Friends of Javits Issues Follow-Up Letter to Gov. Cuomo

NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Below please find a letter sent today from Friends of Javits regarding the decision by the Governor's office to change the dates of the New York Boat Show at the Jacob Javits Center – an unprecedented decision.

Friends of Javits is an organization representing more than 50 trade show organizers at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

Friends of Javits

August 9, 2013

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo
Governor of New York State
New York State Capitol Building
Albany, New York 12224

Dear Governor Cuomo:

It has come to the attention of Friends of Javits – an organization representing more than 50 trade show organizers at the Jacob Javits Convention Center – that the Javits Center will be negotiating and executing contracts with the New York Boat Show. This is highly disappointing given the legitimate concerns raised by our members.

We respectfully ask that, as an act of good faith given the unprecedented nature of the decision by your administration to give the Boat Show preferential treatment, you postpone all contract discussions with the Boat Show until we have had an opportunity to hold productive, good faith discussions with your office to come to a mutually beneficial resolution to this matter.

As you are aware, it is longstanding 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. 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, even before Superstorm Sandy.

Given these concerns and others, the members of Friends of Javits stand united against this decision.

To be clear, moving the Boat Show at this juncture will displace many other events and result in grave consequences for trade show and event organizers, local New York businesses, New York laborers and the Javits Center itself in the coming years.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to sitting down with your office in a timely fashion to discuss this matter.

Sincerely,

The Members of Friends of Javits

Yesterday, FOJ issued the following release:

TRADE SHOW INDUSTRY CALLS ON NY CONVENTION CENTER TO REVERSE DECISION DISPLACING MAJOR EXHIBITIONS

CITE ECONOMIC LOSS TO CITY IF BETTER ATTENDED EVENTS ARE FORCED TO CHANGE EXHIBITIONS

New York, N.Y. – Friends of Javits, an organization representing trade show exhibitors, called on the New York Convention Center, known as the Javits Center, to reverse its arbitrary decision that will displace six major trade shows at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The decision violates a longstanding policy of the Javits Center to schedule exhibitions that maximize their economic impact on the City and State of New York.

This move gives unprecedented preferential treatment to the New York Boat Show, which has been a declining exhibition, dropping 30 percent in attendance over the past three years. No reason was given for this decision and we are aware of no economic impact study that was conducted regarding its effects. It will have a negative economic impact on tax revenue, jobs, as well as a number of industries, including hotels, restaurants and transportation. Friends of Javits has retained Randy Mastro of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher to explore legal options.

"Members of the trade show industry were disappointed to learn that the New York Convention Center's exhibition schedule was altered without notice and in violation of longstanding policy to favor the New York Boat Show," said a spokesperson for Friends of Javits. "This unilateral action threatens to displace six trade shows that support substantial economic activity and job creation for the City and State. Arbitrarily altering the schedule threatens the Convention Center's reputation related to future business commitments. It also impacts business for local hotels, restaurants and other related services.

"By favoring the New York Boat Show, an event that has been declining, other shows could opt to take their business to competitor cities.

"Over the coming days and weeks, we intend to work cooperatively with the Javits Center and the Governor's office to address this matter. We remain confident that we will be able to reach a solution that benefits all involved, and we urge the Javits Center to reconsider an unprecedented decision that violates years of policy."

On Wednesday, the operators of more than four dozen trade shows at the Javits Center, joined together as the Friends of Javits sent a letter (copied below) to Henry Silverman, Jacob Javits CCDC Chairman, upon learning of this decision. The show organizers requested a meeting to come to a compromise that would benefit all parties and maximize the economic benefits to New York City and State. That letter was not acknowledged and is attached.

By arbitrarily giving preferred treatment to a single exhibition that violates the Javits Center's own policies, those businesses and associations interested in conducting exhibitions at the Center will think twice before scheduling an event there – damaging the Jacob Javits brand as well as negatively impacting future revenues.

FRIENDS OF JAVITS

August 8, 2013

Mr. Henry Silverman
Jacob Javits CCDC Chairman
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
655 West 34^th Street
New York, NY 10001

Dear Mr. Silverman:

The Friends of Javits were surprised and deeply disappointed this week to learn of the Convention Center's plan to displace five prominent and one of the longest standing trade shows in favor of the New York Boat Show.

The fact that agreed upon dates, facility access and space were unilaterally modified is disconcerting. This is an abrupt change of course that would harm our industry and the City and State economy. It is a clear violation of your longstanding booking policy and has shaken the confidence in your services within the business community. If this action is not overturned it would also lead to job loses, decreased wages, and possible unemployment for the Tradeshow and Tourism industry.

The five impacted trade shows - the New York International Gift Fair (now known as NY NOW), Business Journal's MRket Show, Texworld Show, the National Retail Federation Show, and the Action Sports Wear and Street Wear Show-Agenda – bring significantly more dollars to New York than the New York Boat Show, which has been declining over the years. The affected shows also drive considerably more economic benefit to related industries such as retail stores, restaurants and hotels than the New York Boat Show - in keeping with the primary mission of the Convention Center.

Your actions directly threaten the legitimacy of any agreement made between a member of the trade show industry and the Javits Center, jeopardizing current and future events at a time when it is critical for New York to attract business and visitors.

Until now, two clear factors have driven the evaluation of trade shows at the Convention Center: the estimated economic impact of the show to the New York area, including tax revenue generated from hotels, meals and tourism; and the estimated financial benefits to the Javits Center itself. In addition, our industry relies heavily on the certainty provided by your policy of moving events only if they are in decline.

Such arbitrary changes to dates and established space agreements hurt the Convention Center's important relationship with the trade show industry – a relationship that brings huge economic benefits to New York instead of other competitor cities - by introducing unconscionable risk and uncertainty. Put simply, you have eroded any confidence in your operations by arbitrarily displacing multiple, highly-successful trade shows in favor of a less successful show.

The Friends of Javits respectfully request a meeting of interested parties, including yourself and appropriate representatives of Governor Cuomo's office, to discuss this decision so that we can work together and bring this matter to resolution.

Representatives from our industry have made attempts to meet and further discuss this issue, but those overtures have been dismissed. The trade show industry has had a long history of partnership with the Convention Center and we make this request in that spirit.

We look forward to your response. Javits, our industry, and key related industries rely on us to make sound decisions based on economic data that benefit all involved and improve New York's economic outlook. We look forward to bringing this to a mutually-beneficial resolution.

Signed,

Friends of Javits

cc: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Director of New York State Operations Howard Glaser, Javits Center Board of Directors Carl H. Loewenson, Jr., President & CEO Javits Center Alan Steel, All Operating Board Members JKJCC, Randy Mastro, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

SOURCE Friends of Javits