In retail and hospitality, first impressions are important, to both customer experience and the bottom line. Boutique Design New York (BDNY), which takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Center on November 8 and 9, is at the apex of the hospitality and design industries, celebrating the physical spaces of hotels, bars, restaurants, spas and clubs.

The sixth annual edition assembles more than 600 exhibitors of furniture, textiles, stone and tile, flooring, accessories and artwork. The candid workshops, by design and hotelier experts, focus on a range of topics, including sustainability, collaboration, and dissecting what went wrong post-project. And the networking events, including opening and closing galas, invite attendees and exhibitors to log more face time.

Here are three inspiring reasons to get stoked about BDNY:

Spain’s Nanimarquina and New York’s Rich Brilliant Willing are two of 600 exhibitors.

1 Great new furniture
First and foremost, the exhibitor list is expansive and impressive, with brands big and small sharing the floor. Knoll, Moroso, Kohler, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and New York lighting firm Rich Brilliant Willing are a few of the booths to check out. The show also features the North American branches of a number of international manufacturers, including German outdoor furniture company Dedon and Italian tile company Lea Ceramiche. Spain is also in the house, with Nanimarquina showing its Mélange rug collection, and Bover displaying its latest lamps, including Amphora and Siam.

Anwar Mekhayech of DesignAgency, the firm behind the Generator hotel interiors, is one of the speakers on the show’s numerous panels.

2 Inspiring speakers
Providing a wealth of design advice, the show’s many panel discussions delve into industry trends. The key session, on November 9th, looks at women leaders in the field of hospitality interiors, and features keynote speaker Venus Williams, who is not only a tennis champ but also runs her own interior design company. Other talks to take in: Anwar Mekhayech of Toronto’s DesignAgency discussing how hotels like the Generator engage with a city’s urban vibe; and Chad Oppenheim delving into the opportunities presented by the hybrid hotel-residential market.

The Room Mate Grace, part of BDNY’s hotel tour.

3 Fun extracurriculars
From the opening reception at The Vermilion on Lexington Ave (a ticketed event) to the 35th Gold Key Awards, announced at the Waldorf Astoria on the 9th, BDNY engages with the world outside the Javits Center. The show also hosts a hotel tour, featuring the Knickerbocker and the Room Mate Grace. What better way to explore the boutique design industry than a walk through some of New York’s most talked about spaces, old and new.

BDNY runs November 8 and 9 at the Jacob K. Javits Center, New York.