NEW YORK CITY — Javits Center is investing to further enhance safety at the more than 150 events it hosts annually.
Trade Show Executive’s Young Professionals Corner caught up with Kenneth Dixon, the venue’s Senior Vice President of Security and Safety Solutions, to learn about these upgrades and the future of convention center safety.
ANDREW: What safety investments has Javits Center recently completed?
KENNETH: Our most recent safety investment at Javits Center is something I’m very excited about — we have equipped our fleet of 150 forklifts and scissor lifts with a laser beam safety carriage to help generate heightened awareness on the show floor.
There are so many moving parts when building a show, so we wanted to take steps that go above and beyond what OSHA requires to keep our people safe. The back-up sirens on the vehicles provide some situational awareness, but people tune it out since they hear them all day long.
These laser beams add an additional layer of situational awareness that will make our staff safer and more efficient. This is just part of the ways we are leading the industry in safety at Javits Center.
ANDREW: Could you walk through the implementation of these changes? 
KENNETH: Effective implementation of new safety procedures relies on one main component: teamwork. Everything we do when it comes to improving our health and wellness initiatives is a collaborative effort with our staff, our general contractors and our third-party vendors who help run this every day.
We can create new policies and best practices, but it is up to everyone to uphold them.
Our new ideas mostly stem from the weekly toolbox talks between the Safety and Labor Teams. In this discussion, we talk about potential issues or trends we have seen at recent events similar to the events that take place at Javits Center.
We also talk through any specific needs for upcoming events, whether it comes with priceless art that requires special care or large vehicles that add additional complexity to the show floor. The laser beam safety carriages originated from the toolbox talks, so you can see how conversation turns into action.
The final step is making sure everyone is aware of these important changes we are making. We send out safety service advisories to event producers, contractors and key stakeholders at Javits Center whenever we implement new solutions to make things safer.
Those new policies are re-emphasized by our brilliant Event Solutions Managers, who help events navigate our facility.
Through teamwork and communication, we are creating a safer environment for everyone at Javits Center, one new idea at a time.
ANDREW: Are there any other safety initiatives that you would like to highlight at the venue?
KENNETH: There are so many safety initiatives I would love to highlight at Javits Center — we are leaders for a reason. Continuing with our forklift safety solutions, we added high visibility rearview mirrors for the sake of the driver and their surroundings.
We also invested heavily in putting oval mirrors at all turning points and intersections to help remove blind spots in the bustling back of house areas. We also reduced the speed of all forklifts from eight to six MPH and restricted the use of three-wheeled electric carts on the show floors.
By making those changes, we significantly reduced all risk without impacting our productivity — proving that we can still provide excellent customer service while keeping our employees safe.
Another big priority for us at Javits Center is keeping our no-freight aisles clear. Keeping these aisles clear allows our staff to move quickly and safely while maintaining a clear line of sight on all parts of the show floor.
I strongly believe there is a correlation between the number of workplace injuries and no freight aisles, so we are laser focused on making sure that remains a priority.
Finally, we’re focused on making our rules accessible. We created a QR code to our work safety rules and added it to our increasing signage on the show floor and other back-of-house spaces, providing instant access to employees, contractors and vendors.
Moving forward, we will put the QR code on the back of everyone’s Javits Center ID to make them even more accessible. By making the rules accessible, we are reducing confusion and encouraging compliance in creating a safer environment at work.
Related. Celebrating and Connecting through Inclusive F&B: A Q&A with Chef Amelia Warfel
ANDREW: What should a show organizer know about convention center safety going into 2026?
KENNETH: Javits Center is building a culture based on safety and heightened awareness, but we believe that safety is everyone’s responsibility. We understand that it takes a village to build a trade show, so it is imperative that everyone — from show organizers to exhibitors to contractors to employees — have a solid understanding of what safety policies, procedures and protocols are in place
When we have strong communication and collaboration, we create a safer environment for everyone.
ANDREW: Are there any misconceptions that you feel are important to clear up in regards to convention center safety or any facts that you think would surprise our readers?
KENNETH: One of the hidden safety gems at Javits Center is our Truck Marshalling Building. We often talk about it in terms of the benefits it provides for faster load in and load out of events or the environmental benefits from reducing trips back and forth from their homebase, but it also adds an extra layer of security.
Freight is safely parked inside and covered — protecting them from both the environment and people with poor intentions. We have 34 license plate readers and cameras throughout, so we are able to track the journey of trucks throughout the Truck Marshalling Building to keep things organized and secure.
ANDREW: What do you anticipate for the future of convention center safety –– and how is Javits Center prepared to meet it?
KENNETH: The integration of technology will play a large role in the future of convention center safety, and Javits Center is prepared with the best technology available. We have a high-tech system with more than 3,000 cameras across our campus so we can capture and review any incidents that may take place.
Our 24/7 Command Center monitors for safety with the assistance of AI for video analytics and creating real-time data intelligence from news reports and social media. Those resources also monitor things happening in New York City because we know Javits Center doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
This means investing in proper training and infrastructure to be prepared for any kind of incident. Our teams regularly undergo training with different law enforcement agencies for different potential incidents, so they know what to do and how to react to keep our customers, guests and employees safe.
We can create a perimeter with our inner roadway and k-rated bollards, which is important in a bustling city like New York to protect attendees and pedestrians on our sidewalks. From a safety standpoint, you’re separate, but from an accessibility standpoint you’re in the heart of commerce, culture and connectivity.
ANDREW: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
KENNETH: I would like to emphasize that this is all about people. From her first day, our President & CEO, Joyce Leveston, has said that people are her priority, and I couldn’t agree more.
At the end of the day, the primary goal of my department is to make sure our employees go home safe and injury free. Whether that means providing training or investing in technology to make their jobs safer, I’m proud to work for a place that takes that goal so seriously because our people are truly at the heart of everything we do at Javits Center.
To get more articles like this, sign up for TSE’s free Young Professionals Newsletter.
