Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York

The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, commonly known as the Javits Center, is a significant convention facility located in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City. Situated on Eleventh Avenue between 34th and 38th Streets, the center was designed by architect James Ingo Freed of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Its construction spanned from 1980 to 1986, and the center was named in honor of Jacob Javits, a United States Senator for New York. The Javits Center replaced the New York Coliseum at Columbus Circle as New York City’s major convention facility, with the Coliseum being subsequently demolished and replaced by the Time Warner Center​​.

Operated by the New York Convention Center Operating Corporation (NYCCOC), a public-benefit corporation, the Javits Center has played a vital role in the events and convention industry in the United States. As of 2021, the center encompassed a total interior area of 3.3 million square feet, making it one of the busiest convention centers in the country. The NYCCOC, which manages the Javits Center, is overseen by a 16-member board and was headed by President and CEO Alan Steel as of 2017. In that year, the NYCCOC reported operating expenses of $194 million and employed 3,786 people​​.

The Javits Center is renowned for hosting a variety of significant annual events such as the New York International Auto Show, the New York Comic Con, and Anime NYC. It has also been a notable location for prominent events like Hillary Clinton’s 2016 United States presidential election night venue​​.

The center has undergone several expansions throughout its history to accommodate the growing needs of the convention industry. The most recent major expansion project, completed in May 2021, added 1.2 million square feet to the building. This expansion included 500,000 square feet of contiguous event space, significantly enhancing the center’s capacity to attract large-scale international business conferences and other major events​​.