New York City Trade Shows: A Guide

If you’re looking to position your brand in front of a wider audience, attending New York City trade shows is a must! New York is one of the most popular cities in the U.S. – and it’s no surprise why! The largest city in the U.S. by population has a plethora of venues, hotels and restaurants. With so much to do and see, many events come to New York each year. 

Many of our clients choose to exhibit in NYC because of its great selection of events and potential exposure. The easy proximity to landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and Central Park don’t hurt either. Whether you’re looking to enhance your current trade show strategy or build new relationships, New York City has it all!

Millions of Potential Clients

In 2017, 62.8 million people visited New York City. It was a record-breaking number for the eighth year in a row! This is in addition to the 8.4 million residents inhabiting the area. Therefore there are millions of people to market to at any given point in time. The 100+ trade shows held in NYC get plenty of exposure and have large attendances to draw from.

Convenient Transportation 

As the largest city in the U.S., New York has no shortage of transportation options. To begin, there are three airports to fly into: John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International. This makes it easy to choose an airport that meets your criteria, such as price or location. On the whole, JFK is the preferred airport, although it isn’t closest to the city. However, in terms of public transport, it’s a clear winner, as it is connected to Manhattan by the AirTrain. It connects to 3 subway lines and is very affordable to ride. 

Because the city is so dense, the majority of residents forego owning vehicles and instead opt for public transit. Favored modes include 3 different subway systems, various trains, or the extensive bus lines. The low ownership of personal automobiles and the city’s long history of constant transit improvement means it is all relatively simple to use. That said, if you are visiting for an event, you likely won’t need to study up on these options. Many hotels offer complimentary shuttle buses to and from the various convention centers. You can also engage in the storied tradition of hailing a cab, or request a taxi, Uber or Lyft when you need.

Great Venues 

Thanks to the abundance of venues, events small and large can be easily held in New York. Some of the most popular trade show venues include: 

• Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Known as the Javits Center, this venue is the largest convention center and is located on Eleventh Avenue. It features modern architecture, 76,000 square feet of exhibition space and views of the scenic Hudson River.
• Metropolitan Pavilion. This beautiful location offers four special event spaces and full production services. A pavillion, gallery, suite and ‘level’ all include sound and lighting, HD projection, LED display technologies and ultra-fast internet. The spaces can even be combined by an interior staircase or elevator.
• Pier Sixty. Pier Sixty is a joint venture with The Lighthouse and Current. Each offer waterfront views, valet parking, easy accessibility, shuttle bus service and more. Pier Sixty is a smaller venue, holding up to 2,000 guests. 
• The Altman Building. The Altman Building is a private event venue that features two floors and over 14,000 square feet of space. The venue is stunning, offering hardwood floors, brick ceilings and large windows, all features that will support your custom exhibit display. 

Activities

New York City trade shows tend to attract large crowds because of the environment. People know that when they attend an event in the Empire State, they also get to enjoy the NYC nightlife. There are infinite hotels, restaurants and culture to enjoy. What is better than to work by day and play by night? You can easily turn a work event into a personal getaway or corporate retreat! 

This bustling environment also sets the stage for business relationships to be formed and strengthened. You can take a client out to the Gotham Comedy Club, where big names like Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Chappelle have starred. Meet a potential vendor at Yankee Stadium, or treat staff to an NBC Studio Tour. 

Between museums, restaurants, comedy clubs, cruise tours, wineries, breweries and the attractions that New York is known for (Central Park, Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium…), there are many opportunities to optimize your trade show adventure. 

Biggest Trade Shows in NYC

• Comic-Con – Comic-Con is one of the most popular trade shows in NYC. Held in the Javits Center, the event attracts more than 185,000 fans, 3,000 press members and 850 visiting companies. Anyone interested in video games, anime, graphic novels, movies, TV series, etc. must attend. 
• NY NOW – NY NOW is the largest wholesale trade show in America and features the latest trends in home, lifestyle and handmade gift products. Held at the Javits Center twice a year, the event introduces 20,000+ attendees to 2,300+ brands. 
• NRF Retail’s Big Show – The world’s largest retail conference and expo is comprised of all retail formats and channels of distribution. Another Javits Center event, NRF attracts 38,000 attendees, 16,000 retailers and 800 exhibitors from 99 countries. 
• Architectural Digest Design Show (ADDS) – ADDS is held over four days at Pier 94, uniting over 40,000 design aficionados with 400 brands to drool over a curated presentation of all things aesthetic.
• North American International Toy Fair – The International Toy Fair features 150,000 toys every year in February. Also hosted at the Javits Center, over 1,000 vendors invite 13,000 attendees to play like kids for the day!
• New York Times Travel Show – This show unites 35,000 travel connoisseurs for three exciting days. 750 exhibitors representing 175 different countries congregate at the Javits Center every January. 
• Vision Expo East – A celebration of all things eye-related, this popular event features 700+ exhibitors at the Javits Center every March. In addition to 15,000 attendees, over 3,500 industry professionals visit the showroom floor.

If you plan to head east for a New York City trade show, contact IGE today.  We’ll design a custom built booth or rental that knocks your next NYC trade show out of the park – Central Park that is!