New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently proposed razing the 25-year-old Javits Center for a more modern and expansive convention facility by Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.
Besides the money, politics, endless environmental studies and major transportation issues (you know what I mean if you have taken the A subway through Brooklyn), the Governor's proposal implies that New York simply cannot compete for business travelers and conventions.
Ironically, the opposite is true.
The Javits Center, while outdated, is in the middle of a $463 million renovation and is booked solid throughout the next few years. Yeah, it's somewhat small, but who cares? The McCormick Center in Chicago - considered the "model" of convention facilities with more raw square feet than Javits - is regularly half-empty.
I learned in politics that it's better to hold an event in a room that is packed versus too roomy. Uncomfortable and "hot" looks better as a brand then empty and "lame".
The governor also missed the point when he proposed hotels and condos at the Javits Center site as "economic development". The New York hotel industry is booming, doesn't need government to boost it, and with new exciting properties opening monthly, the business traveler will not find more options with better amenities anywhere else in the world.
Before you blow up your brand with a grandiose idea that is well-intentioned, remember the demand you already have - even if it's not perfect.
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