In September, Las Vegas will once again turn into bodybuilding central when Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend rolls into town on September 16, 2016.
The highlight of the event will, of course, be the 2016 Mr. Olympia contest. Phil Heath, who captured his 5th straight title last year in a heated contest against Dexter Jackson, Shawn Rhoden, and Dennis Wolf, is again one of the top favorites. He’s going to have to step things up a notch this year, though, as all three men have once again come to challenge him for the crown.
Aside from Mr. Olympia, the 2016 Olympia Weekend will also see the second Wings of Strength Rising Phoenix World Championships. The event has taken up the mantle of the world’s most prestigious female bodybuilding event following the demise of the Ms. Olympia event in 2014.
The most amazing male and female powerlifters from all over the world will also descend on Las Vegas during the Olympia Weekend for the 2016 Olympia Pro Powerlifting Championships. Spectators will get to see up close how the pros get ready for battle at the event’s popular open-warm up area.
The Strongman Corporation is also coming back to the Olympia Weekend for the 7th time in a row, bringing with it events such as America's Strongest Masters and the North American Strongman Master Championships. The popular TV show American Ninja Warrior will also open up its gruelling gauntlet to the public for a once in a lifetime experience.
The Olympia Weekend expo has taken place in Las Vegas since it sprung into being in 1999. Along with Interbike, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, and others, it’s one of numerous fitness conventions and expos that take place in the city every year.
These events have slowly taken their place among Las Vegas’ reigning sources of revenue in recent years following stiff online competition on the gaming sphere. The city’s gaming industry has been fighting an uphill battle against online gaming, which Spin Genie creator Gaming Realms, estimates will have already reached revenues beyond $40 billion by this time. Thus, expos and high profile events such as this have become regular fixtures on Vegas’ annual entertainment calendar and a huge source of tourism.