Reed Exhibitions Expands 2007 New York Comics Show

Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 6/26/2006

Following on the heels of what Reed Exhibitions officials said was a sold-out launch, the 2007 New York Comic-Con will nearly double the size of its showfloor.

The comics-related combination trade-consumer show, to be held Feb. 23–25, will take place on two floors of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, offering 60,000 net square feet of exhibit space, 25,000 sq. ft. more than this year. In addition to the exhibit floor, the show will use more space for meetings and presentations.

According to Reed, the 2006 show attracted more than 33,000 attendees during the one trade-only day and the two days that were open to the public.

"And that was about all we could have handled," said Reed Exhibitions Group Vice President Greg Topalian.

Topalian said what appeared to be the overnight success of New York Comic-Con represented the need for a major comics-related show in the Northeastern United States and, more specifically, New York.

"The industry and the media that covers it are all based in New York," he said. "We had 800 members of the press alone this year."

Topalian noted that, while there are a number of smaller comics shows, typically held in hotel ballrooms, "New York hasn't had a large-scale event for decades."

Most comics shows, he said, are organized by fans who typically don't have the expertise or the resources of a major event organizer.

"And, of course, New York is a challenging city because of the venue," Topalian said. "Javits is always sold out."