With a vibrant culinary scene and significant new investment in its downtown area, there’s much to offer groups meeting in Rochester.
“There is no limit to what you can do when you meet in Rochester,” says Don Jeffries, president & CEO, Visit Rochester. “Our city is the gateway to the Finger Lakes, one of the most agriculturally rich regions in the country, so it’s no surprise that opportunities abound when it comes to unique food and beverage experiences. Rochester is an affordable and accessible meeting destination with year-round appeal. Our community is in the midst of major revitalization, with a concentration of development in Rochester’s downtown, giving groups the opportunity to rediscover Rochester.”
An estimated $857 million investment is flowing into the city, including hotel revamps and new venues. The Hyatt Regency Rochester is set to undergo a $15 million renovation that will completely overhaul its public spaces, meeting spaces and guest rooms. The Hyatt is one of two downtown Rochester hotels that connect directly to the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center and its 100,000 sf of meeting space via an enclosed skywalk and scenic riverside promenade.
Food Trucks and Pop-Up Dining
Culinary experiences run the gamut of flavors and styles in Rochester. The “Food Truck Rodeo” in the historic Rochester Public Market showcases the community’s creative mobile cuisine in a unique festival environment with live music. Midtown Eats is another pop-up dining experience that brings some of the city’s most notable restaurants and chefs into the city on a rotating seasonal schedule.
Craft Beer Tours
Groups can also discover New York State’s craft brewing boom on the Rochester Craft Beverage Trail, which explores more than 20 local breweries, distilleries and wineries. Sample craft drinks from beer brewed with locally grown hops to vodka distilled with wheat grown along Conesus Lake.
Team Building at Radio Social
The Arbor Loft offers 5,300 sf with wooden floors and an industrial-chic feel, and the Radio Social, has 34 bowling lanes, lounge areas, a variety of indoor and outdoor games and a full-service restaurant and bar. Rochester-native Steven Eakins—a past competitor on the Food Network’s popular show “Chopped”—has returned from Manhattan to be head chef at Radio Social, which is primed for team building.
