Teambuilding: Graffiti gets a bigger office at New York corporate meetings

While there has been lots of controversy over the painting of graffiti at 5POINTZ, the art's popularity at corporate meetings is booming.  And that is leading to bigger venues appearing throughout New York City that can accommodate demand.

If you think graffiti as a team-building activity sounds familiar coming from us, you are right.  Shackman Associates New York blogged about this trend 2 years ago when it was more of a "pop-up" idea in selected hotel ballrooms.   Meeting planners can now rent out entire warehouses. 

And not surprisingly, Brooklyn is at the heart of this industry.  Meetings can now combine graffiti with an after-party at Brooklyn's many hot restaurants or a winery-brewery event.
(Photo: Creative Team Events)

Meeting Food Trends: Wild Boar and Pork Belly Replace "Rubber Chicken"

As further proof that the days of "the chicken" and "the beef" are over at corporate destination meeting luncheons and dinners, consider what options meeting planners now have to satisfy taste buds that are more demanding and curious than ever.

Meetings can feature personalized menus with vibrant flavors from the freshest of local, organic and sustainable ingredients. Chefs are also incorporating high-end infused oils such as Manni olive oil from Italy as well as sauces and condiments like Blood Orange Syrup, fruit-infused Balsamic and sophisticated combinations of herbs.

And there's wild boar.  It's appearing everywhere on menus at top restaurants, especially with pasta.  It can be featured at your meeting too.  Today's attendees are also dining on specialized cuts of meat such as pork belly, Kobe beef, Wagyu beef, Kurobuta and multiple versions of Long Island duck.

Broadway Review of "Disaster!": Quite the opposite. It's hilarious!

All of those "disaster" movies from the 70s would probably have been box office "disasters" if they were released today for obvious reasons.  We have found an off-Broadway musical named after the same adjective that has found a clever way to spoof all of them. 

But "Disaster!" is no disaster.

The production takes you back to the 1979 opening night of Manhattan's first floating casino and discotheque. With huge crowds gambling and dancing, no one knows that the owner has skimped on the safety measures. Unlike "Towering Inferno", which it obviously spoofs, this place is about to trigger an earthquake.  There is one scientist played by Seth Rudetsky, who issues dire warnings that lots of boogieing will lead to lots of shaking.  But it's very funny he is on the boat in the first place!

The rest of the characters are a motley group that includes a lounger singer diva, child-star, creepy-casino-guy, a quirky married couple, twins and a degenerate gambler-turned-protester. 

Shackman Associates New York regularly provides corporate meeting, association conventions and destination incentive groups with unique Broadway experiences that includes off-Broadway productions.  Attendees frequently are provided with backstage tours where they can interact with key performers.

Destination Incentive Hotels: Westhouse to open in Midtown

Another boutique hotel is opening in New York City, and instead of Chelsea, the Meatpacking District or Nolita location, the Westhouse is right in the middle of Midtown Manhattan on 55th Street.

The product of the award-winning design firm Jeffrey Beers International, The Westhouse has both stretched the imagination architecturally and provides a cozy atmosphere of a residence.  With 172 rooms, the Westhouse is ideal for a corporate destination incentive group seeking sophistication and superior level of services and amenities.

 

View of Central Park for the Westhouse

Edgy corporate events with an intimate look, sound and taste of pop-ups

While a new wave of apps are driving explosive growth in pop-up events for consumers, corporate meeting attendees can get the same kind of experiences in unique settings.  This kind of event zeroes in on passion points that can re-create events of yesteryear, "salons", dinner parties and "living-room" concerts by undiscovered bands. 

Shackman Associates New York has previously blogged about celebrity chefs providing unique dining experiences for intimate corporate incentive groups, but we are seeing increased demand for dinner parties from up-and-comers.  Because there is an expectation that New York City weeds out the contenders from the pretenders, attendees simply love the element of surprise at a "pop-up" dinner party.

The same is true for music.  Because new apps are bringing undiscovered talent to music enthusiasts in living-room settings, we can do the same for corporate meetings.  Record labels are asking these app companies to find the 10 most popular unrecorded artists in a specific, and this provides meeting planners with booking opportunities because these artists in New York City for longer blocks of time. 

Finally, using a pop-up strategy to book corporate events is very budget-friendly, especially if your meeting is loading up financially on a major gala or team building event on a different day while in New York.