The move could allow IBM to show off its unique depth in research at its consulting level in a field crowded with top level consulting, says Jonathan Yarmis, a research fellow at HfS, a business and IT research firm based in Boston.

FORBES: With New Research Labs, IBM Brings CEOs Face-To-Face With Watson

At the show there are companies that build manufacturing equipment for hard disk components and semiconductors although each industry also has its unique equipment, materials and processes.

FORBES: The Engines of Innovation

While the Moth StorySlam is the only show that draws all its performers from a lottery and judges it as a competition, other shows in the city feature unique components, such as adhering to a specific theme or mixing in improvisation, music, fiction and audience participation.

BBC: New York stories