NYC & Company Welcomes Nation's Top Retailers to the 101st Annual National Retail Federation Convention & EXPO at Javits

1/12/12


NYC & COMPANY WELCOMES NATION'S TOP RETAILERS TO THE 101ST ANNUAL NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION CONVENTION & EXPO AT THE JACOB K. JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER



—More Than 22,000 Visitors Expected to Attend Industry’s Most Comprehensive Trade Show. More Than 15,000 Hotel Room Nights and $22 Million in Economic Impact to Be Generated—



—Annual Convention to Focus on Theme “Retail’s NEW Rules: Engage and Evolve”—



New York City (January 12, 2012)NYC & Company, the City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, today welcomed the arrival of the National Retail Federation’s 101st Annual Convention & EXPO to New York City. Starting Sunday, January 15, and running through Wednesday, January 18, the four-day convention, which will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, is expected to bring in more than 22,000 people to the City and generate more than 15,000 hotel room nights in City hotels and $22 million in economic impact. Boasting 152,000 net square feet, more than 460 exhibiting companies are expected to showcase the latest in retail technology on the EXPO floor.



“The NRF Convention & Expo provides a huge boost to New York City’s travel and tourism industry during a time of year that’s traditionally a slower travel period,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “This show alone will generate an estimated $22 million in economic impact to our City from visitors experiencing the best that New York has to offer, from hotels and restaurants to our cultural institutions and unparalleled special events.”



Recognized as Retail’s BIG Show, the industry's most comprehensive educational forum is an annual event for retailers and visitors from more than 85 countries.



NRF’s Annual Convention will focus on the theme “Retail’s NEW Rules: Engage and Evolve” and will feature over 160 educational breakout sessions with topics ranging from digital and mobile retailing to the evolution of the retail store to economic trends and trends in consumer spending. NRF will also be using the convention to tout its "Retail Means Jobs" campaign, which intends to educate leaders from Washington to Wall Street on the importance of retail in the economic recovery.



“Building on 100 years of storied success in New York City, we are expecting this year’s event to be the biggest one yet,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “No event showcases the value of retail better than NRF’s Annual Convention, which harnesses the energy of thousands of retailers and their business partners in the greatest retail city in the world.”



The National Retail Federation’s 101st Annual Convention & EXPO is open to retail, business and economic press, as well as industry trade publications. To register as an accredited member of the press, please bring a valid business card with an appropriate press title, at least two bylined articles and a government-issued ID to the Press Registration booth at the Javits Center. For more information, visit nrf.com/annual12. To keep up to date on the latest activity on the convention floor, follow NRF on Twitter @RetailsBigShow and @NRFnews; the NRFhashtag is #NRF12.



About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.



About National Retail Federation:
As the world’s largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. Retailers operate more than 3.6 million US establishments that support one-in-four US jobs—42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s "Retail Means Jobs" campaign emphasizes the economic importance of retail and encourages policymakers to support a Jobs, Innovation and Consumer Value Agenda aimed at boosting economic growth and job creation. To learn more, go to nrf.com.



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Contact:  Chris Heywood/NYC & Company     212 484 1270