Information provided by ASIS Security Management magazine.

JAVITS EMBRACES HIGH-TECH HOSPITALITY

​With 3 million visitors crossing its threshold annually, the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center is a New York City landmark. It’s hard to miss the six-block long complex, which stretches from West 34th Street to West 40th Street in midtown Manhattan and features more than 840,000 square feet of exhibition space and 28,000 square feet of meeting rooms. Javits hosts an array of events annually, including the New York International Auto Show, the National Retail Federation’s annual convention, and New York Comic Con.


photo courtesy of the Javits Center.

The Javits Center has undergone changes in recent years, including a $463 million renovation from 2009 to 2014. In addition to improvements to the mechanical and sustainability systems, the upgrade included adding 6,000 new glass panels to the outside.

Before the new patterned panels were installed, Javits had a mirror-like façade, making the facility among the top bird-killers in New York City. Birds would frequently fly into the glass walls, not recognizing that the building was there.

Now Javits is considered one of New York’s bird-friendliest facilities; besides upgrading the panels, Javits installed a green roof space spanning nearly 7 acres, which is home to 26 bird species. This rooftop also lowers the facility’s annual energy consumption by 26 percent by lowering heat-gain and water runoff.

But hospitality at Javits is not just for the birds. Providing excellent customer service while maintaining security is a top priority for the center. Security personnel are front and center when customers approach the immediate outside vicinity or enter the building. “We’re engaging the client, making eye contact with the people coming in–we want to be the first person you see when you come in the door,” says Kenneth Dixon, director of security and safety solutions at Javits. “Our focus is a balance between hospitality and security, and finding that right balance is a key to our success.” ​

[Read more at sm.asisonline.org]