Small Business Expo adds first fall New York City show at Javits

Small Business Expo is expanding to two New York City shows in one year for the first time, adding an Oct. 15 event at the Javits Convention Center after strong turnout for its spring expo. More than 13,000 businesses are already registered for the fall show, which will focus on AI, networking and practical growth tools for small companies.

Why it matters: - New York small businesses get a second major in-person event this year to meet vendors, advisers and peers. - The added show signals sustained demand for hands-on business education, especially around AI, hiring and customer growth. - Free general admission lowers the barrier for attendance.

What happened: - Small Business Expo is holding its first fall New York City show on Oct. 15 at the Javits Convention Center. - The event comes after strong turnout for the annual spring show. - More than 13,000 businesses have registered with one week left before the inaugural fall event. - The expo runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.

The details: - The conference and B2B trade show includes free general admission, more than 130 exhibitors, over 30 educational workshops and three keynote sessions. - The agenda covers how to use AI, attract customers, hire employees and manage operations. - Featured AI workshops include sessions from Amazon Web Services, Adobe and HP. - Natalie Hirsch of Amazon Web Services will present “The Small Business AI Playbook: How to Put AI to Work This Week.” - Joe Santiago of Adobe will present “AI-Powered Productivity with Adobe Acrobat.” - Jon Klipstein and Christopher Kingston of HP will present “HP AI Advantage: From Everyday Tasks to Business Impact.” - Takicha and Warrick Roundtree of The Brand Amplifiers will lead the keynote “AI Is an Accelerator, Not a Strategy: How Small Businesses Can Move Faster Without Scaling Confusion.” - Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is presenting that keynote. - Juan Salinas, founder and CEO of Perfect Life Nutrition, and Vlad Smolyanskyy, co-founder of Pinblock, will join Nicole Denise, CEO of CoAgency, for “Shark Tank Success Stories: Behind the Pitch” at 1 p.m. - John Formica, a former Disney leader, will present “If Disney Ran Your Business, What Would It Look Like?” - Exhibitors include Adobe, Amazon Hub Delivery, Citibank, HP, Gusto, Justworks, Paychex, RingCentral, SiteGround and Verizon. - Participating organizations include Empire State Development, the Internal Revenue Service, SCORE, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the New York State Department of Labor and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. - Platinum sponsors include American Express, Geico, RingCentral, Verizon Business and Vetano. - Gold sponsors include Adobe, CITI, GotPrint.com, Lenovo, PressRelease.com, Red Argyle, SiteGround and SmartMode AI. - Free general admission includes access to the exhibit floor and keynote presentations. - Speed Networking and Industry Meet-Ups require an eligible upgraded badge. - Registration, badge options and the full agenda are available on the event page: New York City Small Business Expo event page.

Between the lines: - The fall expansion suggests Small Business Expo sees New York as a market large enough to support twice-yearly programming. - The heavy AI focus reflects how quickly small-business event programming is shifting toward practical technology adoption. - The mix of major brands, public agencies and founder-led sessions is designed to combine education with supplier discovery and networking.

What's next: - Attendees can continue registering, choosing badge options and reviewing the full agenda before the Oct. 15 show. - Small Business Expo says the event is part of its broader national platform, which now spans 18 major U.S. cities. - The company says its conferences and trade shows are meant to connect entrepreneurs with experts, service providers and fellow business owners.

The bottom line: - Small Business Expo is betting that New York small businesses want more than one chance a year to get in the room, learn fast and make connections that can help them grow.