1:00 p.m.
Baruch College, 151 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010
Manufacturing has long been an integral part of New York City’s success, with businesses, makers, suppliers, and many others creating a rich network that provides for the city and world. From the Garment District to historic industries lining the New York Waterfront, these places imbue neighborhoods with an irreplaceable character while also providing crucial jobs and goods. But today, manufacturing feels squeezed between a growing call for more housing, vastly increased real estate prices, and the slow loss of industries to other places. What is the preservation community’s role in preserving manufacturing, both the historic places that many of these industries inhabit, as well as the industries themselves?
HDC’s 2026 Conference will examine this complex topic with discussions among legacy businesses, new makers and artisans, economic development officials, historians, architects, developers, and many other stakeholders.
We are pleased to announce the panel content for this year’s conference. Participants include representatives from Aurora Lampworks, COOKFOX Architects, Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, Red Hook Business Alliance, New York Fashion Workforce Development Coalition, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation and many more.
A full roster of participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
Panel 1: Practitioners and Community
Who is doing the work of advocating for industries and individual businesses, especially in neighborhoods where manufacturing has historically been an anchor? This panel features current manufacturers who will discuss how things work currently including some of the battles they’ve faced to preserve their communities and their businesses.
Panel 2: Developers and LDCs
How has industry survived and thrived in New York City and what role have historic industrial buildings played? This panel will feature voices who have successfully created spaces where businesses continue to make things. What obstacles have they faced and how have they rehabbed historic structures to continue providing a nucleus for manufacturing and makers?
Panel 3: The Future?
Our final panel will be a wide-ranging conversation on the future of manufacturing in New York City and preservation’s role. What role does nostalgia play in preserving these places? Should adaptive reuse of industrial buildings for new uses be considered a win? In an ideal world, what do we need to have industry thrive in historic locations?
AIA Credit $50; General $35
Friends / Seniors $25
Students Free
Become a Conference Co-Sponsor!
As we prepare for our annual Preservation Conference, we are in search of individual and organizational Co-Sponsors. In addition to admission, your sponsorship will include recognition on the HDC website and all other promotional materials, acknowledgement at the event, and a table to feature your company or organization’s work to attendees at the 2026 Preservation Fair. To learn more about our Co-Sponsor packages, continue reading below.
Non-Profit and Community Organizations $0
Includes co-sponsor listing on the HDC website and a complimentary table to share your organization and its work with attendees at the 2026 Preservation Fair. Space is limited, reserve today!
Professional Partner $500
Includes 4 tickets to the event, co-sponsor listing on all digital and printed advertising materials, the opportunity to feature your company’s materials at the preservation fair, and invitations to future HDC events.
Preservation Leader $1000
Includes 8 tickets to the event, co-sponsor banner listing on all digital and printed advertising materials, the opportunity to feature your company’s materials at the preservation fair, invitations to future HDC events, and a special invite to a tour and reception held by HDC for up to 5 guests.
Community, preservation, and manufacturing-related organizations and companies are encouraged to register. If you or your organization is interested in participating as a Non-Profit or Community Organization at the 2026 Preservation Fair, please contact Michelle Arbulu at [email protected] with your organization’s name and contact information. The Preservation Fair will be held after the confernce during the reception.
If you or your organization is interested in the Professional Partner or Preservation Leader packages, please register here. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kaija Mendez-Bryan at [email protected].
We hope to see you there!
Thank you to our Co-sponsors
Non-Profit and Community Organizations
Friends of Abolitionist Place
Friends of Terra Cotta
Preservation League of Staten Island
Victorian Society New York
Professional Partner
Jenkins Architecture PLLC
Municipal Art Society
Preservation Leader
AIA New York | Center for Architecture
John M Bacon
Françoise Astorg Bollack
Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center