Spacious, open-air decks with expansive vistas and a major campus for academic conferences are among the exciting new venues for meetings.
NYC & Company CEO and president Fred Dixon recently shared the latest options for meetings in New York City with 150+ members of the press and travel partners at an event publicizing the city’s hotels, attractions, events and other new developments.
For planners, the $1.5 million expansion of the Javits Center slated for completion in 2021, is big news, noted Jerry Cito, SVP for Convention Development NYC & Company. It will add more than 1 million sf of event space, including a rooftop terrace and the Northeast’s largest ballroom at 55,000 sf, which will allow the city to attract new and larger conferences.
“New York City is already top-of-mind for planners who know that hosting a meeting, event, incentive program or conference here will boost attendance,” said Cito. “Delegates often bemoan that they’re contained to tourist hubs in major cities and only able to scratch the surface. There is a plethora of unique and diverse venues spread across the five boroughs. We are here to offer suggestions…for programming that is dynamic and distinct.”
Cito also cited a number of airport upgrades and three neighborhoods as standouts that planners should pay attention to:
Hudson Yards
which will open in phases through 2022, is the largest private real estate development in U.S. history with more than 100 shops, 14 acres of public open space, celebrity chef eateries, and more, he said. Two special spots here for planners are The Shed, a 200,000-sf, eight-level venue with a telescoping outer shell planners, and The Observation Deck at Hudson Yards—the highest in NYC at 1,296 ft—offering an exciting new attraction for groups.
Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Campus
Planners looking for a new venue for academic conferences and workshops, executive programs and meetings, especially for the tech community, should take note of the Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Campus and its 2019 addition, the Verizon Executive Education Center.
Seaport District NYC
Formerly known as the South Street Seaport, Seaport District NYC will open in phases starting this summer with cutting-edge culinary, fashion, entertainment and cultural experiences. Pier 17, opening this month, includes a 1.5-acre rooftop for special events and concerts with views of New York City’s waterfront and skyline. Celebrity chef restaurants, the Milan-based, experiential concept store 10 Corso Como, a recently opened premier iPic Theater cinema add to the allure.
Airport Upgrades
Making it easier to arrive and get around, upcoming infrastructure upgrades include an extensive rebuild of LaGuardia Airport, opening in phases from 2018–2021, and a $10 billion investment in JFK International Airport. Plus Newark Liberty International Airport has a new terminal slated to open by 2022, and the fast-growing Stewart International Airport, 80 minutes from midtown, is rebranding to New York International at Stewart Field.
