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for larger version       It's My Turn Ben Wold is the Executive Vice President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. The political squabbling in Albany and New York City over the proposed expansion of the Jacob Javits Center is an all-too-familiar refrain. Instead of coming together and finding a commonsense solution for a key publicly-owned facility, we have seen bickering and turf wars. To make matters worse, the Javits Center has problems now with adequate scheduling to accommodate trade and consumer events that have a direct impact on the region's economy. A case in point is the New York National Boat Show. The boating industry generates an estimated $2.4 billion annually and provides more than 18,700 jobs in New York State. As much as half of the industry's sales on Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley are generated via the Boat Show. But today, this important economic engine is fighting for survival. Since 1905, the New York National Boat Show was held in mid-January in order to "kickoff" the boating industry's important selling season. Yet, since 2003, the Javits Center has forced the boat show into a Christmas/New Year's holiday schedule. This year, for example, the show opened Dec. 30. The next show is scheduled to open Dec. 27, an even less likely time for a major consumer event. In recent years, the Javits Center's management and board of directors have given undue preference to "trade shows" (conventions and exhibitors selling wholesale to merchant customers) over "consumer shows" (exhibits retailing to individual customers). This policy was established without consultation by the Javits Board, which includes a significant number of hoteliers that directly profit from this change. The unfavorable dates have forced the boat show into a holiday period when many boaters and potential boaters have other priorities. The damage to the New York boating industry has been enormous. The show's attendance has dropped 38 percent since 2003, and the number and variety of exhibitors have changed to reflect this loss of sales. The New York National Boat Show has historically benefited the economy of New York City. In fact, a 2001 study found that the New York National Boat Show was directly responsible for more than $9.2 million in local revenues, including hotels, restaurants, retailers, transportation and advertising. An additional $12.5 million in revenue was generated by 67 percent of the visitors to the show from outside New York State.
The negative impact on the local economy caused by the boat show's date change is real and immediate. Sales at Long Island dealerships have dropped significantly, and other dealers throughout New York tell me they are struggling to stay in business. Boating plays a pivotal role in the economy of Long Island and New York State. Whether or not the Javits Center expands in the future, we need our elected officials to focus today on the needs of the economy beyond Manhattan and ensure a fairness doctrine applies when it comes to Javits Center scheduling.
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