Business

N.Y. Governor Rocks Tradeshow Boat

Event organizers in New York City are objecting to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement last week that the New York Boat Show will return to its mid- to late-January dates, leaving several other shows unmoored.

A group of tradeshow exhibitors is asking New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to reconsider his decision to reschedule the dates of the annual New York Boat Show, which would displace several other trade events.

In a letter to the governor, a coalition called Friends of Javits, representing more than 50 tradeshow organizers at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, said the move could have “grave consequences” for the city and state’s tradeshow industry, local businesses, and the convention center.

This announcement is great news for the tourism and boating industries, and New York state as a whole.

“As you are aware, it is long-standing policy that exhibition dates at the Javits Center are carefully chosen based on tax revenue generation for the city and state of New York, as well as economic opportunity for the New York hotel, restaurant, and transportation sectors,” the letter states. “For your administration to give the boat show preferential treatment over more successful and qualified exhibitions stands in steep contrast to this policy—especially given that the boat show has seen attendance precipitously drop more than 30 percent over the past three years.”

The letter came after the governor’s office issued a press release last week announcing that the boat show—sponsored by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)—would return to its mid- to late-January dates from 2015 through 2019 in an effort to help restore the state’s boating industry as it continues to recover from destruction wreaked by Superstorm Sandy.

“Last year Superstorm Sandy damaged marinas and destroyed thousands of boats in New York, so these events will be significant in steering the industry towards a full recovery,” Cuomo said. “New York is home to magnificent waterfronts, attracting countless New York boaters and visitors to the state. This announcement is great news for the tourism and boating industries, and New York state as a whole.”

The boat show has been held earlier in January over the past several years. The shows affected by the move include the National Retail Federation’s BIG Show; the Action Sports Wear and Street Wear Show; the New York International Gift Fair, known as NY NOW; the men’s fashion tradeshow MRket; and Texworld USA.

(photo by Pat Arnow/Flickr)

Katie Bascuas

By Katie Bascuas

Katie Bascuas is associate editor of Associations Now. MORE

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