Trade Show

Harnessing Innovation and Collaboration: The Key to Growth of the Long Island Economy

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The Executive Luncheon at HIA-LI’s 35th Annual Business Trade Show and Conference features projects of regional significance

Clockwise from upper left: Jimmy Coughlan, Jr., Vice President of Development at TRITEC Real Estate Company; Marc Herbst, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors’ Association; Derek Trulson, Vice Chairman of JLL New York; and, Joe Campolo, Managing Partner at Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP, and also an HIA-LI Board Member.

One of the necessities to the growth of the Long Island economy is the growth of innovative, transformative projects that not only create jobs but create places for our young professionals to live, work, and play.

That’s why the Executive Luncheon program at HIA-LI’s 35th Annual Business Trade Show and Conference featuring projects of regional significance should be on your calendar.

Our highly anticipated annual trade show – taking place on Thursday, May 25, from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Suffolk Federal Credit Union Arena at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood – is brought to you in partnership with our Title Sponsor, Sands New York. It’s a unique opportunity to network, learn, and collaborate with some of the most influential figures in our vibrant business community.

The Executive Luncheon, scheduled from 11:30am to 1:30pm, is designed to provide an insightful exploration of regionally significant Long Island projects that have the potential to substantially invigorate our local economy. The session will be moderated by Marc Herbst, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors’ Association, a highly respected figure in the business community.

Our panelists include Derek Trulson, Vice Chairman of JLL New York; Jimmy Coughlan, Jr., Vice President of Development at TRITEC Real Estate Company; and Joe Campolo, Managing Partner at Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP, who also serves as an HIA-LI Board Member. A representative from Sands New York will also be joining the panel, adding to the diversity and depth of the discussion.

One of the key projects to be discussed will be Midway Crossing. This transformative initiative has been declared a “Project of Regional Significance” by the Long Island Regional Planning Council, promising an estimated annual economic benefit of $3.3 billion. This includes increased wages, tourism, tax revenue, and more, all of which will significantly bolster the surrounding communities and have far-reaching impacts across Long Island and beyond.

We’ll also be discussing two TRITEC projects: Shoregate and Station Yards. With Bay Shore undergoing a revitalization that is rapidly gaining momentum, Shoregate is poised to bolster these efforts by fostering more “feet on the street” with 418 much-needed multifamily rental units within walking distance of Main Street and the LIRR. Station Yards, in Ronkonkoma, right across from the LIRR, will bring 1,450 new homes and 388 new apartments to the center of the island, plus 70,000 square feet of retail space and a village green of about 10,000 square feet. These are two of several live-work-play TRITEC communities that are attractive to our region’s young talent, helping us to keep them here on Long Island and build our future together.

Our Title Sponsor, Sands New York, has recently embarked on a journey to develop a $4 billion resort and possible casino at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum site. This ambitious project includes outdoor community spaces, world-class live performance venues, and a broad range of entertainment programming. Their involvement in our event brings an exciting dimension to the conversation.

And of course, we will be discussing new developments and future plans for the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge, the largest business park in the northeast.

The main event, Long Island’s largest business-to-business trade show, will showcase over 250 exhibitors representing a diverse array of Long Island business sectors. Anticipated attendance exceeds 4,500 business professionals from Nassau and Suffolk counties and beyond, with three-quarters of these attendees being upper-management decision-makers. It has consistently demonstrated its incredible impact on regional businesses over the years. The power of in-person interaction facilitates valuable relationships, generating fresh business ideas and leads, sparking innovation. I am confident that this year will be no exception.

Pricing for the Executive Luncheon is $55 for members and $70 for non-members. Pre-registration is required – please call 631-543-5355 or visit www.hia-li.org. Pre-register for the trade show to avoid the $10 same-day walk-in fee. The day also features a morning motivational seminar by internationally renowned author and speaker Kevin L. McCrudden, available at $25 for members and $40 for non-members.

Trade Show Proves We’re Back to Business!

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No matter the industry or the business sector – and no matter whether you’re a for-profit or not-for-profit enterprise – there’s nothing like real-world, face-to-face networking to help reinforce existing relationships and develop new relationships.

More than 2,000 participants walked the floor at the HIA-LI 34th Annual Business Trade Show and Conference on May 26.

And that leads to new business!

We were all reminded of these basic truths on May 26 at our 34th Annual Business Trade Show and Conference at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood. More than 2,000 business executives joined us to interact with more than 150 exhibitors representing just about every industry sector on Long Island: technology, energy and environment, manufacturing, finance, hospitality, healthcare, media and advertising, education, government, workforce development, and more.

The event began with a sold-out, all-star breakfast panel moderated by Marc Herbst of the Long Island Contractors’ Association. Panelists included Scott Burman of Engel Burman, Joe Campolo of Campolo Middleton & McCormick, Jim Coughlan of TRITEC, and Richard Zapolski of Cameron Engineering.

The panel zeroed in on one of the most exciting and ambitious projects taking shape on Long Island today: Midway Crossing in Ronkonkoma.

The $2.8-billion, public/private project would create a transportation-oriented hub comprised of 1.4 million square feet of office space geared toward bio-tech, research, healthcare and STEM education. It would also include a convention center with a 108,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 30,000-square-foot ballroom, and 20,000 square feet of meeting rooms.

Plans for Midway Crossing also encompass a 300-room hotel, 250,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and a new, 300,000-square-foot terminal at Islip MacArthur Airport that would connect to the Ronkonkoma LIRR station.

Panelists agreed that Midway Crossing stands to be a transformational project for the Long Island economy, generating thousands of jobs and helping to better integrate Long Island’s transportation infrastructure on a big-picture basis – and for the long term.

Making Midway Crossing a reality is going to require energetic advocacy on the part of the Long Island business community, and HIA-LI – a long-time supporter of Islip’s Long Island MacArthur Airport – plans to play an active part.

Other projects discussed include growth at the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge, the Ronkonkoma Hub, downtown Bay Shore, and downtown Long Beach – all vital projects that give young professionals options to live, work, and play on Long Island.

Why is this important? Because studies show that 67 percent of young adults ages 18 to 35 and looking to leave Long Island within the next five years. And by 2025 – just three short years from now – 75 percent of our workforce will need to be young professionals.  These projects are critical to stop the brain drain that’s on the horizon.

Also, for the first time, our Trade Show featured a dedicated Manufacturing Pavilion focused on specific issues and challenges facing manufacturers.

And how do we know it was a success? We asked exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees to complete surveys that would allow us to quantify their level of satisfaction with the event. And, on a scale of one to ten, respondents gave the Trade Show a robust ranking of 8.5.

Thank you to everyone who helped contribute to the success of our 34th Annual Business Trade Show and Conference. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Celebrating Long Island Businesses and Embracing Opportunities

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One of HIA-LI’s primary missions, as most of you know, is to advocate for the growth and sustainability of the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge (LI-IHP), formerly the Hauppauge Industrial Park.

With the Park in mind, I’m pleased to share this upbeat progress report.

Some context: The Park’s enormous economic potential

The HIA-LI cooperated with the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency, the Regional Plan Association, Stony Brook University, and the Town of Smithtown to produce a 160-page “Economic Impact Study and Opportunity Analysis” that reported on the Park’s remarkable magnitude and impact and set forth a vision for further growth.

With 1,300 companies employing 55,000 people, LI-IPH is, amazingly, America’s second-largest industrial park. Delivering $4 billion in annual payroll and $14 billion in overall economic output, the Park accounts for one in twenty Long Island jobs.

58 percent of park tenants fall into the essential “tradeable” category: their exports and services bring new net dollars into the region. This figure contrasts with only 23 percent Island-wide and 36 percent nationally. LI-IPH’s wisest strategy is to help nurture and build out these competitive tradeable industries.

HIA-LI is advancing strategies for attracting the necessary facilities, amenities, talent pool, and knowledge base for further firm clustering – and we’re working to elevate the Park’s brand as Long Island’s premier hub for growing businesses.

Sign up for upcoming virtual events

To help shine a spotlight on the businesses at the LI-IPH, HIA-LI is hosting several virtual events. During these difficult times, we’ve waived attendance fees for these events:

  • Tradable Sectors and How They Impact the Long Island Economy
    Monday, September 14. 9:00am – 10:30am. Click here to register
  • Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge Update: Current and Future Growth
    Tuesday, September 22. 9:00am – 10:30am. Click here to register
  • HIA-LI Business Achievement Awards
    Tuesday, September 29. Networking at 11:00am. Event at 12:00pm. Click here to register
  • HIA-LI Annual Trade Show & Conference
    Wednesday, October 7 and Thursday, October 8. Attendees can click on virtual exhibit booths to schedule live appointments, “walk” the floor, and more.  Click here to register 

Workforce housing is coming to the Park  

To attract a competitive workforce, communities must offer housing for young professionals. To help fulfill the vision set forth in the “Opportunity Analysis” cited above, the Town of Smithtown recently and laudably voted to create a “zoning overlay” district within the Park, allowing for multi-use development, including workforce housing. The Town acted in response to advocacy by HIA-LI and other business and civic interests.

Providing health and safety education for the Park’s workforce 

As you may be aware, many production workers employed in the Park come from communities experiencing high rates of COVID-19. In many instances, workers would benefit by obtaining disease prevention information in their places of work. 

To make this happen, HIA-LI is coordinating with the Suffolk County Department of Labor to introduce workplace-based, COVID-focused health education programming. To learn more, contact: Angela.Ramos@suffolkcountyny.gov

We’re working to help create a workforce training center

In conjunction with the Long Island Regional Planning Council and the Suffolk IDA, HIA-LI is pursuing creation of a regional workforce training center to help businesses at the LI-IPH and elsewhere fill skills gaps among their employees. While the center’s location and syllabus are yet to be determined, its establishment stands to help boost the profitability of LI-IPH firms.

HIA-LI won an international marketing award

A 30-second video promoting the LIIPH has won an internationally recognized Telly Award, which honors achievement in the non-broadcast video industry. Watch the video at www.LI-IPH.org

HIA-LI delivers masks for member businesses

HIA-LI recently teamed up with Governor Andrew Cuomo and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone to distribute thousands of reusable masks for use by employees of firms at the LI-IPH and elsewhere across Long Island.  

Become a member

If your company isn’t currently an HIA-LI member, we’d love you to join! We offer vital, real-time information to help your business through this recovery – and to let the business community know you’re open for business. Contact Anthony Forgione at (631) 543-5355 or aforgione@hia-li.org to learn more.

During these unprecedented times, it’s more critical than ever to celebrate Long Island business – and to embrace opportunities to help us connect and do business.

Please join us!

It Ain’t Just Exhibit Booths!

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Top photo: The trade show floor. Bottom photo: The executive luncheon panel.

Every May, HIA-LI’s Annual Trade Show and Conference infuses our year-round programming  with a healthy jolt of momentum.

This year’s event, our 31st, was the most successful ever. The May 30 exposition – held at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood – attracted 375 exhibitors and more than 3,000 attendees. It was a joy to see attendees reinforce valuable business relationships on the trade show floor.

One high point was Executive Breakfast keynoter Carl Banks, the former NFL linebacker who earned two Super Bowl championship rings as a New York Giant.

Carl is president of GIII Sports, an apparel company ranking among the top three sportswear licensees in professional sports. He shared lessons for success he had carried from the football field into the business world.

Later, a stellar Executive Luncheon panel was moderated by Mitch Pally, CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute and a huge HIA-LI booster.

Panelist Bob Coughlan, principal with TRITEC Real Estate, updated attendees on the 50-acre Ronkonkoma Hub. His company is master developer of a project Bob calls “one of the East Coast’s best transit-oriented sites.”

In a presentation by David Wolkoff, a principal at Heartland Business Center, guests were briefed on Heartland Town Square, a walkable, 450-acre “smart growth” community unfolding on Brentwood’s former Pilgrim State grounds.

David Pennetta, executive director of Cushman & Wakefield, discussed such novel development strategies as a recent proposal to permit multi-family development within an aging Melville business park.

Village of Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri drew praise from fellow panelists for his community’s precedent-setting, redevelopment makeover, including TRITEC’s $112 million, multi-use “New Village” community.

Panelist Joe Campolo — the Managing Partner at Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP and our HIA-LI board chair — reinforced the upbeat spirit by focusing on the action plan spelled out in the recent “Opportunity Analysis” completed for the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge, the new name of the Hauppauge Industrial Park.

The analysis was sponsored by Suffolk County IDA and the Regional Plan Association – and a Task Force is poised to turn the plan into a reality.

While every panelist acknowledged the urgent need for Long Island to retain the youngest stratum of our workforce, Joe said that the strategic re-creation of our business park would play an instrumental role in keeping young people here.

The energy of a successful trade show – combined with the anticipation we’re all feeling as the Park launches its expansion plans – made for an exciting day!