actors and creators, further solidifying the event’s reputation in the gaming and anime community.

Interactive Experiences and Activities

In addition to competitive gaming, visitors were able to engage with a wealth of interactive exhibits. Highlights included the Pokemon Play Lab and an obstacle course inspired by the Netflix series Love Death + Robots. The diverse programming also extended to educational panels and installations presented by major platforms including Netflix and Crunchyroll, providing valuable insights into the gaming and entertainment industries.

The cosplay element was another vibrant aspect of the expo, with numerous themed meetups contributing to an exciting atmosphere throughout the convention floor. Attendees expressed appreciation for the blending of creativity and competition, highlighting how the growth of the event has introduced a broader spectrum of activities compared to the earlier years.

Growth of the LVL UP Expo

Local artist Joyce Rainbow, who has attended the expo since its beginning, reflected on the tremendous evolution the event has undergone. Having left her job as a slot machine illustrator to pursue a full-time career in art, Rainbow made her fifth appearance as a featured vendor at the 2024 expo. She observed that the current professional setups and competitiveness among vendors were markedly different from the inaugural year.

Clyde Thomas, another repeat attendee, commented on the expanding scale of the convention and its increasing diversity in offerings. The success of this year’s expo underscores how the LVL UP Expo has nurtured collaborations with major companies and continues to carve out a notable space in the gaming, anime, and cosplay communities.

Future Prospects

As the LVL UP Expo continues to grow, its organizers are poised to expand its offerings further in future years, building on the strong foundation established since 2013. The combination of competitive gaming, educational opportunities, and a vibrant atmosphere ensures that it will remain a key event on the calendars of fans and participants alike in the coming years.