The majority of New York-based trade shows are currently held at Manhattan's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The assembly hall ranks only 12th in the nation in size, leaving much to be desired; it's beat out by tradeshow centers in both California and Georgia. But New York trade shows may soon receive a face lift; last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled plans to develop a massive new convention center in Queens, NY.
According to the New York Post, Cuomo, who recently called the Javits Center "obsolete," asserts that the area needs a larger convention center in order to compete. Mayor Bloomberg has also voiced his support for the privately-funded project: "All of us have agreed that we need a bigger convention center. Could you imagine what we could do if we had a world-class, appropriate-sized convention center?" he said.
The new hall would be built in Queens between New York City's biggest airports. Meanwhile, the Javits Center, which the San Francisco Chronicle called "too small ... and poorly suited for the kind of bold, glitzy convention center that would be appropriate for Manhattan," would be converted into office space, housing, hotel rooms, and more.
Not only does the initiative have the potential to create thousands of jobs, but it may also draw in more visitors to the New York region. What's most exciting about the proposed tradeshow center is its sheer size. "Let's build the largest convention center in the nation, period," Cuomo said. Imagine the amount of trade show giveaways you could collect at a show in the country's biggest convention center!
What do you think -- would a sparkling new convention hall have you visiting New York more often?
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