"If the projections are met, the event definitely will be one of the larger convention and tradeshow launches ever," Michael Hughes, associate publisher and research director with Tradeshow Week, said of the July 25-29 market. "Even if they meet only half of the projection it will still be one of the largest."

Construction and moving crews remain hard at work putting the finishing touches on the first of eight buildings planned for the $2 billion World Market Center, which will serve as the permanent host site for the market, which is expecting 40,000 attendees this month. The first building is 1.3 million square feet.

More than a million square feet of additional exhibit space is planned for a pavilion center made up of temporary tent space in the World Market Center parking lot and additional space at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The convention center also will house the National Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers show. That association is holding its event in Las Vegas for the first time to capitalize on the presence of the fledgling furniture market.

Combined with the woodworking show, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is expecting as many as 80,000 attendees the last week in August."The events industry is watching very closely," Hughes said.

For the Las Vegas tourism industry, the event is unique in attracting visitors at a time when the summer heat usually serves as a deterrent. MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said increased activity during the summer follows a similar migration of convention business into traditionally slow times around the holidays, such as January's Consumer Electronics Show.

"In general we have been seeing an increase in convention activity in what has traditionally been fringe times," he said.

Jeremy Aguero, a principal with the Las Vegas economic research firm Applied Analysis, also pointed to more Las Vegas events populating fringe times, a trend he credited to the December National Finals Rodeo and the now-defunct Comdex convention that was held in November. He said success at the furniture market could create a similar trend.

"I want to see how it works," Aguero said. "I'm pretty excited about it."

UNLV economist Keith Schwer, at his annual mid-year economic forecast last month, described the World Market Center as a potentially positive economic "wildcard" for the local economy in the second half of the year.

Feldman said the presence of the World Market Center's July event should also continue the strong momentum shown by the Las Vegas tourism industry this year.

"Across the board, we have seen record demand on an ongoing basis in Las Vegas," Feldman said. "There's numerous reasons for it, primarily the enormous investments made by major properties. ... Certainly helping is the presence of the World Market Center."

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is similarly optimistic about the show.

"It's a huge piece of business," said Erika Yowell, senior media relations manager for the Convention and Visitors Authority. "I can only imagine that it's going to mean good things for Las Vegas."

When the World Market Center is completed in 2015, the 57-acre site is expected to have eight buildings and 12 million square feet of exhibit space.

Kevin Rademacher covers utilities and finance for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-4069 or by e-mail at kevinr@lasvegassun.com.