The Conventioneer

NYC.com's Guide To New York City Fairs, Trade Shows, and Conventions

Conventioneers, Trade Show attendees, and Trade Fair visitors to New York City plan carefully for what's going on inside the Jacob Javits Center and other venues hosting major events here—as well as outside, the first and foremost of which is finding the right hotel. Given how busy you will be, it's handy if the hotel has top-notch room service, reliable WiFi connections, easy-to-find data ports, and streamlined check-in/check out policies. Since you almost never know how much free time you'll have during breaks or after the day's business activities have ended, it's understandable that you want to choose the right accommodations while also meeting the many business challenges you face during your stay here.

For business travelers who are on the move there are additional questions to consider: After a full day at a convention, fair, or trade show, you'll probably want to quickly locate a respectable restaurant somewhere in vicinity where you and your colleagues can enjoy a great meal, perhaps some drinks, and soak up a bit of Manhattan nightlife. If you want to head downtown for dinner, what would be a good restaurant choice in Lower Manhattan? What if you want to see a Broadway show, or take a tour of the city, or take in other cultural offerings?

Whatever your business travel needs might be, NYC.com has offerings that will meet them and provide you with the helpful information you need when arranging your plans for your business trip to New York City. After all, we're NYC.com—the New York City Experts. We take your travel comfort, accommodations, and business needs seriously.

Our Guide To New York City Fairs, Trade Shows and Conventions gives you information below about: • Getting Around—The Business Traveler's New York • NYC.com Guide To NYC Fairs, Trade Shows, and Conventions • Great Hotels For Convention, Trade Show, and Fair Visitors to NYC • NYC Restaurants For Business Entertaining • Services For the Business Traveler

Please note: Although this guide deals primarily with conventions, trade shows, and fairs taking place at the Jacob Javits Center, the information provided below for travel, hotels, restaurants, and other business or non-business concerns applies for virtually anywhere in Manhattan.

Getting Around—The Business Traveler's New York

1. Numerous airlines serve LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports, so for a list of major US airlines serving the New York metropolitan area and links to their official web sites please consult our Airlines page.

2. Getting to and from La Guardia, JFK, and Newark, by taxi, bus, private coach, or limousine you can learn about by consulting our Airports page. Most travelers find taking a taxi to be the easiest method of getting to and from the airports as reservations aren't necessary and you won't have to contend with multiple stops or a stop that's not near your destination.

3. New York City offers such an amazing web of mass transit services that can get you anywhere you want to go. Unless you've got mountains of promotional products or literature to distribute at your convention, the hassle of renting a car should be considered. For more detailed information regarding cars and parking, do read our Driving and Car Rental guide as well as our New York City Parking tips.

4. Taxi service into and around New York City is well-regulated; a driver's photo identification is posted in the vehicle, and GPS tracking monitors are located in the back seats of cabs. Thus, much of the mysterious and errant ways of navigating New York City has become a thing of the past. But to learn the ins and outs of taking taxis, read our NYC.com taxis guide for all you need to know.

5. Frequent visitors to New York City (and the locals of course) know that one of the true joys here is strolling around the downtown streets and avenues. The blocks are shorter than you might expect, and people-watching is a big part of the fun. Business travelers unfamiliar with New York City's asphalt terrain might be surprised to learn that it is often faster and less stressful to simply walk to the location of their next appointment or meeting. Take it from us at NYC.com: don't be afraid to hit the streets walking.

6. Business travelers considering limousine service in New York City should make a note of another hot tip from us: LimoRes. They are widely considered to be the premier, most highly regarded, and reliable livery service in the city. For the do's and don'ts consult our Limousine Service page.

7. A New York subway or bus ride costs $2.00, and there are additional day, week, and month passes available. Although first-time business travelers to New York might find the subway map a bit intimidating, the New York subway system is quite straightforward. But do note: if you're wearing business attire during the months of June, July or August and heading down into the subway, be forewarned that it can feel like walking into an oven; you might arrive at your destination feeling less than fresh (i.e. sweat-soaked) for that scheduled interview or meeting you have to attend.

8. There are numerous trains traveling into and out of the city, and they are often faster, cheaper and more convenient than any other method of transportation. Consider booking one because you really don't want to head into New York City in a car, and besides you can read the newspaper, email colleagues, phone family members, or read that latest business report along the way.

9. Want to travel to or from one of New York's local airports like a true chief executive? Check out our info on helicopter service at the bottom of our airports page in our Visitor Guide. You'll get from airport to Manhattan or vice-versa in approximately 8 to 11 minutes.

10. Specific directions to the Jacob Javits Center on West 34th (between 11th Avenue and 12th Avenue) can be found by clicking here.

NYC.com Guide To NYC Fairs, Trade Shows, and Conventions (January—June)

JANUARY New York International Numismatic Convention The New York International Numismatic Convention is the United States’ most prestigious numismatic event targeting the needs of the world and ancient numismatic communities. Held at the fabled Waldorf Astoria Hotel, no other numismatic convention can equal the incomparable scope and breadth of the NYINC auctions, presentations that quite literally attract dealers and collectors from throughout the world.

National Retail Federation - Trade The National Retail Federation Annual Convention & EXPO is the retail industry's most comprehensive educational forum and trade show floor. For four days in January, NRF is the place to master business continuity and crisis management, multi-channel marketing, global brand positioning, change management strategies and the latest financial paths that will lead to profitability in the coming years. Over 15,000 retailers and business partners attend and the EXPO features 300+ exhibitors.

New York International Motorcycle Show - Trade/Public The New York International Motorcycle Show exhibits the latest motorcycles models and accessories including apparel, ATV accessories, fairing and parts, goggles and eyewear, helmets, leather, novelties, off road products, parts and performance products.

New York International Gift Fair – Trade The New York International Gift Fair is the premier gift and decorative accessories market in the United States. This semi-annual event fills 638,000 net square feet, including the entire Javits Center and the Passenger Ship Terminal. The 45,000 national and international attendees are drawn from major retail outlets, specialty retailers, distributors, catalog companies and others.

FEBRUARY New York Times Travel Show - Trade/Public Choose from among the world’s premier travel destinations, products, services and vacation packages. 400+ top exhibitors located in two halls devoted to active travel and destination travel. Exclusive travel deals you won’t find anywhere else for everything from around the world cruises to spas, resorts and adventure vacations.

New York Comic Con Show - Trade/Public New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting comics event. New York Comic Con gives you access to the top industry talent, panels, and autograph sessions as well as sneak peaks at upcoming movies and television. Fans create the buzz with eye-catching costumes all weekend long whether it is for fun, or to participate in Cosplay contests and Anime sessions.

American International Toy Fair With over 20,000 attendees, 350,000 square feet of exhibit space, 100,000 products with over 7,000 never before seen in the world, 1200+ exhibitors, 1000 global media representatives, the latest updates on Safety legislation and what they mean for your business and four days under one roof to do an entire year’s worth of business, Toy Fair is where the toy industry comes together.

New York Int'l Art Expo International Artexpo is the premier trade show of the fine-art industry. As the only show providing dealers with access to thousands of wholesale works from artists and publishers in a single venue, International Art Expo offers unmatched opportunities to network, discover new talent and close deals. International Art Expo promises to deliver numerous opportunities to buy and sell art during two exclusive trade-only days and three final trade and consumer days of the show.

New York Wine Expo The New York Wine Expo is a three-day exposition catering to both the general public and the trade in the nation's hub. Don't miss this opportunity to sample over 600 wines from over 170 winemakers from around the globe at the Grand Tasting.

MARCH New York International Restaurant & Food Service The Show is an annual gathering of international foodservice industry professionals, and will feature 105,000 square feet of exhibits and special events. 15,000+ industry professionals attended the event, and attendees will be able to visit over 1,000 exhibits.

Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America More than 5,000 domestic and international buyers view the best component parts, machinery, tools, finished jewelry, packaging, and service providers that the jewelry industry has to offer. MJSA's Expo New York is the largest trade show in the United States.

Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI) ASI New York is the industry's first and only major trade show in New York. With more distributors within the New York City metro area than any other region in the country, ASI New York provides a dynamic environment for suppliers and distributors to conduct business.

Engage! Expo (formerly the Virtual Worlds) Engage! Expo (formerly the Virtual Worlds Conference) is the event for business, media, entertainment, youth brands and agencies to meet and learn how to combine their existing online efforts with the unparalleled engagement opportunities, new revenue streams and cost savings of the 3D Web and Virtual Worlds. This expo is where leading media, consumer entertainment, youth brands and agencies come to understand how to monetize their intellectual property using virtual worlds.

The GLBT Expo This is a huge event for the GLBT Community; the EXPO has helped to present the finest products & services available to the GLBT consumer. Starting in 1993, the EXPO has generated over $80,000,000 spent within the Greater Tri-State area. This includes GLBT friendly companies from every industry, both large and small, Fortune 1000 and Gay-owned companies.

International Vision Expo The most comprehensive vision care show and conference for the worldwide optical community offers new insights into the world of eyewear, showcasing the products and services of over 600 suppliers of optical products and services, including manufacturers of eyeglass frames, lenses, contact lenses, pharmaceuticals, solutions, diagnostic equipment, instruments, lens processing equipment, accessories, sunglasses, etc.

APRIL New York International Auto Show - Trade/Public Showcasing some of the hottest concept and production cars ever seen, many of the vehicles will be cutting-edge innovative design studies, others just a few steps away from production, but all provide a window on the future of automobile design and technology. In addition, more than a substantial number of vehicle manufacturers feature over 1000 new cars, trucks, minivans and SUVs.

International Beauty Show IBS New York is the largest and longest-running professional beauty event in the world. If you are a salon or spa owner, stylist, colorist, nail technician, skincare professional, or involved in the beauty business in any way, you need to be at IBS New York. Nowhere else but at IBS New York do you see the most outrageous hair, the latest fashions and pick up the most successful techniques and tools in achieving these looks.

International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference This is the premier East Coast event for the spa and skincare industry. Learn about the top skin, cosmetic and wellness companies by visiting the dynamic trade show floor and learn from the prominent educators from around the world at the industry leading education conference program. Co-located with the International Beauty Show in New York City, visitors to IBS gain access not only to the spa world, but to the entire world of beauty.

MAY Lightfair New York LIGHTFAIR NewYork attracts over 19,000 design, lighting, architectural, engineering and end-user professionals from around the world as well as contractors (electrical and other), facility managers, and utility companies.

NYC Tattoo Convention The New York City Tattoo Convention takes place in the world famous Roseland Ballroom. NYCTC features over a hundred tattoo artists and vendor from the U.S. and around the world and also presents tattoo-related events, merchandise, and live contests. Attendees wishing to get tattooed or pierced at the show must be 18+ years of age and with legal photo identification.

International Contemporary Furniture Fair – Trade During four days the Fair teems with more than 23,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, facility managers, wholesalers, store design professionals, hotel and restaurant designers, manufacturers, students, and members of the general public. More than 500 exhibitors display contemporary furniture, seating, lighting, carpet and flooring, wall coverings, textiles, accessories, kitchen and bath, outdoor furniture, and materials for residential and commercial interiors.

National Stationery Show This is the premiere market for stationery resources in the United States. The National Stationery Show presents more than 1,400 exhibitors and product in five distinctive sections: Presents, Celebrate, Take Note, HomeWork, and Indulgences. The Show draws 14,000 domestic and international retailers.

Book Expo America With more than 2,000 exhibits, 500 authors, over 100 conference sessions as well as a special area for publishing rights business, you'll see all the latest titles across genres, uncover hidden gems, network, and meet the industry contacts to put you instantly on top of what you need to know for your business and job.

JUNE The Bar Show The most extensive trade event and convention for the restaurant, bar, nightclub and food & beverage industry on the east coast. New York City is the nightlife capital of the world and is home to the finest bars, clubs, restaurants and entertainment. Attendees can visit over 300 interactive exhibits with both new & classic products and services and attend seminars that include the most influential speakers in the industries.

Medical Design & Manufacturing—Trade No other event the world over can match the breadth and depth of MD&M in delivering the most complete and comprehensive resource for medical manufacturers. More than 10,000 medical product development professionals from the Eastern United States and key international centers of medical manufacturing activity participate at the industry’s largest event.

Licensing International Expo - Trade The premier annual trade event for the licensing industry where owners and agents of intellectual properties have the invaluable opportunity to showcase their brands to 23,000+ high-profile retailers, licensees, and promotional partners.

Buildings NY The Buildings NY Show is the largest regional buildings show dedicated to professionals in the commercial and residential buildings market. Co-located with BuildingsNY is Green BuildingsNY, the only Northeast area event offering the latest in green and sustainable products for the commercial and residential building design community.

China Textile & Apparel - Trade The only US trade show exclusively featuring Chinese made men's, women's, children's clothing, fabrics, and home textiles. At CTA attendees can deal directly with the manufacturers, including numerous Chinese brands, many exhibiting in the US for the first time. Thousands of quality items in over 130 classifications are presented here in every price point, size and fabric.

International Fancy Food & Confection Show - Trade The NY Fancy Food Shows attracts from 19,000 to 32,000 attendees from specialty food, wine, gift and department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, mail order and other related businesses. Attendees come to see more than 2,000 exhibitors from around the world, presenting more than 50,000 specialty foods to discover and sample.

JULY Faster Freight Cleaner Air East Coast Showcasing solutions and resources to improve operations and reduce air emissions from the goods movement industry. This summit also highlights the innovative programs, policies and technologies now being implemented in the Northeast region.

Texworld USA The largest textile industry event in the United States, Texworld USA brings together fabric manufacturers and buyers and providing an international business platform that offers a wide array of high creativity fabrics with an excellent price/quality relationship.

AUGUST Fashion 2 Go/FAME FAME presents over 350 booths of fresh, innovative and established fashion lines with a significant focus on the ever evolving and exciting world of the Junior, Young, and Contemporary markets, as well as a strong selection of immediate resources in our growing Fashion2Go section of the show.

SEPTEMBER HBA Global Expo & Educational Conference The Annual HBA Global Expo is the most important product development event and educational conference for the cosmetics, fragrance, personal care and well-being industries in the world. Showcasing everything from formula to finish, HBA attracts beauty and personal care brand managers, marketers and R&D professionals from all over the world and features the latest innovations and services from top suppliers of ingredients, packaging, materials and private label offerings.

Cityscape USA This two day networking exhibition and conference attracts the world's top regional and international institutional investors, real estate developers, governmental and development authorities, leading architects, designers, consultants and other senior professionals involved in the real estate industry.

NY Construction Expo Construction Expo is the nation's largest and most respected commercial trade show catering to the construction and building industry. Distinguishing itself from others, NYCE is a "private buyers' event" where decision makers are the targeted audience. For two days under one roof Construction Expo also brings together hundreds of the latest products and services.

OCTOBER SATCON: The Satellite and Content Delivery Conference & Expo SATCON is on the leading edge of video, voice, data and IP communications solutions for Media & Entertainment, Military & Government, Telcos, and Enterprise firms. SATCON is the only event of its kind, featuring a conference program with primarily end-user speakers. Note: HD World is co-located with SATCON and the IP Media Conference & Expo.

PhotoPlus Expo - Trade Designed for professionals in the photographic and imaging industries, PhotoPlus Expo showcases the latest advances in photography, both traditional and digital. Attendees have the opportunity to explore an inspiring array of photography, design and imaging products and services—everything from image capture and color management to retouching and storage—all from the industry's leading manufacturers.

Spa & Resort Expo & Conference – Trade From the most sumptuous of spa services to cutting edge medical techniques, as a day, hotel, casino spa, wellness center, hotel, beauty salon, consultant or medical facility you are able to experience the industry's most diverse array of products, services, and ideas at this annual event. Note: Co-located with the Medical Aesthetics Conference & Expo.

International Security Conference Join with more than 8,500 security industry professionals as they demo, compare and source security technology, products and services from more than 450 exhibiting companies. Top names are here, as well as hundreds of products in every security category including access control, alarms & monitoring, biometrics, CCTV, wireless applications and more.

NOVEMBER Web 2.0 Expo New York This global annual gathering of technical, design, marketing, and business professionals who are building the next generation web features the most innovative and successful Internet industry figures and companies, providing attendees with examples of business models, development paradigms, and design strategies to enable mainstream businesses and new arrivals to the Web 2.0 world to take advantage of this new generation of services and opportunities.

The ING New York City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo The Expo provides convenient shopping, information, product samples, and activities over a three-day period. More than 100 vendors and exhibitors offer athletic footwear, apparel, beverages, nutritional products, running accessories, running and fitness information, health and wellness products, and more.

International Hotel/Motel/Restaurant Show The IHMRS is the premier trade event for the hospitality industry. Exhibitors, cleanly organized into vertical market categories, showcase the newest products and services available to the industry, including food & beverage, furnishings, technology, equipment, linens, amenities, tableware, cleaning and more.

Gay Life Expo The largest event of its kind in the world, GLE brings together gay and gay-friendly businesses with family, friends and members of the gay and lesbian community. Participants can discover new products, sample gourmet foods, find thrilling travel destinations, and enjoy fabulous entertainment during this unique and exciting weekend.

World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems This is the largest event in the world for ITS leaders, policy makers, and business and technology professionals. Delegates have access to more than 200 extraordinary policy and technology sessions, exciting tours, and virtually limitless opportunities to connect with an international audience.

NY Xpo For Business This is the largest B2B event in the Northeast and free of charge to all attendees, including admission to the 36+ educational seminars and the networking show floor. It features 400 booths of business products & services, free education, and all day special events.

Greater New York Dental Meeting This is the largest Dental Convention/Exhibition in the USA. All products and technology involved with dentistry are available for examination and purchase. In addition, there are over 300 seminars and hands-on workshops taught by the world's leading clinicians.

DECEMBER SC World Congress Conference & Expo Safeguarding of organizations' customer data and intellectual property, regulatory demands compliance, and IT security threats, the SC World Congress features the inside information that IT security and corporate management needs to safeguard their company's critical assets from threats, such as malware, targeted attacks, and careless or malicious employees.

New York National Boat Show This show is the premier place to see the latest and greatest in boating—from yachts and cruisers to bass and pontoon boats, from canoes and kayaks to fishing boats and personal watercraft, from electronics and engines to fishing gear, from financing and insurance to travel destinations.

Great NYC Hotels For Convention, Trade Show, and Fair Visitors to NYC

NYC.com suggests the below hotels that are great for attendees of fairs, trade shows, and conventions based on traveler reviews, location, as well as our overall ratings for these properties. Most of the hotels listed below are in relative close proximity to the Jacob Javits Center and near to most of the main venues and attractions in midtown Manhattan:

• Best Western Convention Center Hotel • Bryant Park Hotel • <a href="/hotels/candlewood_suites_new_york_citytimes_square.1009625/Candlewood Suites New York City • Comfort Inn Convention Center • Gem Hotel Midtown West • Hampton Inn • Hilton New York • Holiday Inn Express Times Square • Hotel Pennsylvania • Hotel Stanford • Milford Plaza Hotel • New Yorker Hotel • Portland Square Hotel • Radisson Martinique • Washington Jefferson Hotel • Wyndham Garden Hotel

NYC Restaurants For Business Entertaining

Given the pace and volume of turnover in restaurants in the vicinity of your hotel, it is always advisable to make reservations in advance in New York City in order to ensure you get a table at the time of your choosing, thus saving the additional time you would spend hanging out at the restaurant's bar waiting for your party's name to be called. This rule also applies for the in-house restaurant of the hotel where you're staying. Consult with the hotel concierge in advance and things will flow much more smoothly for you and the party you will be dining with.

New York City is home to some of the finest restaurants in the world, so it is also important to decide in advance whether the purpose of your meal is to impress, to entertain, or to just plain eat. Business travelers often need to remind themselves about how their dining considerations fit into the overall scheme of the company's travel budget, and to choose less costly dining options that do not pull too heavily on the company's purse strings.

The quickest route to a meal for business travelers in New York City is of course the elevator downstairs through the hotel lobby and into the in-house restaurant. For a complete list of hotel restaurants NYC.com features a comprehensive Guide to New York Restaurants where you can find information about hundreds of them as well as dozens of editor picks, including five-star celebrity chef restaurants, and every type of cuisine imaginable. What's more, you can reserve a table at hundreds of them online directly through NYC.com. Just click on the big green RESERVE button on a restaurant page to get going. Below are just a few of NYC.com's recommended restaurants for the business traveler, but they are all top notch establishments and guaranteed to please:

Restaurants In the Vicinity of The Jacob Javits Center

• Gallagher's Steakhouse • Frankie & Johnny's Steakhouse • Hard Rock Café • The Red Cat • Trattoria Dopo Tropo • Zanzibar • Carmine's Restaurant • Sardi's • ESPN Zone New York City • Yum Yum Bangkok • B Smith's

Recommended Trendy Restaurants in Lower Manhattan

• Felix • Odeon • Pastis • Balthazar • Tribeca Grill • Schiller's Liquor Bar • Barolo • Boqueria SoHo • Blue Ribbon Sushi

Services For the Business Traveler

We're sure you know that top-notch business services have become pretty much a standard feature of today's luxury hotel; that obviously holds true in New York City. Let us mention a few additional items conventioneers in New York City might want to know more about:

1. Staples Copy and Print Shop format extends Staples' ability to provide high-quality copy and print services to New York City. In addition to this service, they also provide office products businesses tend to run out of most, as well free WiFi access, desktop computer rentals, and desktop publishing suites, for a mobile office for urban professionals on the go. Store hours are generally Monday–Friday 7am to 9pm, Saturday 11am to 6pm, and Sunday 11am to 6pm. Manhattan store locations: 116 West 14th Street, 212-255-4687 261 Madison Avenue, 212-697-2615 330 7th Avenue, 646-473-0336 1280 Lexington Avenue, 212-426-6190 200 Water Street, 212-785-9521 217 Broadway, 212-346-9624 57 West 57th Street, 212-308-0335 16 East 34th Street, 212-683-8009

2. For the avid swimmer who likes to get in a few laps before the first meeting, do check out our Guide to New York Hotels with Pools

3. Although many New York hotels maintain their own fitness centers (some of them charge additional fees for usage), business travelers should know that if they do want to frequent a fitness club during their stay, inquiries regarding day rates can be made at Chelsea Piers, Equinox, and Health & Racquet Club fitness centers.

4. Other tips for keeping the pounds off while doing business in New York City can be found by consulting our Hiker/Walker Guide, Sports Enthusiast pages, or for those looking for the nearest places to tee off, there's also NYC.com's Golfer pages, all of which can be found in our Visitor Guide "What's Your Style?" menu.