Convention center guide

Exhibiting at the Javits Center in New York City

The Javits Center on Manhattan's West Side: what to know about exhibiting in New York City.

By Michael Flavin Last updated October 17, 2026

Please note: Venue rules, rates, labor requirements, and deadlines change often and vary by show. Always confirm details in your show's exhibitor manual and with the show's general contractor before you plan or budget.

If your show is in New York City, it's almost certainly at the Javits Center. It's the city's big convention center, and it sits on Manhattan's far West Side, right by Hudson Yards. A little planning goes a long way here. Here's what I'd want to know before I booked travel or shipped a booth to the Javits.

Javits Center

The Javits Center (officially the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center) runs five city blocks, from West 34th Street up to 39th Street. The south end, at 34th, is the glass Crystal Palace, and the newer North Javits expansion is up at 39th (NYC Tourism + Conventions).

That expansion finished in 2021. According to New York State, it added 1.2 million square feet of event space, created 500,000 contiguous square feet of exhibit space and added a 54,000 sq ft special events space, plus a rooftop pavilion, terrace and one-acre farm.

Because the building is so long, the best entrance depends on where your show is. Check your badge pickup location before you head over, so you don't walk five blocks inside the building.

Shows at this venue

NRF Retail's Big Show: Jan 10-12, 2027, Javits Center

Local labor rules and EACs

Who does what. New York is not a right-to-work state. The Javits publishes its own rules on what exhibitors can do themselves, hand-carrying and using EACs.

What you can do yourself. The Javits keeps those rules on its policies page. I couldn't pull up the current version to verify the details for this guide, so I'm not going to quote limits that might be out of date. Read the venue's policies and your show's exhibitor manual, and plan on the general contractor or an EAC handling anything beyond the basics.

Using your own exhibit house (EAC). If you want your own exhibit house or installer to set up your booth instead of the show's general contractor, that's an Exhibitor Appointed Contractor, or EAC. Whether it's allowed, and how, is set by your show. Normally you file the show's EAC form with the general contractor or show management, and the EAC sends a certificate of insurance. Deadlines are often around 30 days before move-in, but go by the date in your exhibitor manual. If you hire one, ask whether they've worked the Javits before.

Exhibitor need-to-knows

My exhibitor logistics 101 guide covers the basics that work the same in most buildings, like the advance warehouse, material handling, targeted move-in, hotel blocks and hiring local staff. Here's what's specific to New York City.

These are the practical things I'd want to know before exhibiting in New York. Where I could check a venue- or city-specific detail against an official source, I've linked it. The rest is general advice that works in any convention city.

Advance warehouse or direct to show?

In New York I lean toward the advance warehouse, because getting a truck into Manhattan on a tight window is its own adventure. If you do ship direct, the Javits truck address is 369 12th Ave, with the entrance on 12th Avenue between 39th and 40th Streets. Trucks taller than 12 ft. 6 in. won't clear the tunnels and have to use a bridge, and no trucks are allowed on the parkways (Javits Center).

Move-in and move-out

The Javits has its own four-level truck marshaling building with room for more than 200 trucks. Every contractor and exhibitor freight delivery or pickup has to be booked in advance through the Javits Center Logistics platform, and the general contractor assigns staging, marshaling or dock space by text or app. If you skip the booking, expect delays at check-in (Javits Center).

Peak seasons and big annual shows

The Javits hosts some of the biggest shows in the city, including NRF's Big Show in January and the New York International Auto Show in the spring. Manhattan hotels are expensive and tight for much of the year, and especially around the holidays, so book as early as you can.

Hotel strategy

Hotels in Hudson Yards and Midtown West are the easiest walk to the Javits. Anywhere else, the 7 train to 34th St-Hudson Yards is the reliable way in (see Getting there below). Midtown traffic can make a short cab ride very slow at rush hour.

Neighborhoods for client dinners

Near the Javits, I'd look at Hudson Yards, Hell's Kitchen and Chelsea, plus the Meatpacking District a little farther south. NYC Tourism + Conventions has neighborhood guides.

Last-minute printing and supplies

There's a FedEx Office inside the Javits at 429 11th Avenue (between 35th and 36th Streets) that prints presentation materials, signs, banners and posters and packs and ships packages (Javits Guide). Call ahead for pre-show printing.

Wi-Fi and internet

Per the Javits' 2026 Service Ordering Tool Kit, Wi-Fi is ordered per device, and wired internet comes with dedicated bandwidth options up to 1 Gbps. For business-critical work like product demos, the Javits highly recommends wired. You can't connect outside wireless routers to its business-grade packages, and there's an in-building cellular system for all major networks. Check the order forms for current prices.

Food sampling and outside food

Cultivated is the Javits' exclusive caterer. You can sample only products your company makes, processes or distributes, and only with Cultivated's written approval. Food samples are limited to 2 oz., and non-alcoholic drinks to 4 oz. in a cup, with no cans or bottles (Cultivated sampling form).

Weather and time of year

New York winters can bring snowstorms that cancel flights at all three airports. Summers are hot and humid, and the walk along the West Side is longer than it looks. Wear comfortable shoes, because you'll walk more in New York than anywhere else on this list.

Sales tax on show services

New York City's combined sales tax rate is 8.875% (NYS Department of Taxation and Finance).

Getting there

Take the 7 train to 34th St-Hudson Yards. The Javits is about a block away. The M34-SBS bus runs crosstown on 34th Street and stops near the building (just don't take the M34A, which turns at Eighth Avenue). For a taxi, tell the driver West 35th Street and Eleventh Avenue, and use "Javits North" in your rideshare app if your show is in the north building (NYC Tourism + Conventions).

New York is worth the effort for the right show. Book hotels early and figure out which end of the building you need. For the rest of the city, NYC Tourism + Conventions is the place to start.

Sources

All convention center guides

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