Thanks to the nickname of Syracuse University’s sports teams, Syracuse is widely identified with the color orange. The private institution is one of the city’s largest employers as well as a major hub of research.
The university’s Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems in particular set the tone for innovation in 2010 with the dedication of its headquarters, certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED Platinum facility. This is just one of many ways the traditional orange of Syracuse is meeting the green of the future.
In fact, the city as a whole is embracing the eco-friendly philosophy with a spate of green development. Destiny USA, a major mall due to open this year, is designed to be the largest LEED-certified commercial retail project in the nation, and the new Hotel Skyler earned LEED Platinum certification shortly after it opened in 2011. The new Onondaga Creekwalk between Armory Square and Onondaga Lake was built with porous pavement and other ecologically active infrastructure elements expected to capture as much as 254,000 gallons of rain water each year.
The Oncenter, Syracuse’s largest convention venue, features 200,000 square feet of space, including a 99,000-square-foot convention center, 7,000-seat arena and three theaters, as well as a new green roof that is one of the largest in the Northeast. Installed in late 2011, the roof now consists of 1.5 acres of flowering plants. It will absorb noise and pollutants, reduce heating and cooling costs, and prevent as much as 1 million gallons of rainwater per year from overtaxing the sewer system. This is just the latest advancement for a convention center—and a city—that has long been a leader in the drive toward greener meetings.
“Innovation in sustainability systems and energy sources is a key component of the Syracuse economy,” says David Holder, president of the Syracuse CVB. “The meetings market can tap into this knowledge base and into the sustainability showcase offered by the Syracuse Center of Excellence as an added reason for selecting our community as a site for a truly sustainable meeting.”PageBreak
For an up-close look at the latest in green building technology, group tours of the Center of Excellence are available with advance reservations.
Syracuse’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. The city was the recipient of the first GreeningUSA “Sustainable Community” award in 2011, having achieved certification status as a Sustainable City. Also in 2011, Onondaga County and Syracuse were named one of the top 10 green communities in the nation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The award designates Syracuse as an EPA Green Infrastructure Partner and recognizes ongoing progress by the Syracuse community to establish sustainable buildings and practices, as well as the city’s status as a leader in eco-friendly development.
In the Black
With so many examples of green infrastructure, Syracuse has proved a draw for events focused on sustainability. Other fields with strong ties to Syracuse’s many research institutions include the burgeoning healthcare, engineering and nanotechnology industries. The city’s many top-notch sporting facilities also make it a choice destination for athletic events.
Apart from its green initiatives, formidable braintrust and compelling location in the center of all major Northeastern population centers, Syracuse is a sought-after destination for its award-winning service. The CVB is dedicated to leveraging community in every way possible to encourage meetings growth.
“Our success as a meetings destination is truly dependent upon our ability to connect with local growth industries,” Holder says. “Our local residents are our greatest ambassadors to the events they attend in other places. We want to do everything possible to encourage them to bring those events home.”
Over the past year, the Syracuse CVB has stepped up efforts to boost association business.
“The Syracuse CVB and the Oncenter are celebrating our one-year anniversary partnership on the convention development director position,” says Tracey Kegebein, vice president of sales and services at the Syracuse CVB. “The director, located in a satellite office in Washington, D.C., concentrates on selling meeting space at the convention center to multiproperty groups with 400 peak rooms or more. This is an effort to increase hotel room nights along with meetings business.”
Among the city’s major meetings hotels are the 279-room Crowne Plaza Syracuse, the 235-room Syracuse University Hotel & Conference Center and the 159-room Genessee Grand Hotel, all located conveniently near the Oncenter.
The Oncenter isn’t Syracuse’s only large-scale venue. Empire Expo Center, home of the Great New York State Fair, offers planners 300,000 square feet of all-season event space over 375 acres. The Lodge at Welch Allyn, located in nearby Skaneateles, has 25,000 square feet of flexible space. The Carrier Dome is a 50,000-seat stadium situated on the campus of Syracuse University and serves as the home of the Orange sports teams as well as a venue for world-class entertainment acts. Meanwhile, Alliance Bank Stadium is a AAA ballpark featuring 11,117 seats, 20 corporate boxes and a 150-seat restaurant overlooking the diamond.PageBreak
Local Color
Speaking of green, from April through November, the area is something of a thrifty golfer’s paradise. There are more than 40 public courses nearby, including several highly rated and exceptionally beautiful facilities.
Green Lakes State Park Golf Club in Fayetteville was one of the first courses designed by Robert Trent Jones. The scenic course features two glacial lakes and a 40-person conference room. The Foxfire Golf Course at Village Green in Baldwinsville offers 18 championship holes and a 250-person banquet space. Rogue’s Roost Golf Club in Bridgeport welcomes tournaments and recommends the nearby Brick House Cafe for banquets.
For a taste of Syracuse cuisine, planners can take groups to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The small regional chain has gained fame for its barbecue and live music in recent years after appearances on Good Morning America and Man v. Food. The Syracuse restaurant is the original location and offers rentals of its 125-seat main room with stage and sound system as well as the 40-person Willow Room.
Groups as large as 100 can go waterborne on a Mid-Lakes Navigation cruise. Voyages are customized to the group’s time frame and interests and can range from a one-hour sightseeing float on Skaneateles Lake to a two-day voyage along the Erie Canal.
Fine arts enthusiasts can sample the impressive slate of performance offerings that make Syracuse the cultural hub of Central New York. Syracuse Opera is the only year-round professional opera company serving Upstate New York. Groups of 10 or more can receive discounted tickets. Syracuse Stage is a professional company in residence at Syracuse University. The theater welcomes groups and encourages planners to throw their own “cast party” before or after a performance. The I.M. Pei-designed Everson Museum of Art is renowned for its collections of ceramics and art videos. Docent-led tours as large as 50 are available. With more than 40 other art museums and galleries, in addition to a symphony orchestra, Syracuse is guaranteed to keep art lovers busy.
A true Renaissance city, Syracuse showcases science as well as art. The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology, or MOST as it’s known to locals, invites visitors to delve into exhibits that explore flight, space, telecommunications, human anatomy and the microscopic world. Interactive exhibits and immersive IMAX theater films allow groups to experience science first-hand and in fascinating detail. The museum welcomes rentals and can accommodate 1,000. Discounted private IMAX viewings are also available.
Kelly Crumrin is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus East.
