The Empire State has long empowered residents and visitors alike to make the most of their potential. Meetings held in the state are no exception. Geared to impress groups, New York’s cities and its small towns are packed with possibilities when it comes to both business and pleasure.
The continually evolving options in the state—namely new and renovated venues and accommodations, entertainment options and outdoor activities—mean return visitors can enjoy habitual favorites as well as contemporary finds.
New York City: Super Skill Sets
The five boroughs of New York City are always prepared for the next big thing. So when this year’s Super Bowl takes the area by storm on February 2, you can bet New York will be organized. Though the game itself will be played across the Hudson River at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, many of the Super Bowl week activities are planned in the Big Apple.
Last spring, the De La Salle Alumni Association held its 9th World Congress in Manhattan with 200 international attendees. According to Tess Canlas-Mojica, the organization’s president, it was a huge success mainly due to the collaborative efforts of the host chapter, DLSAA/Metro New York, the city and state of New York and the appointed vendor establishments that helped with early planning, contracts, operations and keeping in line with the group’s budgetary restraints. “We were very happy with the execution and the results of our congress, which generated so many positive comments from the attendees and the leaders of the La Salle establishments,” said Canlas-Mojica.
In Midtown, the landmark Jacob K. Javits Convention Center has completed a comprehensive, $465 million renovation, which introduced the new, 110,000-square-foot Javits North and enhanced the entire facility with many eco-friendly features including the largest green roof in the Northeast. As a result, it was awarded silver LEED certification. “The renovation project has produced a more attractive, more customer-friendly facility, and we are thrilled with the results,” said Joseph Spinnato, president of the Hotel Association of New York City, whose members benefit from the center’s business.
Another major venue that has made news is Madison Square Garden, whose $1 billion, three-year improvement project was completed last fall. Highlights include a state-of-the-art multimedia scoreboard; a Signature Suite Level with 18 transformed suites; and two Chase Bridges on the 10th floor that offer additional seating and unique arena views.
Other Midtown venues dedicated to special events include the 12,000-square-foot Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Station; a three-story event space, Offsite, which opened last year south of Bryant Park with 4,200 square feet of space for up to 150 people; and three properties by the event-venue company Convene, the largest of which is its 25,000-square-foot venue in Midtown East that can accommodate up to 400 people. In the Meatpacking District, Industria Superstudio has two buildings that house several studios, which can be combined for events as large as 400 guests.
Chelsea Piers, which was revamped after Superstorm Sandy, welcomes group events in various areas including Pier 60, which features 20,000 square feet of column-free space for up to 2,000 attendees. At Rockefeller Center, Top of the Rock is a 55,000-square-foot event facility located on the 70th floor of the landmark building with an observation deck that offers 360-degree views of the city. And atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the iconic Rainbow Room is scheduled to reopen this fall after a four-year closure.
Hotel options for visiting groups are as diverse as the city. And they keep growing. In fact, NYC & Company reports that by the end of this year, the city will boast some 100,000 hotel guest rooms. Especially large groups might be interested in a Midtown convention complex called NY5000, which is made available through NYC & Company. It combines several Midtown hotels, including the Hilton and the renovated Sheraton, to offer 5,000 guest rooms, 100 meeting rooms and 225,000 square feet of function space, all in one square block.
Last fall, the 240-room Viceroy/New York opened in Midtown with more than 3,200 square feet of event space. Other meeting hotels that opened last year include the High Line Hotel and the Hyatt/Times Square, which has a rooftop terrace. In January, the Loews Regency Hotel reopened in Midtown after a $100 million renovation. Features include 379 guest rooms and 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hotels that have undergone multimillion-dollar renovations also include the Novotel/New York–Times Square, with a new 5,700-square-foot terrace and a restaurant; the Affinia/Manhattan; the Benjamin Hotel; the historic Lexington New York City Hotel, now an Autograph Collection property; the reimagined Park Central Hotel; the W/New York–Times Square; the Hotel Chandler; the Hotel Belleclaire; and the iconic New York Palace Hotel.
The Kitano/New York has introduced two meeting spaces and a lounge, which can be combined for events of up to 60 people. The historic Paramount Hotel has also introduced two new event spaces, for a new total of 2,355 square feet of total function space. The Andaz/Wall Street has renovated its Concourse Level and now features 7,000 square feet of function space.
In the Bronx, 50,000-seat Yankee Stadium is sure to be a hit with attendees thanks to 18 special group venues and a 31,000-square-foot Great Hall. Other popular borough attractions are the 250-acre New York Botanical Garden, a National Historic Landmark that has year-round indoor space for groups of up to 500 people and tented outdoor space for up to 1,000 people, and Wave Hill, a public garden and café along the Hudson River whose historic house was reopened last summer for events as large as 175 people.
In Queens, groups can host events at the U.S. Tennis Association Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the annual U.S. Open. Of its dozen venues, the largest is the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium. Last fall, the center began a $550 million transformation project that is expected to erect two new stadiums and add a retractable roof to Arthur Ashe Stadium. The project has an expected completion date of 2017.
Other meeting options in Queens include the Museum of the Moving Image, with space for up to 323 attendees, and the Queens County Farm Museum, with space for up to 1,000 people. In September 2015, a dual-hotel development featuring a 178-room Four Points by Sheraton and a 118-room Element property is expected to open near LaGuardia Airport.
In Brooklyn, the Barclays Center, which opened last year, has a main arena that can accommodate up to 19,000 people, and its Cushman & Wakefield Theater can be configured to seat up to 7,700. Other notable venues in the borough include the Brooklyn Museum, with spaces that can accommodate up to 880 people; the adjacent, 52-acre Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which has more than a half-dozen spaces, three of which can accommodate up to 1,000 guests; and Brooklyn Bridge Park, where Jane’s Carousel, a restored, historic merry-go-round housed in a spectacular pavilion, welcomes private events.
On Staten Island, the 83-acre Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is one of New York City’s unique architectural complexes and historic landscapes. Spaces include a five-acre meadow for upward of 5,000 attendees and two indoor performance halls, for up to 686 and 150 people. And this year construction is expected to begin on the 60-story-high New York Wheel, which will be the tallest observatory wheel in the country when it opens in 2016.
Westchester County & ulster county: Off the Beaten Path
Associations interested in quieter settings that are still within commuting distance of New York City’s entertainment and nightlife options need simply to head north to Westchester County. Several area campuses welcome groups with lecture halls, classrooms and other meeting areas. These include Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville; Pace University and Berkeley College, each with Westchester campuses in White Plains; and Manhattanville College and Purchase College, located in the town of Purchase.
One of the closest stops outside New York City is Yonkers, where the Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway can host up to 1,000. And in Rye Brook, the Doral Arrowwood Hotel Conference Center is set on 114 wooded acres.
Tarrytown, in the scenic Hudson Valley and just 40 minutes by train from Manhattan’s Grand Central Station, is home to several historic buildings that can be used for meetings. The 67-acre Lyndhurst Estate, a National Trust Historic Site, provides 2,800 square feet of event space, and its mansion hosts private receptions and dinners. The Tappan Hill Mansion, Mark Twain’s one-time retreat, has event space for groups of up to 500 people. Notable overnight options can be found at the 31-room Castle Hotel & Spa, which reopened in May after a property-wide renovation and offers 3,300 square feet of meeting and banquet space.
Grand Prix New York Racing & Bowling in Mount Kisco has 120,000 square feet of meeting space, and in nearby Katonah, the Caramoor Center for Music & the Arts has various spaces for groups of up to 1,000.
Twenty miles west, in Bear Mountain, the historic Bear Mountain Inn has renovated its 15 guest rooms (the property also offers an additional 48 accommodation options).
Farther north, in Ulster County, New Paltz is a popular base for rock climbers. The Victorian-style Mohonk Mountain House, which is situated atop the Shawangunk Ridge, has 10,000 square feet of space and an award-winning spa. About 23 miles west, in Ellenville, the Honors Haven Resort & Spa offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space.
Long Island: A World Apart
Long Island never falls short on pre- and post-meeting options for groups, which range from boat trips to winery tours, and it also offers more than 300 lodging properties, including 29 full-service hotels. On the western side of the island, in Nassau County, the historic Garden City Hotel in Garden City recently completed a multimillion-dollar restoration of its public spaces. The multi-purpose Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale is home to the NHL’s New York Islanders, and groups can utilize its 72,000 square feet of space for events of up to 2,000. Ten miles north, in Jericho, the Milleridge Inn & Restaurant dates back to 1672 and has meeting space for up to 450 people.
Suffolk County venues include the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, which offers 7,500 square feet of space and a renovated planetarium; Suffolk County Community College’s Sports & Exhibition Complex in Brentwood, which has a 58,000-square-foot field house that can be used for up to 200 booths or up to 4,500 people; and, in Huntington, the historic Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate, which can accommodate events of up to 700 guests.
Greater Albany: Focusing on the Greater Good
On the banks of the Hudson River in upstate New York, the capital city of Albany draws groups interested in making their efforts known to government officials. Downtown, the 98-acre Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza is home to state administration offices, a performing arts center and the New York State Museum, which has a dozen spaces that can be used for special events. Also downtown is the historic, 2,800-seat Palace Theatre; the elegant State Room, with meeting and banquet space for up to 400 people; the 44-story Erastus Corning Tower, with an observation deck on its 42nd floor that can be used for events of up to 200; and the Times Union Center, which can be configured to seat up to 17,500 people.
With the New York State Convention Center still under construction, planners with large groups or events continue to turn to the Washington Avenue Armory, which can accommodate trade shows and conventions for up to 4,300.
Thirty miles south of Albany, in Ghent, the Omi International Arts Center has indoor reception space for up to 100 or tented outdoor space amid the center’s 60-acre Fields Sculpture Park, which rotates nearly 80 works of contemporary art. From Thanksgiving to mid-March, the center also has retreat space, which includes 21 guest rooms, a kitchen and event space for up to 30 people.
Schenectady, northwest of the capital, has more than 75,000 square feet of meeting space, 800 guest rooms and 100 restaurants, many located in its historic downtown. The Proctors Art Complex has more than a half-dozen event venues, the largest of which is its 2,646-seat Mainstage Theater.
And farther north, in Saratoga Springs, attractions that can double as event sites include the Saratoga Race Course, with 45,000 square feet of space, and across the street, the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame, with function space for up to 400. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s 2,400-acre park can host up to 25,000 people and three smaller spaces are also available.
Lake George & Lake Placid: Peaceful & Productive
The serene lake towns of the Adirondack Mountains are true gems when it comes to retreats, with destinations designed to slow down and make time for introspective thought processes. The Fort William Henry Hotel & Conference Center in the village of Lake George is open year-round. Just north, the Inn at Erlowest is a charming, turn-of-the-century castle with 10 guest rooms, a fine-dining restaurant and meeting space for up to 200 people.
Farther up the western shores of the lake is the Sagamore Resort, set on a private island near Bolton Landing. It has its own golf course, spa, recreation center and an 85-foot yacht that can be used for private dinner cruises. In Silver Bay, the Silver Bay YMCA is a historic conference and retreat center.
South of the lake, in Queensbury, the Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Waterpark serves as great entertainment for attendees and their families and offers event space. And in nearby Glens Falls, the 4,774-seat Glens Falls Civic Center also has a 7,335-square-foot banquet area. West of the lake, in North Creek, the Gore Mountain Ski Resort is open year-round for events of up to 378.
In the town of Lake Placid, the gold LEED-certified Conference Center at Lake Placid welcomes groups every year with 90,000 square feet of event space. In 2017, it is scheduled to host the New York State School Boards Association with an expected 1,100 attendees.
At the Olympic Center, which pays homage to the Lake Placid Winter Olympics, groups can host events within the Winter Olympic Museum or the 7,700-seat Herb Brooks Arena. In addition, there are other ice rinks that can be converted into trade show venues. Planners can also incorporate bobsled or skeleton rides with professional athletes.
Syracuse: Many Happy Returns
Accessibility is a strong selling point for Syracuse. And there are some 6,200 hotel guest rooms in the metropolitan area and several large facilities for conventions, trade shows or just a small board meeting. The annual Multiple District-20 New York & Bermuda Lions Convention was recently held in Syracuse, as was the Upper New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and the New York State Public Employees Federation Annual Convention & Trade Show.
For large meetings and events, the 375-acre New York State Fairgrounds boasts 300,000 square feet of available space. Also popular is the three-block Oncenter Complex, with 200,000 square feet of event space including the 7,000-seat War Memorial Arena and a convention center with 99,000 square feet of flexible space. NBT Bank Stadium, which serves a minor league baseball team, has 11,117 seats. And on the shores of Onondaga Lake, the 2.4 million-square-foot Destiny USA (previously the Carousel Center) is home to restaurants, shops and entertainment options.
In hotel news, a dual-brand hotel property opened recently downtown. It includes the 78-room Residence Inn/Downtown at Armory Square, which offers groups a 554-square-foot boardroom, and the 102-room Courtyard/Syracuse Downtown, with 876 square feet of meeting space.
Rochester, Niagara Falls & Buffalo: A Natural Fit
Entertaining agendas in Rochester happen naturally thanks to a well-rounded roster of recreational, sports and cultural activities and a popular 100,000-square-foot convention center attached via skywalk to a recently renovated Hyatt Regency Hotel. Other meeting venues include the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial, which can seat upward of 11,000 people, and the Seneca Park Zoo, with event space for up to 225 people.
Straddling the Canadian border is Niagara Falls, where the Conference & Event Center Niagara Falls features 116,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. The venue is ideally located on Old Falls Street USA, the three-block entertainment district that leads to the entrance of Niagara Falls State Park, and its staff can also arrange outdoor events steps from the waterfalls themselves. Nearby, the Sheraton at the Falls has renovated its guest rooms, business center and lounge. Groups that have recently taken advantage of all the town has to offer include the New York Library Association and the New York State Public Employees Federation.
Just 20 miles from Niagara Falls is Buffalo, New York’s second-largest city. The city’s countless attractions such as the Broadway Market or homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright make fine perks to add onto itineraries. Key meeting venues include the 110,000-square-foot Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, with its recently renovated, 64,000-square-foot exhibit hall; the renovated Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel & Conference Center; and, on the revitalized waterfront, the First Niagara Center, which regularly hosts concerts, sporting events and trade shows and can seat up to 19,200 people.
In the suburb of Orchard Park, southeast of downtown, the 73,079-seat Ralph Wilson Stadium is the home field of the NFL’s Bills but can also be booked for association functions. It is currently undergoing a $130 million renovation to improve the exterior concourse and gates and add Wi-Fi capabilities and a new fan lounge, among other things. And northeast of Buffalo, in Clarence, the Western New York Event Centre offers 60,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space.
On Lake Ontario, the Thousand Islands Region offers singular group activities that include scenic boat cruises, white-water rafting and fishing excursions. Most meeting-friendly accommodations are located in Alexandria Bay.
The Finger Lakes Region & Binghamton: Smart Thinking
Ithaca is home to both Ithaca College and Cornell University, the latter renowned for its hospitality-management training program. Regional groups regularly make good use of Cornell’s conference center, which has nine meeting rooms and can accommodate up to 110 attendees.
About 18 miles east, the Hope Lake Lodge & Conference Center in Cortland offers more than 19,000 square feet of event space including the new 4,500-square-foot Acropolis, which can accommodate up to 400. Another popular resort town is Geneva, where Belhurst Castle offers guest rooms, a winery and meeting space for up to 250 people. In Skaneateles, the Sherwood Inn has renovated conference space for up to 310, and the French Country–style Mirbeau Inn & Spa at The Pinehills is scheduled to open this spring with 50 guest rooms and 5,000 square feet of event space, including a 1,500-square-foot ballroom and a garden area for larger social functions.
Just north of the Pennsylvania border, the small towns of Corning and Elmira offer insightful diversions. In Corning, the historic downtown Gaffer District is home to the well-regarded Corning Museum of Glass, with event spaces for up to 800, and the Radisson/Corning, which has 8,000 square feet of meeting space, including the Finger Lakes Ballroom for up to 500 people. In Elmira, the Clemens Center commemorates Mark Twain, one of the city’s most famous summertime residents. Its Powers Theater can seat up to 1,618.
To the east, Binghamton can easily accommodate mid-sized groups. The Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena has 30,000 square feet of exhibition space and up to 7,000 seats, or planners can book the 1,525-seat Forum Theatre. Additionally, a wide array of meeting space is also available at Binghamton University.
Magnetic Meetings
From round-the-clock entertainment to thought-provoking hideaways, New York brings out the best in associations heading its way. As attendees who have been there before can attest, it’s hard to resist the pull of gatherings held in the Empire State.