It’s tough work trying to keep abreast of meeting, technology and environmental trends, but Manhattan’s Apella at the Alexandria Center is doing its best.
“Want to give our clients everything they expect and some things they haven’t seen before,” says Arthur Backal, chief executive officer and founder of the Backal Management Group, LLC, which facilitates the planning and execution of conferences and private events at Apella.
Backal is a legendary NYC event consultant who has managed spaces at the Mandarin Oriental New York Hotel and has high-end event expertise from the St. Regis, Pierre Hotel, Cipriani Group and The Waldorf-Astoria, among others.
Set in the fast-paced meetings environment of New York City, Apella’s versatility can accommodate all sizes and types of groups. The boutique property opened in 2010 just off on Manhattan’s Franklin Delano Roosevelt East River Drive, with 10 meeting rooms, the largest of which can accommodate 300 people. The smaller rooms hold from 10 to 30 attendees.
Backal prides himself on finding new niches and angles to present to groups and make his meeting spaces alluring. In addition to various green practices and technological infrastructure at Apella, he recently introduced a lockable, protected charging station, where attendees swipe their credit card and can leave a phone or music device to charge while they return to their meeting. (Charging is free but the card is used as identification.)
