
Trade show models in New York
Fashion-forward models for ICFF, the Auto Show and launches, styled to your brand and comfortable on camera.

New Yorkers who work NRF, NY NOW, Toy Fair and the Auto Show every year, and who know the union line, the dress code and the fastest way to 11th Avenue. Models, brand ambassadors and booth reps at $85 an hour, with no hotel or airfare on top.
Javits Center, Level 3Purple brand ambassador at a client exhibit
Brands that have booked Purple
From NRF suits to Toy Fair energy, New York shows each have their own look. These are the five roles we send.

Fashion-forward models for ICFF, the Auto Show and launches, styled to your brand and comfortable on camera.

Ambassadors with New York pace: they open conversations fast, qualify faster and keep the aisle moving.

Polished hosts for NY NOW and Chelsea showrooms who greet buyers by name and keep the order writer free.

Business-attire reps for NRF and the Javits B2B floor, briefed on your pitch and your qualifying questions.

Hosts for Hudson Yards dinners, Midtown suites and rooftop launches, where New York deals get confirmed.
Tell us the show and levelLevel 1 or Level 3, NRF or NY NOW.
We match a five-borough crewNew Yorkers who ride the 7 to Hudson Yards.
They arrive dressed for the showBusiness, showroom or costume, approved by you.
The Javits Center hosts NRF, NY NOW, Toy Fair and the New York Auto Show, and Purple Exhibits staffs it from a New York roster backed by our Fishkill office: trade show models, brand ambassadors, sales reps and demonstrators at a flat $85 per hour, per person. No flights, no Midtown hotel bills. Javits is a union building, so we brief every team on exactly what booth staff can do. Book 4–6 weeks ahead for NRF and NY NOW; rush requests in 72 hours.
New York at a glance
| Rate | $85 per hour, per person, every role |
|---|---|
| Travel fees | None in the five boroughs; none in Westchester or the Hudson Valley |
| Main venues | Javits Center, Pier 36, Metropolitan Pavilion, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Manhattan hotel ballrooms |
| Peak weeks | NRF (Jan), NY NOW (Feb/Aug), Toy Fair (Mar), Auto Show (Apr), NYCC (Oct) |
| Book ahead | 4–6 wks for NRF/NY NOW/NYCC · 3 wks otherwise · rush 72 hrs |
| Languages | Spanish, Mandarin, Russian and French available |
| Nearest subway | 7 train to 34 St–Hudson Yards, one avenue from Javits |
| Dress code | Business for NRF, showroom polish for NY NOW, fashion-forward for ICFF and Toy Fair |
Since the line reached Hudson Yards, the Javits Center has had a subway stop one avenue from its doors. Half our New York crew lives along the 7 in Queens, which is why they’re on the floor before the out-of-towners clear hotel lobbies.
One avenue from the Javits doors. Our Queens and Midtown staff ride it straight in.
About a 12-minute walk west along 34th. The default for Brooklyn and Upper Manhattan crews.
Same walk, from the West Side line. LIRR and NJ Transit riders join here too.
Ferry from Hoboken and Weehawken drops a few blocks from the North entrance.

Where your booth sits decides who you need. We station teams by level and never split one crew between floors.
Receptions, awards dinners and launch parties above the Hudson. Hostesses and greeters in evening attire.
The big show floor under the glass. NRF, the Auto Show and NYCC fill it. Most booth teams work here.
Registration, the main concourse and meeting rooms between the two exhibit floors. Where your greeters catch traffic heading to sessions.
Second exhibit floor reached by escalator. Dental, gift and specialty shows; a 10-minute trip from Level 3, so we never split one team across both.
Hall names vary by show. We confirm your hall from the exhibitor manual before briefing.
The Javits Center is only one part of New York’s event calendar. Our New York crew covers the hotels, piers, showrooms and streets too.
Conferences, award dinners and investor events with tabletop exhibits.
We send: Registration hosts, presenters, suite hostessesTech launches, fashion events and large brand experiences.
We send: Models, brand ambassadors, crowd staffDesign, beauty and gift shows, plus market-week showrooms.
We send: Showroom hosts, modelsPop-up shops, sampling and street teams in the busiest blocks in the country.
We send: Brand ambassadors, sampling teamsProduct launches, client dinners and holiday parties.
We send: Event hostesses, greeters, emceesJavits floors are union-run for anything structural. We brief every person on the line so your booth never gets a labor call.
Every major show in the city, with the month you should lock your team. Dates come from organisers; confirm before you book.
| When | Show | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov ’26 | Greater New York Dental Meeting | Javits | BOOKING NOW |
| Jan ’27 | NRF Big Show | Javits | BOOK BY NOV |
| Feb ’27 | NY NOW (winter) | Javits | BOOK BY DEC |
| Mar ’27 | Toy Fair | Javits | BOOK BY JAN |
| Mar ’27 | Architectural Digest Design Show | Pier 94 / Javits | BOOK BY JAN |
| Apr ’27 | New York International Auto Show | Javits | STAFFED |
| May ’27 | ICFF | Javits | BOOK BY MAR |
| Jun ’27 | Summer Fancy Food Show | Javits | BOOK BY APR |
| Aug ’27 | NY NOW (summer) | Javits | BOOK BY JUN |
| Sep ’27 | Coverings (select years) | Javits | BOOK BY JUL |
| Oct ’27 | New York Comic Con | Javits | BOOK BY AUG |
| Nov ’27 | Greater New York Dental Meeting | Javits | BOOK BY SEP |
NRF runs three show days in January. A 20×20 needs four people on the floor: a greeter, two demo leads and a meeting host. Here is that team from Purple, next to the same team flown in and put up in Midtown.
| NRF Big Show, 20×20 on Level 3 | Cost |
|---|---|
| Purple local staff | |
| Travel, hotel, per-diem | $0 |
| Your New York total |
| Typical fly-in agency, same team | Cost |
|---|---|
| Staff hours at $85 | |
| Round-trip flights ~$420 each | |
| Hotel Midtown, NRF week · ~$480/night | |
| Per-diem ~$92/day | |
| Fly-in total |
How the choices stack up for New York exhibitors, row by row.
| Purple local crew | Fly-in staffing agency | General temp agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $85 per person, every role | Agency rate plus travel markup | Low hourly, untrained for booths |
| Getting staff here | They commute in | Flights (~$420) and hotel nights (~$480) | Local, but unscreened |
| New York venue know-how | Works these halls all year | Learns the venue on show day | Hit or miss |
| The New York edge | New Yorkers who ride the 7 to Hudson Yards. | Not local | Not specialised |
| Product briefing | Included before day one | Varies by agency | Rarely |
| Scanner and follow-up | Notes in the scanner for sales | Depends on the team | Untrained |
| No-show plan | Briefed local within two hours | Usually none mid-show | Next available temp |
| Exhibit and staff together | Design, build and staff | People only | People only |
Fly-in costs use the same typical New York rates as the budget above. Other agencies’ pricing varies.
Each New York show has its own uniform. We brief it and send you a photo of the look before day one.
| NRF Big Show | Business: dark suits, low heels, tablets ready |
|---|---|
| NY NOW | Showroom polish: neutral palette, product knowledge first |
| Toy Fair & NYCC | Branded or costume, high energy, cleared for photos |
| ICFF | Design-world polish: neutral, architectural, well-cut |
| Fancy Food Show | Aprons over black, food-handler trained |
Hell’s Kitchen, Harlem, Upper West Side
10–25 min to JavitsAstoria, Long Island City, Flushing on the 7
20–40 min to JavitsWilliamsburg, Park Slope, Bed-Stuy
30–45 min to JavitsPATH or the ferry
25–35 min to JavitsMetro-North from our Fishkill office region
80–90 min to JavitsBooth staff can greet, scan, demo and hand out product. They cannot set up the booth, move crates or plug anything in. We brief every team so nobody triggers a labor call or a fine.
Midtown hotels during NRF week run $500 a night. Out-of-town agencies pass that on. Our talent live in the five boroughs and the Hudson Valley.
NRF Big Show is the second week of January and New York talent is booked by early December. Reserve 6 weeks ahead.
Javits is on 11th Avenue, a 12-minute walk from Penn Station. We book staff who know the 7 train and give call times that account for it.
New York buyers expect polish. We brief business attire for NRF and NY NOW, fashion-forward for ICFF and Toy Fair, and branded uniforms only when you supply them.
NY NOW and NRF orders get confirmed over dinner in Hell’s Kitchen or at Hudson Yards. Brief hostesses for the evening, not just the hall.





About three minutes. No deposit.
We’ll email your quote within 24 hours, usually much sooner. Need it now? Call (800) 994-8030.
Or call (800) 994-8030 and ask for New York.
Purple Exhibits New York team
Reviewed by our Javits coordinators · Updated
$85 an hour for each person, four-hour minimum, for any role from booth model to product demonstrator. The team commutes from the five boroughs and the Hudson Valley, so there is no Midtown hotel, airfare or per-diem on the bill.
Yes. NRF is held at Javits in mid-January and New York talent is committed by early December, so we lock teams six weeks ahead. Staff arrive briefed on your retail-tech story and the qualifying questions your sales team wants asked.
They greet visitors, scan badges, demo hand-held product and software, hand out samples and literature, and host meetings. Building the booth, moving crates, hanging signs and connecting power are union work, and our exhibit team books those crews for you.
NRF Big Show, NY NOW in winter and summer, Toy Fair, the New York International Auto Show, ICFF, the Summer Fancy Food Show, the Architectural Digest Design Show, Coverings, New York Comic Con and the Greater New York Dental Meeting, plus activations at Pier 36, Metropolitan Pavilion and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Most ride the 7 train to 34 St–Hudson Yards, one avenue from the building. Others walk 12 minutes from Penn Station off the A, C, E, 1, 2, 3, LIRR or NJ Transit, or take the ferry to West 39th Street.
Three on the floor at once covers it: one greeter facing the aisle and two people inside for demos and conversations. On Level 3 at NRF, the aisles are busy all day, so plan two 4-hour shifts per position.
It depends on the show. Business attire for NRF, showroom polish for NY NOW and ICFF, branded or costume for Toy Fair and Comic Con. We brief every person before day one and send photos of the look for your approval.
Yes. Our hostesses work client dinners in Hell’s Kitchen and Hudson Yards, hotel suites at the Marriott Marquis and Hilton Midtown, and receptions on the Javits rooftop pavilion.
Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, French and Portuguese speakers are on the New York roster, and we can usually source Korean, Japanese or Italian for international buyers with two to three weeks’ notice.
Our New York coordinator puts a briefed replacement on the floor within two hours. If we can’t, you don’t pay for that shift. Teams of four or more get a working lead.
Yes. We design and build exhibits from our Hudson Valley shop, coordinate union install at Javits, and staff the booth, so one company owns the whole show.
Send the show, the level and your dates. You’ll have a New York price within 24 hours.