Javits Center Expansion, Tech Upgrades Boosting NYC Hospitality Industry

Five years after the Javits Center underwent a $1.5 billion expansion, the Hudson Yards convention venue is continuing to expand its bandwidth to boost its events business and the adjacent New York City hospitality industry. 

The 3.3 million-square-foot facility recently underwent a $5 million technology upgrade enabling the Javits Center to become the first convention center in the U.S. to provide the newest wireless network, Wi-Fi 7, Commercial Observer can first report. The Wi-Fi 7 system, which debuted last month for Fanatics Fest, provides another competitive edge in attracting more conferences and events going forward, Joyce Leveston, CEO of the Javits Center, told CO.

“So many people who are coming to conventions also want to feel that they can remotely connect with their workplace,” Leveston said on Wednesday, moments before the Javits Center marked its 40th anniversary with a celebration event. “You can’t do that unless you have a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi system.” 

The technology enhancement is just the latest effort by the Javits Center to up the ante in terms of drawing some of the biggest conferences and events to Manhattan and providing a jolt to New York City’s economy. The Javits Center estimates that its convention bookings generated more than 100,000 hotel stays in the New York City region in 2025. 

The expansion of the Javits Center, which debuted in May 2021, added 1.2 million square feet to the north side of the complex, including a 55,000-square-foot ballroom and a glass-enclosed sustainable rooftop pavilion touted as the largest green roof in the Northeast. 

The boost to New York City’s hospitality industry from new investments to the Javits Center is evident across the street at 418 11th Avenue, where a new 455-room Hilton-branded hotel is slated to open in the next three years as part of a larger mixed-use project. A 379-room Hotel Meta developed by Marx Development Group is also planned for nearby 450 11th Avenue. 

The added hotels by Javits Center, coupled with the revitalization of Manhattan’s West Side  through the nearby Hudson Yards project, should help Javits continue to expand its convention business in the years ahead, according to Leveston. 

“It allows us to expand our wings so when I go after a piece of business they don’t have to worry about just trying to get a hotel room where they are all the way in Times Square,” she said. “Now we have enough inventory where they can be right in the space and then we can continue to grow this whole area and grow more business.”

Leveston, who prior to leading Javits was senior vice president of convention centers at Oak View Group, said the 2021 expansion has opened doors to a number of events it could not previously host, thanks to adding more meeting space and adding a ballroom for parties it previously did not have. She noted that the Javits Center for its first 35 years largely hosted trade show exhibits rather than “full-fledged conferences,” making enhanced technology that much more vital. 

A prime example of newer corporate events Javits has been able to attract post-expansion, according to Leveston, is the Cardiac Research Association opting to host its annual three-day medical conference focused on aortic valve replacement the last three years. The June conference drew over 3,000 attendees this year and is expected to grow as it becomes a yearly New York staple, Leveston said. 

The Javits transformation has also helped attracted major convention events such as Fanatics Fest, which is billed as the Comic-Con for sports enthusiasts. The multi-day event, which draws top athletes for live panels and photograph sessions, grew from 70,000 attendees during its first year in 2024 to nearly 200,000 in July 2026.

“Since this expansion this place is second to none,” said Lee Perlman, chair of the New York Convention Center Operating Convention. “We’re making this place an incredible international destination.” 

Andrew Coen can be reached at acoen@commercialobserver.com.