Venue Guide — New York, NY
Exhibiting at the Javits Center
A vertical building on the far west side of Manhattan, with a busy loading operation and floors full of small, well-branded footprints. Clarity beats size here.
Expo-At handles exhibit strategy, 3D design, production, shipping, installation, on-site service and dismantle for exhibitors at the Javits Center.
Official venue site
- Location
- 11th Avenue at 34th Street, Manhattan
- Layout
- Multi-level exhibit halls plus a rooftop pavilion
- Expansion
- North building added exhibit and meeting space in 2021
- Access
- 7 train to Hudson Yards; heavy street traffic around the docks
- Shows we build for here
- NRF: Retail's Big Show
Full Service at the Javits Center
One team from first sketch through show-floor handoff
Strategy & 3D design
A layout drawn for your footprint, product and sales process inside the Javits Center.
Production & graphics
Custom structures, rental systems, finishes, lighting and graphics managed as one build.
Freight & on-site execution
Shipping, labour coordination, installation, show support and dismantle in New York, NY.
What Exhibitors Should Know
Small footprints, dense floor
Javits floors — NRF especially — run long aisles of 10x10 and 10x20 spaces with strong brands in every one of them. Attendees walk fast and read booths in a glance, so the single most valuable design decision is what one line of copy sits at eye level.
We design compact Javits exhibits around one clear claim, one reason to stop, and enough open floor to hold a real conversation without blocking the aisle.
Loading into Manhattan is its own project
Docks are shared, street access is congested, and move-in and move-out windows are enforced. Materials that are easy to hand-carry, crate efficiently and reassemble quickly are worth more here than they are in a suburban convention centre.
For smaller footprints we favour lightweight framed systems and printed fabric so the shipment is compact and the install is fast; for larger builds we schedule freight against the assigned dock window and plan labour accordingly.
Union labour and what you can do yourself
Like most major union venues, Javits has rules about which work exhibitors may perform themselves and which requires venue or contractor labour. Rules vary by show and by task, and they change between editions.
We read the current exhibitor kit for your specific show, tell you plainly what your staff may touch, and order labour where it is required so nothing stalls at the aisle.
Planning checklist for this building
- —Design for a three-second read — one claim, one visual, one action
- —Confirm this year's exhibitor-appointed contractor and labour rules in the show kit
- —Book dock and labour windows early; Manhattan move-in has no slack
- —Ship compact: framed systems and fabric graphics beat heavy crates
- —Plan staff rotation — narrow aisles reward one confident person over a crowd
