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Boutique Hotel Provides Triple Flexibility for Small Destination Meetings

With so many hotels, meeting options and dining venues available to destination corporate meeting attendees in New York City, convenience at one location sometimes underrated.

The challenge, of course, is delivering on diverse and specific needs of each group.

We have found one boutique hotel in Midtown that provides luxury, style and flexibility small meeting groups are seeking. It features Library meeting rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking 44^th Street that accommodates 10 guests. It also provides a private suite ideal for breakout sessions with a private dining option for 15.

Need something a little larger? Your attendees and enjoy space accommodating up to 20 guests for private dining events, 30 guests for cocktail receptions and up to 25 attendees for meetings.

Overall, New York's boutique hotels are becoming more flexible than ever for meeting groups while creating the intimate vibe attendees love, especially when it's a short walk from major attractions such as Times Square!

A Luxury Touch of Paris Coming to NYC?

We are hearing that the Sony Building on Madison Avenue could become New York's version of the Bristol Hotel.

Hôtel Le Bristol is a world-renown five-star property located in Parid in the heart of the fashion, design, and art district. Hôtel Le Bristol opened in 1925 and is famous for its historic architecture and luxurious interior. The hotel is part of the Oetker Collection, Masterpiece Hotels which is owned by one of Europe's richest families.

Manhattan's Pier 57 Becomes a Food Playground for Anthony Bourdain

Anthony Bourdiain, the world's most famous traveling foodie, is opening a major dining and food venue at Pier 57 in Manhattan. Bourdain's food hall will be located on the corner of West 15th Street and the Hudson River, and will include a farmers market with an oyster bar, bakery, tapas bar and more.

According to Eater, the food hall, opening in early 2016, will also feature 100 vendors, some as permanent fixtures and others rotating in for a few weeks at a time. Bourdain's group is also planning a rooftop beer garden and says the entire venue will be highly experiential for people visiting New York.

The Spotted Pig Owners Scale Up in Downtown Manhattan

What a difference seven years makes! The infamous AIG Tower, one of the symbols of the 2008 financial crisis, has been overhauled into luxury rental apartments. And more. It now has top chef April Bloomfield from the Spotted Pig as the operator of an ultra-dining and drinking venue on its top four floors.

Besides its incredible gourmet burgers, The Spotted Pig, located in a very quiet area of the West Village, has been a regular establishment for celebs. Bloomfield and her partner, Ken Friedman, also operate The Breslin and John Dory Oyster Bar at the Ace Hotel.

The new restaurant will feature 7,500 of indoor dining space and around 2,500 square feet of terraces. The venue will also operate a 1,000 square-foot lobby bar. We expect this to be an incredible venue that will accommodate destination meeting groups of all sizes.

Think Pink and French All Year for Wine at Corporate Galas

There was a time when wine snobs would thumb their noses at rosé. It was too unsophisticated unless it was an $850 bottle of Garrus.

"A summer-only drink," some would say. Well, not anymore, and it's a F&B  idea to consider serving at your next corporate gala or incentive dinner.

Rosés have exploded in popularity and most every wine-making country makes them. Rosé sales in the US grew by 25.4% last year and the wine has become more diverse, rich and sophisticated than ever. It is also more moderately priced, which makes it work as an option at galas, dinners or other major events.

Also, New York City chefs are coming up with more pairing ideas that make it even work with meat. That's something you might never thought could happen.

And then there are some chefs that are so obsessed with rosé that they are encouraging people to drink it all year with incredibly creative pairings like eggplant ribs and rabbit sausage. One venue, ideal for small corporate incentive programs, is doing just that. They even have "Winter Rosé" categories!

The Uber of Chopper Service Launches in NYC, Transforms Airport Travel

While it's common to hear about CEOs using helicopters to speed their commute to New York City's three area airports, it has not always been an option for meetings on a budget, especially when the price is $2,000 per ride.

Until now.

New chopper services are opening the window to travel for destination corporate meeting attendees. Flights with high frequency run anywhere from $99 to $199. UberX can be just as expensive. So doesn't it make sense to cut your travel time by as much as an hour, and maybe more during rush hour?

With multiple terminals in Manhattan, passengers are also treated to in-flight food and leather seats. That sounds more comfortable than amenities on many airlines!

Shhh! Book an Artistic Secret Room for Corporate Events

Some of the best event venues in New York are under-the-radar. Others have taken it to a new (or should we say quieter) level. That's because they are secret.

Our favorite in Manhattan is a secret room behind a rotating bookcase. Located in a very trendy hotel, this event venue provides meeting planners with plenty of space for live entertainment and increasingly fresh, original art throughout the space.

It's just another angle on a trend where experiential art is the kind of decor destination meeting attendees seek because it fits their personal senses of style.

Put Down the NYC Rooftop Cocktail and Pick up a Spear Instead

Most business travelers and corporate meeting attendees tell us that they specifically look for hotels with gyms that fit their lifestyles. But what if your lifestyle is trending a little Spartan?

We found a workout and potential team-building venue that is training people of all shapes and sizes for Spartan races. The sport exploded in 2012, and is expected to attract one million competitors in 2015. The challenge, of course, is being able to practice any of the extreme race requirements in a major city.

Now you can. We bet that at least one of your millennial destination meeting attendees has either competed in an extreme race or is thinking about it.

The workout includes circuit training, squats, burpees, and amazingly, spear-throwing on the rooftop. Not something you can say someone can do everyday on a rooftop in NYC!

After-Hours at Destination Meetings: Tapas Come "Marcha" In

Whether you call them "small plates" or the more "old-school" label, Tapas, they are everyone on menus in New York City. They are a free-time must-do for corporate meeting attendees, but the question is whether they have become too trendy for their own good.

That's why we are thrilled to find out that Marcha Cocina, which makes about as satisfying a tapa as you could imagine, is expanding to the East Village. Originally in Washington Heights, the gamba and chorizo will be a huge hit with your group. And the mojitos and sangrias are pretty darn good too!

The "Great Gatsby" and Roman Empire Meet at NYC's Newest Event Venue

What happens when you drop 55,000 pounds of marble into a steakhouse? You get the newest, luxury dining and event venue in New York City.

Launched by four of the top minds in the city's restaurant scene, you will feel like you are in the middle of a scene in "The Great Gatsby." Or with it's highly artistic murals, the Roman Empire. It's kind of the classic vibe you don't see anymore. Located near Times Square (without the tourists), your corporate meeting groups can choose from a variety of private dining and cocktail options in their venue's "Blue" and "Green" rooms.

6 Ways to Make a NYC Destination Meeting Extra Special in a Blizzard

While we all have that relative who goes doomsday on us when the first snowflake falls, a blizzard in New York City might be one of the coolest experiences you will ever have. If your corporate meeting group is here today and tomorrow, here are 6 ways to make the week functional and a little extra special.

1. Many services are open. New York City businesses are based on people walking there, so they typically don't close for events like this. Supermarkets like Fairway are already guaranteeing 7am openings tomorrow.

2. Go for a walk the second the blizzard stops. Your attendees will never see the city so quiet from traffic. If you are staying close to Central Park, well, it's simply beautiful after a big snowstorm.

3. Hotels ramp up their game for teleconferencing. This is especially true for New York's new boutiques and retrofitted legacy hotels. There is a good chance people are panicking and hence, cancelling meeting rooms and AV requirements. It could be an opportunity to enhance your business components, or at least make them work as best as possible for unplanned teleconferencing.

4. Hotel bars ramp it too. They know you are not going anywhere and have planned accordingly.

5. Go out a meet New Yorkers. Many offices close during blizzards and locals are legendarily known to use a surprise day off for a staycation at their local Irish Pub. It's an unusually relaxed opportunity to network with industry colleagues, or even the occasional billionaire who is out on a weekday watching a Premier League football match at 11am.

6. New York City's airports know what they are doing in storms. With so much importance domestically and internationally regarding routes in and out of New York, airlines cannot financially afford logistical mistakes here. You'll be surprised how fast the area's three airports will be up an running after an event like this. It's something to keep in mind if considering a New York meeting next winter.

Enjoy the snow!

Pier A's New Beer Hall and Oyster Bar: The Biggest Corporate Party Venue Ever?

We do things big in New York City, but the folks who have developed the new Pier A oyster bar and beer hall may have outdone themselves.

It's huge.

This isn't your average oyster bar. The Harbor House, with a waterfront Hudson River location, will be  opening three new restaurants: The Commodore Room, The Harrison Room and a Hudson-Valley inspired restaurant. A private event space will open later this year on the third floor. If you are a meeting planner with a very large group, The Harbor House is right in your wheelhouse for a major event or gala.

Then there is the venue's nightclub. It's has 20% more capacity than its largest competitor. In Las Vegas. And that's a destination that knows a thing or two about nightlife.

The Harbor House is also amazing architecturally and aesthetically. Housed in the 128-year-old former city dock department building, the venue will provide your destination corporate meeting attendees with a front row seat to something else that is rather historic: The Statue of Liberty.

Winter Monday Jazz Booming for After-Hours at Meetings in New York City

Winter Mondays between now and March have traditionally not been the easiest nights to find something to do after-hours at your corporate meeting. Even in a city with so many entertainment options like New York.

High-end dining venues have taken notice and recently started featuring Monday Jazz. Already with a robust presence in New York, jazz artists are finding that Mondays are bringing in an especially enthusiastic crowd that really wants to see and hear them. And because the city's music scene has exploded with up-an-coming talent, your group can get a front-row seat to talent people with be talking about a lot down the road!

Seasonably Delicious Seafood Corporate Event Menus Add a Twist of Sustainabilty

Farm-to-table corporate event menus aren't just for landlovers. New York City is booming with new venues that feature a seasonally-focused menu comprised of only wild caught, sustainable and responsibly farmed seafood.  We found one Midtown Manhattan venue in particular that is ideal for destination meeting groups. It features several private to semi-private spaces, including a 1,500 square foot OctoRoom – a rustic and refined space with a full bar, AV equipment, private balcony and a live oyster shucking station! 

How to Power Green Meetings from the Minute You Land

Shackman Associates New York provides luxury airport transportation services for corporate meetings, association conventions and incentive programs, but if you have ever been to New York City, you know the traffic to and from the area's three airports is rarely light and sometimes looks like a parking lot.

While congestion might be slightly inconvenient, all of that gas and pollution is bad news for the environment.

The New York area has multiple vendors that as part of the Green Ride Global program, can help your destination meeting reduce its carbon footprint, improve corporate transparency, and offer the luxury your attendees expect. They even provide post-event carbon reporting!

The Future is Now for Tech Meetings in "Silicon Borough"

With 160,000 square feet per floor now open for lease at Liberty View Industrial Plaza, Brooklyn's Tech Triangle has become a reality.

The Tech Triangle could potentially transform the geographic landscape of the entire industry, and Brooklyn's emergence as the "Silicon Borough" includes new transportation corridors, bike paths and footbridges, re-energized and pedestrian-friendly streets, and a host of new green spaces.
 
Shackman Associates New York has frequently blogged about the growth of trendy boutique hotels and exciting event venues in Brooklyn.  The innovative, sustainable vibe that meeting attendees, especially millennials, are finding in "Silicon Borough" are a perfect fit their personal sense of style of culture.

Get "Cooklyn" with a Corporate Event Takeover from Brooklyn

Who needs a celebrity "takeover" when the entire Borough of Brooklyn is available?

We found a new venue in Prospect Heights, ideal for destination incentive dinners, that offers the ultimate Brooklyn eating experience. The concept is simple: source every ingredient and beverage from the Borough. This includes the bread, cheese, wine, beer and other food items that can be purchased from local vendors. And they are quite tasty!

Chef Anthony Theocarpolous, having worked for a unique combination of Michael White, Masaharu Morimoto and Mario Batali, offers your attendees an incredible menu of lamb buns, octopus, pork belly, watercress pesto, venison wontons and sea urchin capellini.

Stir up Corporate Cocktail Hours with 5 New European Imports

Ever try a new drink at a corporate cocktail hour and wonder where it has been all your life? Perhaps as far away as another continent. While we're not claiming any new drink to be the mixology equivalent of the Santa Maria, here are five hot cocktail party beverage ideas that have made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

Salers. Based on a flowering Alpine plant, this is a French apertif that can easily be compared to a  Manhattan.  The difference? It uses genetians as a replacement for Vermouth and bitters, and one event venue is pairing it with Aveze.

Scandinavian Aquavit. If you like anything with citrus and licorice, then this double-rye creation will help you sweeten your cocktail hour experience.

Iceland's Black Death to "die for". Featuring potato-based schnapps and caraway seeds, the country's signature drink is being served in Manhattan with Brennevin, anjo rum and Dubonnet.

The Pink Squirrel. It's making a huge comeback after falling off the radar for five decades in the U.S., and the key ingredient is Dutch Creme de Noyaux.

Elisir Novasalus. THE new Italian-based drink for an after-meal cocktail hour. Bold and bitter, Elisir Novasalus features a rich wine base and goes through a six month process of infusions.