The Sands Expo hall looked better this year (early 2016) than in the past -- they seem to have done some very needed work! The roof leaks and such from last year did not re-appear.
The Sands still has some issues -- the space is older and very chopped up for a large show. The featureless layout with odd floor shapes can make navigating a trade show quite a challenge.
On the good side, the Sands is connected to the Venetian and the Palazzo, so there are a lot of food choices and the whole facility can be reached in a variety of ways, with lots of parking too.
Sands Expo isn't perfect, but it is a better venue than the Las Vegas Convention Center for a large trade show.