NEW YORK (March 3, 2005) -- The 70th NFL Draft on April 23-24 will be held at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the NFL announced.
The agreement includes the creation of the first-ever New York City-NFL Draft Host Committee to assist the NFL in its overall presentation of the activities surrounding the 2005 NFL Draft.
The Javits Center, located on 22 acres of Manhattan's west side, is New York City's world-class convention and trade show facility. Called the "Marketplace for the World," the Javits Center is host each year to an average of 140 events, 80 to 90 of which are major trade shows and conventions.
Designed by the firm of the world-renowned architect I.M. Pei and completed in 1986, the Javits Center stretches for five blocks along the Hudson River. It has 814,400 total square feet of exhibit space on three different levels and is capable of being divided into 11 different halls. The facility occupies 34th Street through 39th Street between 11th Avenue and 12th Avenue in New York City.
"We are pleased to be working closely with the Javits Center to continue the tradition of the NFL Draft in New York City," NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. "We appreciate the support of the city and look forward to using the resources of the Javits Center and New York City to make this year's draft a great event -- both for the fans who enjoy attending and for the top college players who come to New York with their families."
The NFL Draft, which has been held in New York City continuously since 1965, is televised nationally by ESPN.
"We are thrilled that the National Football League has decided to keep the NFL Draft in New York City, where it belongs," said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "New York City provides an unparalleled platform for increasing event attendance as well as worldwide attention to big events like the NFL Draft. Just look at what happened in 2002 when New York City played host to the NFL's season kickoff event in Times Square, which helped spark a 5 percent increase in viewership for the season. And in return, New York City enjoys an increase in tax revenue and tourism and trade jobs that help pay for vital city services.
"I want to thank Chairman Bob Boyle and his team at the Javits Center for their invaluable assistance, and Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and the NFL for reaffirming their commitment to New York."
"Word-class events belong on the world's biggest stage -- New York City -- and we are thrilled that the NFL Draft will celebrate its 70th Anniversary right here in the Big Apple," said Maureen J. Reidy, president of NYC Big Events, Inc. "We are happy to announce that NYC Big Events will be forming the first-ever Official NYC-NFL Draft Host Committee. We look forward to working with the entire NFL team to help support and celebrate this milestone event."
"The Javits Convention Center is delighted to be hosting the 2005 NFL Draft," said Javits Center President and Chief Executive Officer Gerald T. McQueen. "We look forward to an exciting weekend in April as the NFL teams choose their players of the future. We will do everything we can to make this year's NFL Draft the very best in its 70-year history."
Though a major trade show and convention facility, the Javits Center is no stranger to the sports world. Last week, Javits welcomed the evaluation team of the International Olympic Committee planning for the 2012 summer games. New York hopes to use the Javits Center for six indoor Olympic sports, including wrestling and ping pong.
