In May 2013, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a $60 million investment in tourism for the Empire State. With an estimated 8.54 million more visitors last year over 2012 contributing an estimated spending lift of $4 billion to $7.7 billion, returns have been handsome indeed.
“Governor Cuomo’s historic investment to boost tourism and create jobs is clearly paying off,” says Gavin Landry, Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s executive director. “Incredibly successful in 2013, New York state’s tourism industry is stronger now than in many years, and Governor Cuomo is committed to further promoting tourism as a major economic driver for the state.”
Super Bowl co-host New York City may be the perennial belle of the ball, but the entire state has the spotlight.
“Much like the way that you think of Italy, you don’t just think of Rome,” Landry said at a Tourism Advisory Council meeting in January. “When you think of New York, we want you to think of all of New York state, and all of the assets throughout the state.”
With the Division of Tourism coordinating initiatives that include a statewide reception in Albany for meeting planners and an invitation-only sales mission for planners from around the country, the “critical” meetings and events market is also in sharp focus as upstate regions from the Catskills to the Thousand Islands leverage existing assets and invest in growth.
URBAN UPSWINGS
Central to the Capital Region’s evolving “Tech Valley” corridor, Albany is building on recent success in booking larger conferences and multiyear events.
“Albany County positions itself as a multifaceted destination for groups at the crossroads of the Northeast,” says Gina Mintzer, director of sales at the Albany County CVB.
Enhancing this appeal will be the new 82,000-square-foot Albany Capital Center, debuting in 2016.
“Connected to the Times Union Center arena and Empire State Plaza Convention Center, this will provide much more space for planners,” Mintzer says.
With newly expanded convention space and over 1,600 committable nearby rooms, a new meetings-capable, 11-screen movie theater downtown and the most restaurants per capita in the nation, Saratoga continues to grow as a year-round destination for groups.
“Fresh off of the 150th anniversary of [horse] racing, the Saratoga meetings and events community is hosting market-specific familiarization tours throughout 2014 covering all segments, including our Saratoga Expedition to NYC for a two-day blitz and VIP reception,” says Todd Garofano, president of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau. “Infrastructure improvements to convention parking facilities, new hotel products and increased transportation options are currently in various phases of development.”
In Syracuse, the 2014 strategy includes two new customer-focused programs.PageBreak
“Our brand-new Customer Advisory Board consists of past and future Syracuse CVB customers and planners,” explains Danica Kaltaler, the bureau’s communications manager. “The goal is to better understand our customer, to sell our destination most efficiently.”
Also one of two U.S. cities seeking the prestigious Seal of Approval from Convention Sales Professionals International, Syracuse aims to earn this distinction in 2014, Kaltaler says.
With 15 area colleges and universities and a diversified economy that attracts conventions and conferences in the medical, engineering, optics and cultural arenas, Rochester continues to enhance its appeal as an affordable destination with access to numerous meeting and conference organizations.
“Our substantial investment in meeting and convention business includes unveiling a new media campaign in the near future with video and print components,” reports Don Jeffries, president and CEO of Visit Rochester. “Five new hotels being built in the area will also allow for simultaneous booking of multiple groups.”
In Buffalo and Niagara, major projects include the $295 million Canalside redevelopment on Buffalo’s Inner Harbor. Immediately adjacent, the $170 million multiuse HarborCenter is scheduled for completion in 2015, along with the 205-room Marriott Buffalo Harbor Center Hotel. Slated to open this summer, meanwhile, is a 96-room Courtyard by Marriott.
“With increasing visitation from abroad, the international market is also a strategic focus,” says Edward Healy, vice president, marketing for Visit Buffalo Niagara. “We are attending key sales missions and more international-based marketplaces than ever before.”
COUNTRY FRESH
Encompassing Rochester and Syracuse and smaller charmers such as Corning and Ithaca, the 9,000-square-mile Finger Lakes region maintains its irresistible appeal by putting the customer first.
“Creating unique, personalized itineraries for planners and tour operators, we position the Finger Lakes as a place where a group will feel welcome and cared for, not simply rushed through,” says Nicole Mahoney, executive director of the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council. “The goal is positive experiences and return-trip relationships.”
This year, the Corning Museum of Glass, New York’s most visited museum, is debuting an expansive new gallery and one of the world’s largest facilities for glassblowing demonstrations. PageBreak
Home of Cornell University, waterfall-rich Ithaca expects to complete a major renovation of its Downtown Commons pedestrian mall this fall, which Bruce Stoff, director of the Ithaca/Tompkins County CVB, says has attracted attention from developers.
“The city has proposals for two new downtown hotels, plus a major expansion of Hotel Ithaca that will add a planned 13,000-square-foot conference center,” Stoff reports. “This year looks good for meetings, and great for 2015 and beyond.”
Centrally located for smaller Northeast conferences and meetings, relaxing Cooperstown is a perennial draw, with assets that include the Farmers’ Museum, Fenimore Art Museum, Glimmerglass Opera and historic Otesaga Resort Hotel, which is scenically situated along Lake Otsego and is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation. In nearby Oneonta, four hotels—Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Courtyard by Marriott and Clarion—joined forces with Foothills Performing Arts & Civic Center to introduce the city as a meeting and conference destination.
Also well equipped for smaller gatherings is the Thousand Islands region, where Watertown continues to grow with several new branded hotels, including a Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott. Home to the popular Antique Boat Museum, the quaint riverfront town of Clayton is poised as the region’s newest meeting destination, with The 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, offering 105 rooms, a conference center and a grand ballroom, slated to open this summer.
HIGHER ELEVATION
Boasting 42 peaks over 4,000 feet, the Adirondacks have long been abundant with group choices.
“Here, groups can host their corporate retreats in facilities offering the newest technology, then go white-water rafting on the Hudson River, cruise Lake George or take a bobsled ride in Lake Placid,” says Ron Ofner, executive director of the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council.
Projected to open this summer in Lake George is The Festival Space at Charles R. Wood Park, a modern multipurpose facility hosting festivals and events of all varieties. Coming to Lake George Village in 2015, a 200-room Courtyard by Marriott will feature a conference center.
Offering 90,000 square feet of flexible space, the eco-friendly Conference Center at Lake Placid focuses on attracting regional day business plus multiday, town-wide conferences.
“The business community is always excited to welcome conferees to town,” says M.J. Lawrence, director of sales and marketing for the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism/Lake Placid CVB. “It is like you own the town when you host your conference here.”
Along with Gore Mountain and charming North Creek, another exciting choice is the emerging Adirondack Coast region. Home to the newly legislated Adirondack Coast Wine Trial (see “Farm to Group” sidebar, page e15), this scenic escape, shouldered by the Adirondacks and Vermont’s Green Mountains along Lake Champlain, features lakeside villages, historic Plattsburgh and the wondrous Ausable Chasm.
