Unique Shows and Big Stars Take Broadway by Storm

We are fortunate to have top stars and writers leading a new breed of musicals and plays In New York City:
The House of Blue Leaves. While the production is not new, it now boasts stars Edie Falcofrom The Sopranos and Ben Stiller who has starred in multiple Hollywood box office hits including Meet the Parents.

Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Starring comedian Robin Williams, the lives of two American Marines and an Iraqi translator are forever changed by an encounter with a quick-witted tiger who haunts the streets of war-torn Baghdad attempting to find meaning, forgiveness and redemption amidst the city’s ruins.

The Book of Mormon follows two young Missionaries, a go-getter and a nerd, who are sent to Uganda to convert citizens to the Mormon religion. Composed by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone with Avenue Q’s Robert Lopez, the production features the animated TV series’ signature brand of intelligent yet over-the-top humor.

Marie and Bruce. If you want to experience theater like a real New Yorker, Off-Broadway productions are featuring A-List talent. A remake of Marie and Bruce opened on April 7 and stars Oscar-winning actress Marissa Tomeiand Frank Whaley of Pulp Fiction.

ShackmanAssociates has close relationships with production companies throughout Manhattan and has worked with groups to secure unique theater experiences.

11 Ideas for NYC Meetings and Events in '11 - #1 Food Trucks!

Every New Yorker knows you really haven’t dined in Manhattan unless you sample the street food.  Food trucks and carts have become so competitive and unique, the city now holds a major competition every September with thousands of attendees. Even Iron Chef Bobby Flay couldn’t out-duel a curbside chef on a recent episode of “Throwdown".
Shackman Associates New York has incorporated food trucks into meetings and it’s getting rave reviews. Our favorite ideas include:
Welcome Trucks – try greeting meeting attendees on arrival with one of New York’s top trucks outside the hotel. We have used cupcake vendors.

Walk and Waffle – After a group walking tour of Central Park, we provided a Waffle Truck for attendees to refuel with tasty energy.

Hot Dogs in the Ballroom – New York is famous for its street dogs. If your meeting needs a quick break, we bring the hot dog cart to you with all the delicious fixings.

Spiderman Returns from the Dark

It’s baaaack. After taking a deep breath for a month and with some re-tooling, Spiderman Turn Off The Dark returned to the Foxwoods Theater last week for several preview performances for its second opening in June. We checked it out on Saturday. Among the notable changes is the new beginning that, quite frankly, makes more sense and returns the show to its comic book roots.


Although the show’s recent controversies have made it a hot ticket and its Playbill sometimes doubling as an injury report, Spiderman is still a must-see among a new breed of exciting Broadway production. After all, Bono is still the man behind the music!

Boot Camps, Latin Beats and Bike Lanes - 3 Warm Weather Ideas to Keep Your Meeting Fit and Fun

We are constantly being asked by meeting groups to ensure hotels have fitness facilities for attendees. Many of them, especially the properties that have recently opened, do. But isn’t spending a free hour or two isolated in a hotel gym a drag when it’s absolutely beautiful outside?


Here are 3 fit and fun-loving group ideas to keep your meeting attendees active.

1. Central Park Fitness Boot Camps – Tired of step-classes in a sweaty gym? New York’s top personal trainers like Duke Diet model Josh Margolis conduct “Boot Camps” for corporate groups in green pastures with spectacular views of Manhattan’s skyline.

Photos Courtesy of Josh Margolis - Mind over Matter NYC

2. Salsa, Anyone? - While it’s not hard to find a restaurant or club that offers Salsa lessons, it’s even better to hold a group Summer Salsa Night in Riverside Park with the cool breezes of the Hudson River. This venue idea offers a great evening of music and more views of the skyline with the backdrop of the George Washington Bridge and Palisades Mountains to the north.

3. New York now a Biker’s Paradise – We have arranged many bike tours of Central Park and with the Mayor’s enthusiastic expansion of designated bikes lanes, we can help your meeting map out diverse and exciting routes throughout Manhattan.

UPDATE: We have just organized a 100-meeting-attendee bike tour of the West Side along the Hudson River which then routes our cyclists across lower Manhattan and over the Brooklyn Bridge!

Raptors and Ribs in New York

In a city where people think big, it's no surprise that the world's largest dinosaurs also liked Manhattan. 

While we are a few million years removed from the days when a pack T-Rexes moved at the speed of a cabbie down Broadway, The American Museum of Natural History's newest special exhibit offers your group the next best close encounter with the World's Largest Dinosaurs.  The exhibition features life-size bones and cutting-edge research on gigantic Sauropods, including the Mamenchisaurus, which was thought to be the largest living creature to ever exist on earth. 

Pre-historic Manhattan residents that size were probably hungry often - too bad they didn't have a venue like Dinosaur Barb-B-Que to satisfy their appetite.  Your group, however, does!  Considered by locals as the best wings and barbecued ribs on the East Coast, Dinosaur Barb-B-Que offers a unique, fun flavor of New York your meeting or incentive group will savor.