Syracuse, N.Y. -- New York City is viewed as a bustling metropolis rich with culture and history. Millions of people visit the city every year, which makes it a perfect location for one of the world's most unconventional convention centers. Completed in 1986, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was built at a cost of $482 million and was 90 percent booked through 1995 before it even opened!

When it was built it was described as the "premier state-of-the-art convention and trade show facility in the Western Hemisphere." The Javits Center is located on the city's west side along the Hudson River and is so large that it is capable of holding up to 85,000 people. It encompasses 1.8 million sq ft on a 23-acre site. The Javits Center is cooled by 95 Carrier rooftop units and 35 vertical package units, totaling 8,400 tons of cooling. 

The exterior of Javits Center is visually stunning. Designed by I.M. Pei & Partners, the structure is an assemblage of glass cubes that reflect the New York City skyline by day and become amazingly transparent by night. The space frame roof, never before constructed on such a large scale, makes the Javits Center an outstanding architectural achievement.

Named for a long-time U.S. senator from New York, the complex contains many features. The prime exhibition space is in exhibit halls on Levels 1 and 3. In addition, there are many meeting rooms of varying sizes, a crystal palace lobby and a Special Events Hall that holds more than 3,600 people for large meetings or elegant banquets. There is retail space, convenience shops, a restaurant with a cocktail lounge and outdoor terraces overlooking the Hudson River.

A special feature of the center is a state-of-the-art Video Information System with more than 100 monitors. It serves as a message center, internal information system and provides current information on what's happening in New York City.