Las Vegas, United States

Las Vegas is an unusual place to run a serious fintech conference—and yet it works remarkably well. The Venetian Expo has become one of the premier conference venues in North America, and the concentration of hotels, restaurants, and event spaces on the Strip creates an environment that’s genuinely productive for multi-day networking.

Money20/20 USA has made the Venetian its permanent home, and the October timing—pleasant weather, pre-holiday scheduling—has made it the most important annual gathering for the North American payments and fintech industry.

Key Fintech Events in Las Vegas

Money20/20 USA — October 18–21, 2026 | Venetian Expo The largest fintech conference in North America and one of the two most important payments conferences globally (alongside its European counterpart in Amsterdam). 10,000+ attendees across four days.

Shoptalk Spring — March 24–26, 2026 | Mandalay Bay The leading retail and commerce technology conference, with significant overlap with payments, fintech, and e-commerce. Relevant for anyone working in retail payments or buy-now-pay-later.

FinTech Meetup — March 30–April 1, 2026 | MGM Grand A structured networking format conference with 10,000+ pre-scheduled meetings. Highly efficient for generating qualified introductions in the fintech ecosystem.

Fiserv Power Moves — August 17–19, 2026 | Caesars Palace Fiserv’s partner and client conference—highly relevant for anyone working in the US banking and payments technology ecosystem.

Getting There

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is one of the busiest airports in the United States and extremely well-connected from major US cities and international gateways.

From the Airport to the Strip:

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) is the standard option.

Cost: $15–25 to most Strip hotels Time: 10–20 minutes depending on traffic

The rideshare pickup area is on Level 1 of the airport, following “Rideshare” signs from baggage claim. Expect queues after large flight arrivals.

Taxis:

Taxis are available from the official taxi rank outside baggage claim. They cost slightly more than rideshare ($25–35 to Strip hotels) and are reliable.

Avoid: The airport express bus is not suitable for conference attendees with luggage.

Rental Cars:

Not recommended for Strip-based conference attendance. Parking at Strip hotels costs $15–30+ per day, traffic on the Strip moves slowly, and rideshare is genuinely more convenient for the distances involved.

Getting Around

Las Vegas conference attendance is primarily a Strip experience. Most events are on the 4-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard between Mandalay Bay and the Venetian.

Walking:

The Strip looks walkable but distances between hotels are deceptive—10-minute map estimates become 20-25 minutes on the ground between hotel lobbies. Heat in summer (not relevant for Money20/20 in October) makes walking uncomfortable.

Rideshare:

Uber and Lyft are the most convenient options for moving between venues. Short Strip trips cost $8–15. Pre-book during evening networking events when demand surges.

Las Vegas Monorail:

The monorail runs along the eastern side of the Strip from MGM Grand to the SLS. Useful for some conferences but doesn’t reach the Venetian (Money20/20) or Mandalay Bay (Shoptalk).

Free Trams:

Several casino properties operate free trams between their sister hotels—the Bellagio/CityCenter/Park MGM tram and the Mirage/TI tram. Useful for specific routes.

The Convention Corridor:

For Money20/20, the Venetian/Palazzo/Sands Expo complex is effectively self-contained—you can spend the entire conference day (and evening) without leaving the property. This is both efficient and somewhat claustrophobic. Building in a daily walk outside the complex is worthwhile.

Conference Districts & Venues

Venetian Expo (Money20/20, FinTech Meetup):

The Venetian/Palazzo/Sands Expo complex is one of the largest hotel and convention operations in the world. For Money20/20:

• Multiple conference halls across the Sands Expo and Venetian convention areas
• The expo floor is massive—comfortable shoes are essential
• Hotel bars and restaurants at the Venetian become networking venues
• Evening sponsored events are held in the Grand Ballroom, various clubs, and partner hotel spaces

Mandalay Bay Convention Center (Shoptalk):

Similar self-contained hotel-convention centre format. The Four Seasons is connected to Mandalay Bay and provides a quieter alternative for meetings.

MGM Grand Conference Center (FinTech Meetup, Fiserv events):

MGM Grand has one of the Strip’s larger conference facilities. More central location than Venetian.

Where to Stay

The Venetian/Palazzo — Best for Money20/20:

Staying at the host hotel eliminates all transport logistics. You wake up at the conference. This is genuinely valuable for maximising meetings and spontaneous networking.

Expect to pay: $250–450 per night during Money20/20 Book immediately when the conference announces its hotel block—it sells out.

Wynn/Encore — Best Alternative Near Venetian:

Walking distance from the Venetian (10 minutes), quieter, excellent quality.

Expect to pay: $200–350 per night Good for: Attendees who want proximity without the conference-hotel chaos

ARIA/Vdara — Best Central Location:

Central Strip location with high-quality rooms. 20-minute walk or $10 rideshare to Venetian.

Expect to pay: $150–280 per night

Bellagio — Best for Client Entertainment:

The most prestigious address on the Strip, excellent restaurants, central location.

Expect to pay: $200–400 per night

Off-Strip Budget Options:

Several hotels on or near the Strip offer significantly lower rates: Rio All-Suite (connected to the Strip via shuttle), Tuscany Suites, and various properties on Koval Lane east of the Strip.

When to Book:

For Money20/20, book within 24–48 hours of hotel block opening (typically announced 3–4 months before the event). The Venetian block sells out in days. For general Strip hotels, booking 2–3 months ahead is usually sufficient.

Essential Las Vegas Conference Tips

The Heat:

October (Money20/20) temperatures are pleasant—25–30°C during the day with low humidity. But conference halls are aggressively air-conditioned. Bring a layer for indoor sessions.

Summer events (August) are a different matter: 38–42°C outside. Move between venues via rideshare, not by walking.

Meals:

Las Vegas has some of the most diverse and high-quality restaurant options in the United States. Every major chef has a property here. For conference dining:

• In-venue catering is expensive; Strip restaurant options are better value
• Popular conference spots book up—make reservations at least 48 hours ahead
• 24-hour options exist everywhere (this is Las Vegas)

Time Zone:

Las Vegas is in Pacific Time (UTC-7 in October). For European attendees, this is an 8-9 hour time difference. Build jet lag adjustment into your first day.

Gaming:

The conference is inside a casino. This is background noise for regular Las Vegas visitors, but worth noting if you’re new to the city.

Tipping Culture:

The US tipping culture applies: 18–22% at restaurants, $1–2 per drink at bars, $5 per bag for bellhops. This is non-optional in the context of professional dining and entertainment.

After Hours & Networking Spots

At the Venetian (Money20/20):

The Dorsey — The Venetian’s main cocktail bar. Always busy during Money20/20 week.

American Fish — Michael Mina restaurant, popular for team dinners.

Buddy V’s Ristorante — Consistent quality Italian in the Grand Canal Shoppes.

For Significant Dinners:

Carbone (ARIA) — One of Las Vegas’s most impressive Italian restaurants. Book weeks ahead.

é by José Andrés (Cosmopolitan) — Small tasting menu format, extraordinary. Book months ahead.

Hell’s Kitchen (Caesars) — Gordon Ramsay’s flagship. Very good, popular with conference groups.

Nobu (Caesars) — Reliable Japanese-Peruvian fusion, consistent for business dining.

Post-Conference Nightlife:

Las Vegas has the most concentrated club and entertainment infrastructure in the world. Most large conference sponsors host evening events at specific venues—check conference event listings for sponsored parties, which are often at Marquee, Hakkasan, or other major clubs.

Practical Information

Emergency: 911 Las Vegas Metropolitan Police: non-emergency 702-828-3111 Nearest hospital to Venetian: Valley Hospital Medical Center, Sunrise Hospital

Las Vegas is an efficient conference city despite its unconventional setting. The infrastructure is built for exactly this purpose—massive convention centres, thousands of hotel rooms within walking distance, and 24-hour service culture. Take advantage of it, but build in at least one hour per day outside the casino-convention complex for perspective.