The Empire State commemorates a watershed year in 2009, marking the 400th anniversary of explorer Henry Hudson’s voyage up the river that bears his name, and it is also holding events marking the continuing 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War.
First sailing into New York Harbor—noting the narrow-tipped isle of Mannahatta as he went—Hudson voyaged north to Albany. His journey inspired a trade network that would elevate New York to global commercial prominence.
1754 was a time of intense warring for control of North America. New York State was the key battleground and flashpoint for the French and Indian War, the fierce seven-year conflict that set the stage for the American Revolution.
History alone makes upstate New York special, but from the forever-wild Adirondacks to the forever-cascading Niagara Falls, groups, like Hudson himself, will find beauty and natural abundance, not to mention commercial advantages.
Albany/Saratoga
Next year, the quadricentennial of Hudson’s founding of Albany—the oldest continuous settlement of the original 13 colonies—will shine a special light on the capital city’s illustrious history.
“During the tercentennial celebration, electricity was cutting-edge technology,” says Michele Vennard, president and CEO of the Albany County CVB. “Today, nanotechnology, geonomics, energy, and biomedical research are driving new and exciting business to Albany.”
Meetings-capable venues such as the NYS Museum and the Albany Institute of History & Art are planning major exhibits that will take place throughout 2009. Planners can visit www.hudson400.org for information on the growing events calendar, including the Tulip Festival in May.
The city’s birth site, Fort Orange, is the proposed site of the long-planned Albany Convention Center. According to Vennard, discussions and planning continue with partners SMG and Starwood Hotels to move the project forward.
With the 359-room Albany Marriott fresh off a $4 million renovation, several limited-service properties will join the mix, including a new 119-room Spring Hill Suites. This fall, Holiday Inn Express will open a 120-room property with 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
Thirty minutes away by car, Saratoga Springs is an everlasting Victorian-era wonder, with vintage hotels such as the Saratoga Arms and the Inn at Saratoga.
Rich with original American style, this storied resort boasts more than 1,000 National Historic Register buildings—and of course its legendary racetrack. Equally famous for its springs and mineral baths, it is a perennial choice for spa lovers.
Lake Placid/Adirondacks
Lake Placid, located in the Adirondack Mountains, the magnificent crown of a six million-acre preserve, is a sophisticated meetings destination with a hometown ambience.
“A wide range of lodging, restaurant and meetings options, stunning natural beauty and activities for every taste make Lake Placid a favorite spot of groups large and small,” says Arlene Day, convention sales manager for the Lake Placid/Essex County CVB.
Scheduled to open in 2009, the new Conference Center at Lake Placid will add 35,000 square feet of high-end meeting space to 70,000 square feet of existing exhibit space, with green materials used throughout.
Meetings are all green at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, one of only 12 North American properties to win the Audubon Society’s coveted 4-Green Leaf Award.
The Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa delivers on luxury, and seeking to fill the high-end niche is the 133-room Hilton Lake Placid Resort, currently undergoing a sweeping $10 million renovation in prelude to a reflagging as the High Peaks Resort in June.
Located on the former site of the Blue Mountain House summer resort hotel, the renowned Adirondack Museum is a must-see for groups.
Another area oasis is Lake George in Warren County, as natural a year-round escape as they come. Most every town in the county has a museum dedicated to its local history, with an abundance of historic sites and monuments throughout. Skiing at world-class Gore Mountain, river rafting and spectacular autumnal leaf viewing are among the many four-season activities available.
History surrounds the world-renowned Sagamore resort. Built in 1883 on the shores of Lake George, this premier meeting and event destination offers an acclaimed team-building program.
Larger groups and trade shows head for the Glen Falls Civic Center in the cultural hub of Glen Falls, while the intimate Canoe Island Lodge and the lakeside Fort William Henry Resort and Conference Center provide natural getaways.
Buffalo/Niagara Falls
A celebration of downtown Buffalo’s architecture could as easily fill these pages as fill a post-meeting agenda. From the monumental Art Deco city hall to masterworks from Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Burnham and other Golden Age architects, attendees should reserve time to see the city’s many breathtaking structures.
Named after the French for “beautiful river,” Buffalo is also known as the “City of Trees” for its extensive park system. Events in the greenhouses of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens are especially memorable.
New York’s second-largest city also serves up world-class art and culture at institutions such as the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Shea’s Performing Arts Center and the pitch-perfect Kleinhaus Music Hall.
For after-hours excitement, groups can head for the bistros and boutiques of Elmwood Village, rated one of America’s top 10 neighborhoods, making sure to check out the birthplace of the Buffalo chicken wing, the Anchor Bar.
The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center offers 110,000 square feet of function space, and city’s many meetings-capable hotels include the Adam’s Mark Buffalo–Niagara, the Hyatt Regency Buffalo and the Marriott Buffalo Niagara.
As iconic an American getaway as they come, nearby Niagara Falls awes with the power of 100,000 cubic feet of falling water per second. Groups can get up-close and personal on the famous Maid of the Mist boat ride, or visit the Daredevil Museum to learn about the people who have gone over the falls in barrels and other unlikely vessels.
A wealth of outdoor activities awaits attendees at Niagara Falls State Park, the country’s oldest state park. The Conference Center Niagara Falls has 116,000 square feet of function space, and with 30,000 square feet of meeting and conference space and nearly 600 rooms, Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel is the area’s premier resort.
Rochester
“Flour City” boomed with the arrival of the Erie Canal in 1825, taking advantage of its vast waterway network to become the center of America’s milling industry. The industriousness lived on, transforming this university-rich city into a world center of research, knowledge and innovation.
Today, fun shares the spotlight with the business-first approach.
The engine of the city’s early success, the Genesee River today scenically flows before the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. With enclosed walkways to parking garages and three major hotels, this award-winning facility is ideally situated in the heart of the city.
Also overlooking the river and the 96-foot High Falls is the group-friendly Center at High Falls, formerly a flour mill complex.
Meetings-ready hotels include the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport, while an hour south of Rochester in Java City, the spectacular Beaver Hollow Conference Center is an all-star executive retreat.
Rochester could have invented the concept of going green. “Flower City” contains 11,000 spectacular green acres, including the Highland Botanical Park, home to the annual Lilac Festival. Open-air track car rides connect the New York Museum of Transportation with the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, a great way to take in the area’s unspoiled country scenery.
For gatherings with history, the Genesee Country Village and Museum, with more than 60 authentic historical buildings, and the Memorial Art Gallery, set on the original University of Rochester campus, offer a variety of meeting and banquet spaces.
In harmony with the city’s meetings marketing mantra of “Serious Fun,” the acclaimed Strong National Museum of Play is one of America’s most beloved destinations for families and children.
Syracuse
Located in the state’s epicenter at the convergence of two major highways, Syracuse traditionally draws top show and conference attendance numbers. Now the city has another reason to be the center of attention—greentech.
The prowess of Syracuse University’s Center of Excellence—a new research unit dedicated to green energy and environmental systems—was instrumental in bringing the renowned International Healthy Building Conference & Exhibition to Syracuse in 2009.
Already surrounded by parks, natural areas and waterways, Syracuse is “positioning itself as a model green city of the future,” says David Holder, president of the Syracuse CVB.
With shopping as the top post-meeting delegate activity, a phased expansion of the Carousel Center—the state’s largest regional mall—is under way as part of the Destiny USA project. Green-friendly building materials and green-powered construction equipment feature in the development of this ambitious entertainment-retail complex.
Major hotel additions include a 366-room Westin, which will be unveiled next year. The property will be attached to the city’s premier group facility, the Oncenter Complex.
Additionally, linking Syracuse University with historic Armory Square, the “Connective Corridor” will introduce outdoor video screens and other amenities to enliven transit through the heart of the city’s cultural and entertainment district.
Meanwhile, the 320-room Holiday Inn Liverpool, strategically situated right off Interstate 90, is receiving a complete makeover. Slated for completion in 2009, the renovation will upgrade and expand total meeting space to 30,000 square feet.
Finger Lakes/Ithaca
The oldest wine-producing district in the East, the idyllic Finger Lakes region has long won the hearts and minds of vacationers with its American and European varietals, rolling hills and eponymous finger-like lakes.
The same traits appeal to groups, with many of the wineries offering meeting facilities. Already home to standout destinations such as the Corning Museum of Glass and the Smith Opera House, the region’s latest star attraction, the New York Wine and Culinary Center in Canandaigua, has been a runaway success.
History is served at venues such as Belhurst Castle on Seneca Lake and the elegant Sonnenberg Mansion & Gardens. For modern trappings, the multipurpose Steamboat Landing on Canandaigua Lake, Mirbeau Inn & Spa and Canandaigua Inn on the Lake are all fine choices.
Radiating a cool and funky vibe, artful Ithaca wins on water and wine. Popularly known as “Cascade City,” another moniker could be the “Century Club,” with Ithaca’s 100 waterfalls within 10 minutes of its downtown core and 100 wineries within a 100-mile radius.
Count food and wisdom in the equation, too.
“With more restaurants per capita than New York City and having been named the third-smartest city in the U.S. by Forbes magazine in February, we’re a smart city that really loves a good meal,” says Fred Bonn, director of the Ithaca CVB.
With 10,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, the 106-room Clarion University Hotel & Conference Center is a top business choice among a diverse set of gathering venues. Ithaca’s meeting facilities will expand this month with the opening of a Country Inn and Suites featuring 58 rooms and meeting space for 140 people.
Among the city’s unique spaces are the rustic Cayuga Nature Center, the interactive Sciencenter and the State Theatre, a Moorish-Gothic-Renaissance gem from 1928 with seating for 1,600.
Binghamton/Central Leatherstocking Region
Like Syracuse to its north, the centrally located greater Binghamton area benefits from easy road accessibility. At the junction of three major highways and offering 2,500 overnight accommodations, this former industrial powerhouse is an ideal hub-and-spoke destination.
“We offer all the big-city amenities in a compact—and very affordable—package,” says Gina Kress, manager of convention sales for the Greater Binghamton CVB.
Once a leading producer of weapons, cigars and shoes, the “Valley of Opportunity” now sells ease and natural ambience. Situated on an undulating plain surrounded by high hills, this river-junction city is best known for its six carousels. Bequeathed to the city by a local benefactor, these “magic rides” still spin from Memorial Day to Labor Day at no charge.
Popular with sporting, association and fraternal groups, the city’s primary facilities are the Events Center at Binghamton University and Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. In addition to a cluster of brand-name properties, group hotel standouts include the Binghamton Regency Hotel and Conference Center, and the Holiday Inn Arena and Convention Center.
Once an IBM meeting facility, the luxurious Traditions at the Glen Resort and Conference Center is a top executive choice, featuring a golf course long used for PGA qualifying purposes.
Rural and agrarian, the scenic Leatherstocking region is full of outdoor adventures. Attendees can try their hand at the Herkimer Diamond Mines Resort or reach for the sky hiking Vroman’s Nose near Middleburgh.
Roughly 80 miles northeast of Binghamton, Cooperstown offers a brand-free experience of how American village life once was. Celebrated attractions include the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Glimmerglass Opera and Farmers’ Museum, with lakeside, meetings-friendly lodging at the historic Otesaga Resort.
1000 Islands
As a vacation destination, this collection of 1,864 islands spanning New York and Canada has been a favorite since 1870. Served by the mighty St. Lawrence River, the region’s strong maritime heritage also makes for invigorating group getaways.
Great waterfront choices for groups include the Pine Tree Point Resort, a Victorian retreat set on a wooded peninsula; the Edgewood Resort & Conference Center, featuring 125 rooms, most with balcony views; and the Bonnie Castle Resort.
For memorable special events, Singer Castle is an ornate, 29-room fantasy constructed in 1905, and dating to 1900, the 120-room Rhineland-style Boldt Castle on Heart Island was built for love and abandoned for love lost.
The area’s past lives on in specialty museums such as the Antique Boat Museum and the Maritime Museum of the Great Lakes, as well as at military heritage sites, including Fort Henry and Sackets Harbor Battlefield.
For More Info
Albany County CVB 518.434.1217
www.albany.org
716.852.0511
www.buffalocvb.org
607.643.0059
www.visitcooperstown.com
315.536.7488
www.fingerlakes.org
585.394.3915
www.visitfingerlakes.com
607.772.8860
www.binghamtoncvb.com
585.546.3070
www.meetinrochester.com
607.272.1313
www.visitithaca.com
518.743.8435
www.lakegeorge-adirondacks.com
518.523.2445
www.lakeplacid.com
716.282.8992
www.niagara-usa.com
518.584.1531
www.discoversaratoga.org
607.936.6544
www.corningfingerlakes.com
315.470.1910
www.visitsyracuse.org
518.761.6468
www.visitlakegeorge.com
315.482.2520
www.meet1000.com
