Filming at Javits Center

Ask the show about cameras first

Whether you may film, what you may film and who may operate the camera is a matter for your show's exhibitor manual and management. The operational documents for Javits concentrate on labour and materials, so raise the camera question with show management directly. Ask three things: can an outside videographer work on the floor, how do they get a badge, and are they treated as a contractor?

Why the hand-carry policy matters to a crew

The Javits hand-carry policy is unusually detailed. Individuals moving materials must be employees of the exhibiting company and carry identification. It rules out items moved by a contractor or anyone other than Javits freight handlers or the exhibitor's direct employees. An outside crew carrying its own cases may therefore fall outside the policy, so settle how equipment will enter before the day.

Hours, location and entrances are published by each event, and Javits Public Safety coordinates the operation.

• Vehicles no larger than a standard van, with 45 minutes per vehicle, strictly enforced, and hazard lights on while staged.
• Items must be movable by one person, using nothing larger than a two-wheeled baggage cart with plastic or rubber wheels.
• No loading from 11th Avenue or nearby streets, where parking or standing risks a fine or tow.
• No use of the Crystal Palace, north lobby atrium or the expansion space's passenger lifts and escalators for materials.
• Power tools, ladders and construction equipment need advance written approval.

Labour and exclusive services

NAB Show New York's 2025 rules give a clear picture of how work divides. Teamsters handle material handling; carpenters build and dismantle displays; electricians run power and connect equipment to outlets, and also hang signs, video walls and LED screens from the ceiling. Javits itself was the exclusive provider of electrical, internet, plumbing and rigging at that show, with Freeman exclusive for audiovisual, cleaning and material handling.

Exhibitor employees could test and tune their own equipment, plug in devices and connect computers. Mounting a monitor or TV to a wall or stand required labour regardless of booth size. Pop-up exhibits and carpet could be handled by exhibitor staff only in booths under 250 sq ft.

Power: small limits that vary by show

Plug-in rights come with a ceiling that is not uniform. NAB's rules allowed exhibitors to plug in on properly ordered 110-volt service of 500 watts or less, while a 2024 NY NOW document gave 1,500 watts. A lit interview corner can reach those numbers quickly, so check your show's figure and order power in advance. NY NOW's document also limited step stools to under two steps and barred ladders for electrical work.

Recurring shows

The documents behind this guide come from NY NOW and NAB Show New York, both of which publish their own rules for Javits. The venue describes itself as the busiest convention centre in the United States, and says traffic on Manhattan's West Side is the reason its hand-carry procedures are so strict.

Planning the shoot

Keep any kit list short and able to be carried by one person, and plan interviews inside the booth rather than the aisle unless the show says otherwise. Allow time at either end for hand-carry windows, as they are fixed by event management, not by you.

Fame Crew can match a vetted local videographer or photographer in New York. Share the service kit and your booth size when you brief us, because both affect what can legally be done on the floor without additional labour.