Excelsior! The First Annual Empire State Pen Show

For years now—decades, even—there were rumors, whispers, and murmurs of a pen show returning to Manhattan, New York.

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The reasons why a show in Manhattan, proper, is difficult to maintain are obvious: it boasts some of the priciest real estate in one of the world’s most expensive cities in which to live and work, and hotel event space is always at a premium, as are hotel room rates. It takes dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice of time and resources to run a successful pen show in Manhattan.

Frank Zhang, the owner of the OMAS and the 2025 RCA-winning Nahvalur pen brands, feels up to the challenge. His new Empire State Pen Show is taking place from October 11 to 12, 2025, at the New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 6th Avenue, New York, New York 10019. After three successful years of bringing a multi-day pen show to Los Angeles, California with his annual California Pen Show, Zhang feels primed to make a successful go at the holy grail of pen show locations.

“For me, it is very important to grow the pen community in the largest city in the United States. As with the California Pen Show, we are here to fill a void,” Zhang says.