New York Exhibition Landscape Is Expanding
This time, the city eyes two of its West Side piers for more shows
By Rachelle Crum -- Tradeshow Week, 8/28/2006
These days it seems New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg just can't get enough exhibit space.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg and a coalition named Javits Now called for a near doubling of the expansion already planned for the state-owned Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, expected to begin this fall.
Meanwhile, quickly approaching is the Sept. 13 deadline for groups interested in redeveloping the city-owned Piers 92 and 94 in the West 50s into a mid-sized tradeshow facility.
The redevelopment initiative is an attempt by the New York City Economic Development Corp. to support the growth of both the tradeshow and cruise industries. New York is a notoriously underserved market for shows, in terms of the number of venues and square footage of available exhibit space.
Pier 92 is part of the New York City Passenger Ship Terminal, along with Piers 88 and 90. While also used for cruise ships, the three venues host exhibitions and events.
In 2000, the city allowed fashion event producer ENK Intl. to permanently develop Pier 94 into a midsized tradeshow venue called the UnConvention Center.
The NYCEDC wants Piers 92 and 94 turned into approximately 400,000 square feet of exhibit space and up to 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
At present, the UnConvention Center and Show Piers (which operates at Pier 92) offer 140,000 sq. ft. and 210,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, respectively.
UnConvention Center Inc. has operated Pier 94 as a convention center since 1997.
Mike Fiorentino, the group's sales director, runs the venue on behalf of ENK Intl.'s Elyse Kroll, who founded it in 1994. He said his group is working to submit an expansion proposal to the city in the coming weeks.
"We're trying to put the best bid that we can together, so that we can continue what we started," Fiorentino said.
The venue is currently home to 20 tradeshows and 10 special events each year.
ENK has also leased Pier 94 to groups like George Little Management.
GLM President Jeff Little said the New York tradeshow industry has anticipated the redevelopment of the piers for a long time.
However, familiar with the political difficulties involved in developing public facilities in New York, Little joked, "I think I'd like to go to sleep for three years while this is happening and wake up when it's done."
GLM produces its New York Intl. Gift Fair at both Pier 94 and Javits and will continue to do so, Little said.
Tim McGuinness, vice president of sales and convention center expansion for NYC & Co., the city's convention and visitors bureau, said the "below-the-radar" redevelopment of Piers 92 and 94 "really broadens our mix of tradeshow and meeting facilities. This is a huge, huge shot in the arm" for the city's meetings and convention capacity, he noted.
He said the bureau is trying to make sure current shows at the piers are not interrupted. The group is also working on a business model that allows the Javits, located in the West 30s, and Piers 92 and 94 to cooperate with one another.
"That was a major concern, that we didn't want competing or parasitic events being held (at both facilities)," McGuinness said.
