Your full-time employees may install a tool-free, ladder-free pop-up and lay carpet in a booth of 250 sq ft or less. Anything bigger is carpenter work.
Exhibitor guide · New York, NY · Updated
Javits Center Exhibitor Guide
At the Javits, a booth over 250 sq ft, or one that needs a screwdriver or a ladder, is union work: Teamsters move it, carpenters build it, Javits electricians power and hang it. Check your booth in the jurisdiction checker below, then plan the four-level truck garage, drayage at the top of the national range and the 7 train to Hudson Yards.
- 3,000+ exhibitors served
- 10,000+ booths built
- 2 days to a design brief
Photo: “Javits Center” by ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0. Source
Quick answers
What exhibitors ask about the Javits Center
Teamsters handle freight, carpenters build and dismantle booths, and electricians handle power, lit signs, LED walls and rigging. Electrical, internet, plumbing and rigging are Javits exclusives.
Recent kits allow hand-carry from a personal car, SUV, minivan or pickup at the Inner Roadway, with a 45-minute limit. A personal luggage dolly is fine; hand carts are not.
Among the most expensive floors in the country, with a 200 lb minimum per shipment and surcharges for late, uncrated or off-target freight. Your show kit has the tariff.
Labor & union rules
Javits Center union rules: what your own staff can do
The rights below belong to full-time employees of the exhibiting company, who may be asked for a medical card or payroll stub. Helpers brought in only to unpack, style or pack may not do display set-up. From the Javits work rules in recent show manuals; your show kit is the final word.
✓Your full-time staff
- Install and dismantle a tool-free, ladder-free pop-up one person can carry, in a booth of 250 sq ft or less
- Lay your own carpet in a booth of 250 sq ft or less
- Unpack and repack cartons (not crates), and test and tune your own equipment, at any booth size
- Hand-carry small items, with a personal luggage dolly at most
- Plug in equipment on 500 W or less of ordered power and connect up to eight computers or devices
- Set a monitor on a table with no tools and plug it in
●Union trades and Javits exclusives
- Teamsters: all material handling and forklift work, through the official contractor
- Carpenters: booths over 250 sq ft, anything with tools, uncrating, drape and flooring
- Electricians: power, lit signs, monitors on walls or stands, LED tiles and rigging
- Javits Center exclusives: electrical, internet and telecom, plumbing and rigging
- The official contractor: material handling, cleaning and, at many shows, AV
!Never allowed
- Ladders for exhibitors, at any booth size
- Hand carts, four-wheel dollies and two-wheel hand trucks for hand-carry
- Forklifts, pallet jacks or motorized devices, for exhibitors and EACs
- Air compressors on the show floor
- Installing or assembling your own hanging sign or truss from the ceiling
- Tips for union workers
Background photo: "The entrance hall of the Javits Center. Not the best center, but a great design." by Matt Stabile, CC BY 2.0 Source
Halls, levels & docks
Javits Center floor plan: halls, levels and docks
The Javits is a stacked building on a narrow site between Eleventh Avenue and the Hudson River. Exhibit halls sit on two levels, the 2021 expansion added a block of halls and event space to the north, and docks serve both levels. Knowing which level your hall is on decides how your freight moves. Hall labels and exact clear heights are on the Javits floor plans for your show.
~500,000sq ft of contiguous exhibit space on Level 3 since the expansion, across the original upper halls and the new north hall · islands, double-decks and hanging signs are routine here
~250,000sq ft of lower halls on Level 1 · lower clear heights in places (one listing gives 18 ft for a Level 1 hall), so check the ceiling before designing tall
54,000sq ft special event space from the expansion, which New York's tourism office calls the largest in the Northeast · carpeted: lighter builds, floor protection
65,000sq ft Crystal Palace, the glass entrance hall on Eleventh Avenue, plus the 60,000 sq ft Galleria · registration and sponsorship activations
23,400sq ft River Pavilion on the Hudson side · daylight all day, so plan graphics for glare
1,500guests in the rooftop pavilion over the Hudson, beside a one-acre farm that grows up to 40,000 lbs of produce a year · weight limits and weather plans apply
106meeting rooms across the building, from boardrooms to large session rooms · pop-up and tabletop displays only
3,800seats in the Special Events Hall for keynotes and general sessions (listings vary from 3,200 to 3,800)
Only at the Javits Center
Who sets up my booth? The Javits Center union jurisdiction checker
The Javits lets exhibitors set up their own booth only inside strict limits: 250 sq ft or less, by full-time employees of the exhibiting company, with no tools and no ladders. Everything else belongs to a trade. Answer eight questions and the checker tells you who does what on your booth.
Based on the Javits Center union jurisdiction summaries in recent exhibitor manuals (NAB Show New York 2025, ICFF, NY NOW). Show management can set stricter limits; the show kit wins.
Loading dock & move-in
Javits Center loading dock, freight and the truck marshaling facility
The expansion moved the truck queue indoors. Trucks check in at the four-level garage, wait for a dock call, unload and leave the same way. The countdown is typical for a Javits show; your kit sets the dates.
Get directions to Javits Center →
- Four-level truck garageBuilt in the 2021 expansion, with room for more than 200 tractor-trailers off the street. The official contractor calls trucks from the garage to a dock; off-target trucks wait and pay a surcharge.
- Docks on two levelsThe original building had about 50 loading docks on two levels, and the expansion added 27 more. Address every piece with show name, hall and booth number.
- Hand-carry at the Inner RoadwayA personal car, minivan, SUV or pickup may stage on the Javits Inner Roadway for 45 minutes, hazards on. Pop-ups up to 10 ft long that one person can carry are fine.
- Who runs the docksAt recent shows the official service contractor manages the freight docks, schedules every vehicle into and out of the material handling areas, unloads all trucks, trailers and carriers, moves freight between dock and booth, and moves display vehicles in and out. Check your kit for that contractor's name.
- No forklifts for youExhibitors and EACs may not run a forklift, pallet jack or any motorized device. Heavy machinery is planned with the official contractor in advance.
- Day −75Design approved. Rigging, electrical and internet orders open; double-deck drawings to the engineer.
- Day −45Covered or multilevel package to show management and the Javits fire marshal.
- Day −30EAC form and certificate of insurance filed. Advance warehouse opens; the show kit gives the address.
- Day −14Purple ships from New York to the advance warehouse or straight to the show.
- Day −7Advance warehouse deadline. Late freight pays the surcharge and arrives after the on-time freight.
- Day 0Targeted move-in: check-in at the truck garage, dock call, delivery to the booth.
- Show +1Move-out. Empties return, MHA turned in, outbound carrier booked.
Free tool
Javits Center drayage cost estimator
Planning numbers for 2026 and 2027 at about $195 per hundredweight, above Las Vegas and among the highest in the country, with a 200 lb minimum per shipment. Your show's exhibitor kit has the tariff. See all venues on the drayage rates page.
Estimated drayage
$3,900
Cut this with a lighter booth
How to keep Javits drayage down: aluminum frame systems instead of wood, one consolidated shipment, everything crated, and the advance warehouse on time. At the planning rate, a 20×20 that weighs 1,800 lbs instead of 3,200 saves about $2,700 before labor.
Photos: "NYCC 2019 Javits Center Interior" by lostplanetcomics1, CC BY-SA 2.0 Source · "MTA Showcases Cutting-Edge Electric Bus at the New York International Auto Show" by MTAPhotos, CC BY 2.0 Source · Pexels (free license)
Crystal Palace at New York Comic Con
Photo: "New York Comic Con 2017" by MediaGamut, CC BY 2.0 Source
The calendar
Javits Center trade shows 2026–2027
The Javits runs year-round, from jewelry and security in the fall to retail tech, gifts, toys and the Auto Show in winter and spring. Attendance figures are rounded planning ranges; confirm each event with its organizer.
JA New York Fall
Fine jewelry · trade only · ~5,000–8,000 · 2026
ISC East
Security and public safety · exhibit hall Nov 4–5 · 2026
BDNY (Boutique Design New York)
Hospitality design · 2026
NRF 2027: Retail's Big Show
Retail technology · ~40,000–45,000 · 2027
New York Boat Show
Marine, consumer · 2027
NY NOW Winter
Gift, home and lifestyle wholesale · 2027
Toy Fair New York
Toys and play · trade only · 2027
New York International Auto Show
Automotive, consumer · ~1 million visitors · 2027
ICFF
Contemporary furniture and design · now in November · 2027
Dates are from each organizer. Earlier in 2026: NY NOW Summer (August), Anime NYC (August), The Armory Show (September) and New York Comic Con (October 8–11). JA New York's next spring show is March 14–16, 2027. Vision Expo consolidated into one annual event in 2026 and has said it returns to the Javits in 2028.
Insider tips
Javits Center exhibitor tips: what experienced teams do
Design to 250 sq ft and tool-free
A 10×20 is 200 sq ft, so your own full-time staff can set up a tool-free, ladder-free pop-up in it. A 20×20 is 400 sq ft and goes to the carpenters, even if it snaps together.
Leave the ladder at home
Exhibitors may not use ladders at the Javits at any booth size. If your graphics hang above arm's reach, plan for labor or a design that installs from the floor.
Bring a luggage dolly, not a hand truck
Hand-carry allows a personal luggage or office-supply dolly. Hand carts, four-wheel dollies and two-wheel hand trucks are turned away, and your car gets 45 minutes on the Inner Roadway.
Keep the sign under 200 lbs
Hanging signs over 200 lbs now need a chain hoist, which adds cost. A fabric sign on a light frame often stays under the limit.
Build lit headers into the back wall
Lit signs and headers are electricians' work unless they are a permanent part of the exhibit back wall. Designing the light into the wall keeps a trade off your labor bill.
Take the 7, not a cab
The 34 St–Hudson Yards station is a block from the building and one stop from Times Square. At move-in and peak weeks it beats any cab across Midtown.
Where to stay & getting there
Hotels near the Javits Center, transit and crew logistics
No hotel is attached to the Javits. Hudson Yards and the west 30s have hotels within a ten-minute walk, and Times Square is one stop on the 7 train.
~8 min walk
Equinox Hotel, Hudson Yards
The closest full-service hotel, with client dinners at Hudson Yards.
~10 min walk
One subway stopWest 30s hotels
Yotel, Hampton, Fairfield and Moxy carry show blocks and crew rooms. Book at registration: NRF and Comic Con weeks sell out.
New York Marriott Marquis
Company meetings in the same building as the show hotel, on Times Square.
Venue guide → ~20 min by cabNew York Hilton Midtown
Headquarters for many associations that also exhibit at the Javits.
Venue guide → ~20 min by cabSheraton New York Times Square
Large blocks, next door to the Hilton.
Venue guide →A block east
7 train · 34 St–Hudson Yards
Connects to Times Square and Grand Central in under ten minutes. Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall are a fifteen-minute walk.
Three airports, none close
EWR, JFK and LGA
Newark is often fastest by car to the far west side. JFK by AirTrain and the LIRR to Penn Station is the most predictable. LaGuardia has no rail link.
History · New York in pictures
Javits Center history: from the Coliseum to the green roof
New York had the first auto show in North America in 1900 and spent most of the next century without a convention hall to match the city. The Javits answered that in 1986, and it has been rebuilt twice since.
- 1900The first New York Auto Show opens at the original Madison Square Garden, the first automotive exhibition in North America. The city's trade shows spend decades in armories, hotels and the Grand Central Palace.
- 1956The New York Coliseum opens at Columbus Circle with exhibit space on four floors and a freight elevator said to be among the largest anywhere. The Auto Show moves in for thirty years.
- 1979I. M. Pei and Partners is chosen. James Ingo Freed designs a glass space-frame building on Eleventh Avenue that evokes London's 1851 Crystal Palace.
- 1986The center opens on April 3, named for Senator Jacob K. Javits, who died weeks earlier. The Coliseum closes and is later demolished for the Time Warner Center. The Auto Show moves to the Javits in 1987.
- 2006New York Comic Con debuts in the building. Within a decade it fills every hall and spills into the neighborhood.
- 2014A $465 million renovation, finished in late 2013, replaces the glass with bird-safe panels. A 6.75-acre green roof follows in 2014; dozens of bird species, five bat species and honeybees now use it.
- 2016Hillary Clinton's election-night event is held under the glass ceiling of the Crystal Palace.
- 2020In March the Javits becomes a field hospital of about 2,000 beds, later planned for more. In 2021 it is one of the country's largest vaccination sites.
- 2021The $1.5 billion expansion opens May 11: 1.2 million sq ft, about 500,000 sq ft of contiguous space, a 54,000 sq ft special event space, a rooftop pavilion and farm, 27 more loading docks and a four-level truck garage that takes the queue off the streets.
- TodayThe building totals about 3.3 million sq ft, with 10 exhibit halls and 106 meeting rooms, and runs shows year-round.
The labor map
Javits Center rules of the floor: the three unions explained
Exhibitors do not hire the unions directly. Labor is ordered through the show's official service contractor or an exhibitor-appointed contractor (EAC), who supervises the crew. What matters to you is which trade owns which task, because that decides how many people you pay for. From the Javits union jurisdiction summary in recent show manuals.
| Trade | What they handle at the Javits | What that means for your booth |
|---|---|---|
| Teamsters | Unloading trucks and vehicles, delivering freight to and from the booth, moving services, spotting machinery, and all forklift work. | Everything from the dock to your booth is Teamster work, billed as material handling by weight. Hand-carry is the only exception, and nobody but the contractor may run a forklift or pallet jack. |
| Carpenters | Building and dismantling booths and displays, all display work, uncrating and re-crating machinery, installing and removing drape and floor coverings, and hanging non-electric signs. | If your booth needs a tool or a ladder, is over 250 sq ft or is set up by anyone but your full-time staff, carpenters build it. |
| Electricians | All electrical work: power to the booth, connecting equipment, lit signs, booth lighting and lit headers unless they are a permanent part of the back wall, plus rigging hanging signs, LED walls, video walls and truss. | Order power early. Javits is the exclusive provider of electrical, internet and telecom, plumbing and rigging. All LED tiles are assembled and powered by Javits electricians. |
250 sq ftSelf-install limit: full-time employees may install a tool-free, ladder-free pop-up one person can carry, lay carpet and fit their own lights (500 W or less) in a booth this size or smaller
No laddersExhibitors may not use ladders at all. Registered EACs may use their own, following union safety rules, but may not do electrical work
500 WYour staff may plug in their own equipment on properly ordered 110 V service of 500 W or less, hang up to four small clip-on lights per 10×10, and connect up to eight pieces of computer gear
200 lbsHanging signs over this weight need a chain hoist (the limit was 250 lbs the year before), which raises the rigging bill
FDNYCovered and multilevel exhibits need plans, flame certificates for fabrics and, above thresholds, a fire watch; double-decks need engineer-stamped drawings. Hot work needs a permit from the Javits fire safety director
MHAEMPTY stickers as you unpack; empties return after the aisle carpet is up. Turn in the material handling agreement before you leave, or the freight is force-routed at the highest rate
Free tool
Manhattan travel-time planner for Javits Center exhibitors
The Javits is on the far west side, a block from the 7 train's Hudson Yards station and a fifteen-minute walk from Penn Station. Pick two points; the planner gives normal, show-week and peak-event times by car, with the transit option where it is faster. Planning estimates, not live traffic.
Estimated time
70 min
FAQ
Javits Center FAQ for exhibitors
Can I set up my own booth at the Javits Center?
Only if the booth is 250 square feet or less, the display is a tool-free, ladder-free unit one person can carry, and the work is done by full-time employees of your company. Anything larger, or anything that needs a screwdriver or a ladder, is carpenter work ordered through the show contractor or an exhibitor-appointed contractor.
Which unions work at the Javits?
Teamsters handle freight, unloading, delivery to the booth and forklift work. Carpenters build and dismantle booths, lay carpet and handle display work. Electricians handle power, lit signs, monitors, LED walls and the rigging of hanging signs and truss.
What can I hand-carry into the building?
Small items such as cartons, packages and pop-up displays up to 10 feet long that one person can carry, with a personal luggage or office-supply dolly at most. Hand carts are prohibited. A personal car, minivan, SUV or pickup gets 45 minutes on the Javits Inner Roadway. Anything more is material handling.
How much is drayage at the Javits?
Our planning estimate is about $195 per hundredweight in 2026 and 2027, with a 200-pound minimum per shipment and surcharges of 25 to 35 percent for late, off-target, uncrated or special-handling freight. It is among the most expensive floors in the country, so booth weight matters more here than almost anywhere.
How big is the Javits Center?
About 3.3 million square feet of event space after the 2021 expansion, with 10 exhibit halls, about 500,000 square feet of contiguous space, a 54,000-square-foot special event space, a rooftop pavilion for up to 1,500 guests and 106 meeting rooms.
How do trucks get to the Javits loading docks?
Carriers check in at the four-level truck garage built in the expansion, which holds more than 200 tractor-trailers, and wait for a dock call from the official contractor. Trucks in their targeted window unload within hours; off-target trucks wait and pay a surcharge.
Can I use a ladder or power tools?
No ladders for exhibitors, at any booth size, and no tools if you want to self-install. Registered exhibitor-appointed contractors may use their own ladders under union safety rules, but they may not do electrical work.
Who handles electrical and internet at the Javits?
The Javits Center is the exclusive provider of electrical, internet and telecommunications, plumbing and rigging. Your staff may plug in their own equipment on properly ordered 110-volt service of 500 watts or less; anything more, plus all LED tiles and wall-mounted monitors, is electricians' work.
Which airport should I use?
Newark is often the fastest by car to the far west side. JFK by AirTrain and Long Island Rail Road to Penn Station is the most predictable at about 55 minutes. LaGuardia is closest on the map but has no rail link.
Is there a hotel attached to the Javits?
No. Hudson Yards and the west 30s have hotels within a ten-minute walk, and Times Square hotels are one stop on the 7 train.
Does the Javits allow double-deck booths?
Yes, with engineer-stamped drawings, a plan submitted to show management and the Javits fire marshal by the deadline, and a fire watch or approved protection for covered areas. Allow at least six weeks.
Can I use a hand truck at the Javits?
No. Recent Javits work rules allow only a personal luggage or office-supply dolly for hand-carry; hand carts, four-wheel dollies and two-wheel hand trucks are prohibited. Anything you cannot carry that way is material handling, and only the official contractor may move it, run a forklift or use a pallet jack.
How do I get freight to the Javits marshaling yard?
Carriers go to the in-building truck marshaling facility opened with the 2021 expansion, a four-level garage for more than 200 tractor-trailers, and wait there for a dock call from the official contractor. Ship either to the advance warehouse by its deadline or direct to show inside your targeted move-in window; both addresses and the window are in your show kit. Label every piece with show name, hall and booth number.
Can I unload my own car at the Javits?
Yes, for hand-carry. A privately owned car, minivan, SUV or pickup may stage on the Javits Inner Roadway for 45 minutes with hazard lights on, no parking at red curbs or in traffic lanes. Your full-time staff may carry in cartons, packages and pop-ups up to 10 feet long that one person can carry. Larger loads, rental trucks and anything needing a hand truck go through material handling.
Where does Purple ship from for Javits shows?
Purple ships and installs from New York and coordinates crews and freight for Javits shows, filing as your exhibitor-appointed contractor where the show allows.
Exhibiting at the Javits?
Ready for show week? Send us the details.
Tell us your hall, your booth size and who on your team will be on the floor. Within two business days you get a design brief checked against the 250 sq ft rule and the three trades, a drayage estimate at Javits rates, a rigging check and a move-in plan for the truck garage.
Background photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, public domain
Compare venues
Javits Center vs other major U.S. convention centers
How the Javits Center stacks up against other major U.S. convention centers. Drayage figures are Purple planning rates, not published tariffs.
| Venue | Type | Largest space | Ceiling | Labor | Drayage (plan) | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javits CenterThis guide | Convention center | ~500,000 sq ft contiguous (Level 3) | Varies by hall · check plan | Union · 250 sq ft rule | ≈ $195/cwt | EWR / LGA / JFK · 45–70 min |
| America's Center Convention ComplexSt. Louis | Convention center | 574,000 sq ft contiguous, with Dome floor | 40 ft | Union · 300 sq ft rule | ≈ $150/cwt | STL · 14 mi |
| Anaheim Convention CenterAnaheim | Convention center | 221,284 sq ft Hall D | 25 ft Hall D · 13 ft 8 in Hall E | Union · check kit | ≈ $172/cwt | SNA · 13 mi |
| Boston Convention & Exhibition CenterBoston | Convention center | 516,000 sq ft contiguous (Halls A–C) | 35 ft low · up to 100 ft | Union · staff setup OK | ≈ $324/cwt | BOS · 3 mi |
| Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention CenterSalt Lake City | Convention center | 515,000 sq ft contiguous, 10 halls | 30 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $120/cwt | SLC · ~6 mi |
| Charlotte Convention CenterCharlotte | Convention center | 280,000 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–C | 30 ft listed max | Right-to-work | ≈ $115/cwt | CLT · 7 mi |
| Georgia World Congress CenterAtlanta | Convention center | 1M+ sq ft contiguous (Halls B, BC, C) | 30 ft to grid | Right-to-work | ≈ $150/cwt | ATL · 15–20 min |
| Huntington PlaceDetroit | Convention center | 623,000 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–D | 30 ft (A–D) · 18 ft 8 in (E) | Union · 400 sq ft rule | ≈ $155/cwt | DTW · 20 mi |
| McCormick PlaceChicago | Convention center | 840,000 sq ft Hall A (South) · 1.2M+ on one level | Varies by hall · check plan | Union · staff setup any size | ≈ $210/cwt | MDW · ~20 min |
| Minneapolis Convention CenterMinneapolis | Convention center | 376,200 sq ft contiguous, Halls B–E | 30 ft 6 in to truss · 85 ft domes | Union · open dock | ≈ $150/cwt | MSP · ~20 min |
| Moscone CenterSan Francisco | Convention center | 502,440 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–F | 37 ft Halls A–C · 28 ft Hall F | Union · check kit | ≈ $180/cwt | SFO · 25–40 min |
| Orange County Convention CenterOrlando | Convention center | 1,103,538 sq ft West Building | 30–40 ft | Right-to-work | ≈ $155/cwt | MCO · 12 mi |
| San Diego Convention CenterSan Diego | Convention center | 525,701 sq ft contiguous, Halls A–H | 27 ft 4 in A–E · up to 64 ft F–H | Union · check kit | ≈ $176/cwt | SAN · 3 mi |
| Seattle Convention CenterSeattle | Convention center | 205,700 sq ft Arch Halls 4A–4F | 25 ft Arch · 30 ft Summit | Union · check kit | ≈ $165/cwt | SEA · Link ~40 min |
More New York guides
Other venues near the Javits Center
New York Marriott MarquisTimes Square
New York Hilton MidtownMidtown
Sheraton New York Times SquareMidtown
Metropolitan PavilionChelsea
Westchester County CenterWhite Plains
Meadowlands Exposition CenterSecaucus, NJ
All venue guides → · Javits exhibitor checklist · Toy Fair booths
Written by the Purple Exhibits team. Reviewed for the 2026–2027 season. Figures marked for verification are being confirmed with Javits Center event services. Sources: NAB Show New York 2025 work rules and labor union regulations at the Javits Center, ICFF Javits union jurisdiction summary, NYC Tourism + Conventions (Javits Center facts), Wikipedia (Javits Center, New York Coliseum, New York International Auto Show), organizer sites for JA New York, ISC East, BDNY, NRF, the New York Boat Show, NY NOW, Toy Fair New York, the New York International Auto Show and ICFF, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.