It’s been 15 years since then-Mayor Gerald Jennings convened the task force that solicited the first proposals for a new-build convention center in New York’s capital city of Albany. Two years later, in 2004, then-Gov. George Pataki formed the Albany Convention Center Authority (ACCA) “to meet an immediate need to institute a comprehensive, coordinated program of convention activities in the city of Albany.”
The ensuing decade saw plans and funding for a convention facility evolve in fits and starts. Then, in March 2015 the old Wellington Hotel annex in the heart of downtown was imploded, and the days of inching forward were over as the excavators moved in and the steel went up on the $75 million Albany Capital Center (ACC).
As ACCA Chairman Gavin Donohue commented during a media walk-through last November, “…for years the convention center was just a dream; now look how far we’ve come.”
With the ribbon-cutting confirmed for March 1 and official opening on March 2 in conjunction with the MAAC basketball tournament, the contemporary 82,000-square foot, two-level ACC completes the four-venue, 159,000-plus square-foot Capital Complex, creating Upstate New York’s largest group facility.
The ACC is expected to attract an additional 150,000 attendees to the Capital Region with an estimated economic impact of $36 million, plus fiscal benefits of nearly $1 million annually for New York state, Albany County and the city of Albany.
With economic development also continuing to drive group growth in nearby Saratoga Springs, the Capital Region, seat of government for four centuries, can now add meetings headquarters to its Empire State resume.
Albany
Culminating years of patient, strategic recovery from post-industrial decline, the ACC, following investment in projects like the adjacent 203-room Renaissance Albany Hotel and the nurturing of a local high-tech, innovation-driven economy, represents a crowning investment in Albany’s future.
“The Albany Capital Center will be a vital component of attracting new meetings and conventions to the city,” said Michele Vennard, president and CEO of the Albany County CVB. “This additional 82,000 square feet of space, plus upgrades to the adjacent Times Union Center and Empire State Plaza, now allows us to attract and host larger meetings, tradeshows, sports tournaments and other events than in the past.”
Connected to the Times Union Center, Empire State Plaza and Renaissance Albany Hotel via fully enclosed, climate-controlled walkways to The Capital Complex, the ACC offers 22,500 square feet of ballroom/exhibit space, six meeting rooms encompassing 9,200 square feet of space, and 13,500 square feet of prefunction space. By design, the clear-span ballroom can accommodate three full-size basketball courts, supporting tournament play at the Times Union Center.
Other features include abundant natural light, state-of-the-art technology and a 3,000-square-foot, full-service catering kitchen, with dining provided by long-time regional leader Mazzone Hospitality.
Largely New York-built, including 12 contracts with Capital Region construction firms, the venue notably met its goal of 22.75 percent Minority- and Women- Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) participation, representing some $13 million in contracts. And, consistent with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s focus on green initiatives, the venue incorporates efficient water, heating and lighting systems, including a roof-mounted solar panel system.
Welcoming its inaugural group March 23-25, the 79th Annual Conference of the New York State Council for the Social Studies (NYSCSS), the ACC, with a capacity of 5,000 delegates, is set to capitalize on the strong meetings momentum of recent years.
“Along with the NYS Council of School Superintendents, NYSCSS was among the first contracts signed for the new facility,” Vennard said. “Both are organizations that we haven’t been able to host previously.
“Meetings mean big business for Albany,” she continued. “In 2016, travelers spent $1.9 billion in our region, generating $124 million in taxes and supporting 15,400 jobs. Business travel constitutes the bulk of Albany’s visitors, and the ACC and Capital Complex will help build that market, and keep us competitive with other cities.”
The new venue is also catalyzing invigorated interest and investment in the city.
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“Albany is a 400-year-old city packed with charm, history and fun activities,” Vennard said. “From landmark buildings transformed into grand event spaces and unique and historic structures, to your favorite name-brand hotels, Albany has a strong and diverse collection of meeting venues for every group. We believe that the convention center, which has inspired many millions of dollars in renovations and upgrades to other major facilities, will also help meeting planners discover just how much we have to offer.”
Saratoga Springs
Beginning with the two battles of Saratoga in 1777, both pivotal in the Revolutionary War, Saratoga Springs maintains a special place in the American experience. Located in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains some 36 miles due north of Albany up I-87, Saratoga enjoyed golden eras as a casino destination rivaling Monte Carlo and as the “Queen of the Spas,” its stately health resorts fed by the only naturally carbonated mineral waters east of the Rockies. Since 1863, Saratoga has been the home of American horse racing, with the Saratoga Race Course claiming honors as the nation’s oldest continuously operating sporting venue.
These legacies, together with product and asset diversity, also set Saratoga apart as a meetings destination.
“Combine our rich heritage of ‘Health, History & Horses’ with our lodging stock of national chains, resort properties, upscale boutiques, quaint inns and B&Bs, our modern and flexible conference venues, and our artistic and cultural attractions, and we offer a value proposition to meeting planners and attendees that is hard to duplicate anywhere else,” said Todd Garofano, president of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau.
Strategic business development, fostered by intensive networking, collaboration and engagement with area industries and enterprises, is another major piston in Saratoga’s growth engine.
“Working with our regional economic development arm, the Center for Economic Growth, along with our respective county economic development agencies, we continue to identify and access new business opportunities from specific target markets in the region,” Garofano said.
Regarding the “added competition” from the ACC, he believes that “the more the spotlight shines on the region, the more we’ll collectively attract new meetings business, and that is a good thing.”
Nevertheless, he emphasized, “with all the competition growing around us, including new hotels and the new Rivers Casino in Schenectady, and the new year-round Courtyard Lake George, with 10,000-plus square feet of space, we have to double down going forward.” He added that, “We always consider ourselves the hungry underdog, but the one that does it the best from sales to service back to sales.”
Based on last year’s results and growth opportunities ahead, that’s a recipe for success, as Garofano explained.
“With the statewide association market holding firm as our leading producer for conference and convention business, we continued to diversify our market segments with a focus on both regional and national associations, and corporate, incentive and small meetings,” he said. “Having added a new sales director for each segment, we saw immediate returns, especially during racing season and our winter months.”
Targeting the shoulder seasons, the bureau also added resources to expand efforts around sports and special events, while continuing to market to the destination wedding segment.
“Now in its fourth year, our proactive ‘Tie the Knot in ‘Toga!’ campaign is generating great results,” Garofano said. “Consistent competition from the Hamptons, the Berkshires and Newport, R.I., aside, we are gaining weddings business throughout the fall and winter months.”
Overall returns from these initiatives suggest that “underdog” may be a modest understatement.
“We increased the number of groups we touched in 2016 by 48 percent over 2015, while expanding our pipeline for future business by more than 14 percent year-over-year,” Garofano said. “Moving forward, our plan is to protect our base while continuing to find new business opportunities through sales missions to target markets and specific regional and national tradeshows and marketplaces.
“We are also making a concerted effort to service more groups than ever before by encouraging our hotel and venue partners to lean on the bureau’s innovative service offerings,” he added. “By adding market segments and creating memorable planner and delegate experiences, we build the brand, foster guest loyalty and come full circle on growing and solidifying our base.”
