A Farm-to-Table Destination Meeting Menu Makes History as Animal Welfare Approved

New York City has seen explosive growth in farm-to-table menus for destination corporate meeting dinners, and now your attendees can experience a unique "upstate" taste in Manhattan at the only Animal Welfare Approved restaurant in the world.

Animal Welfare Approved is the most rigorous certification we have found for humane treatment of animals, and it's awesome to be able to enjoy delicious gourmet meat that don't require innocent animals to suffer so your group can eat them.

The burger menu is quite good - juicy, flavorful, well-seasoned, with a fantastic balance of flavors in the toppings. We tried the Uncle Dude, which is a standard 6 oz. (grass-fed and finished) beef-burger with cheddar, bacon, carrot jalapeno relish, and chipotle mayo.

However, if you want something more experiential, try a pig heart tasting!

The story behind this venue is also intriguing as the proprietor/farmer was once primarily responsible for developing the W brand for Starwood Hotels.

Meeting Breaks: Socially Responsible Craft Coffee Now the King of Hot Beverages in NYC

Tired of bland coffee during meeting breaks? Don't like the long lines at Starbucks around the corner from your hotel? Boutique coffee shops are popping up everywhere in NYC. Their growth is so explosive that they are becoming as big as the craft beer industry.

Two of them in particular have gotten our attention:

1. Bluestone Lane. Its first location on Greenwich Avenue is accessible to hotels in the Meatpacking District, includes outdoor tables, an indoor courtyard, and has the vibe of a local English pub. Its other locations include: one across from Bryant Park, close to most Midtown Manhattan hotels; one near the Guggemheim and Metropolitan Museums, and an upcoming store in Dumbo, which is close to Brooklyn's trendy boutique hotels and the Tech Triangle.

2. Think Coffee. With locations throughout Manhattan, this unique roaster provides coffee fanatics with single source options on the menu, which means beans are farmed from the smallest geographic region possible. Think Coffee has an incredible give-back program that includes student empowerment in developing countries, helping war-torn communities, and installing solar panels in Central America. They also use compostable cups!

Luxury Event Lighting to Keep Earth Day Alive All Year

With warmer weather (hopefully) here to stay, holding a corporate event or gala outdoors is a great idea. We have found a lighting option for these kinds of events that offers both a touch of luxury and sustainability.

After all, it's Earth Day!

We recommend using inflatable solar lanterns and best one is the Luci Lux by MPowerd, located right here in New York City. Its sleek, frosted design creates a brilliant but warm glow for any type of corporate gala or cocktail party. More importantly, Luci solar lights are helping children in developing countries read and study at night!

The New Craft Drink at Events is Wine

With every kind of beverage imaginable going "craft", it's about time for wine-makers to join the party.

We have found a venue in New York City that specializes in serving craft tap wine out of the barrel. There is a growing perception that this kind of wine is both fresher, and without the bottles, better for the environment.

It doesn't end there. Your destination corporate meeting group can take team-building classes on how to pair different kinds of craft wines with everything from spicy foods to sweeter ones. The craft beer venues down the street have taken notice and will be soon offering classes like that too!

Make Your Corporate Meeting a Lifesaver for Innocent Dogs

Your CSR program can do more than just give back. It can give new leases on life to rescue dogs.

That is exactly what is going on in New York City, and your destination corporate meeting attendees can be a part of one of the most rewarding experiences in their lives. We have developed relationships with some really incredible people and accredited non-profits who are rescuing dogs from kill shelters all over the US, fostering them here in NYC, and finding new homes for them locally and with one program, in France.

Your meeting doesn't necessarily have worry about physically fostering dogs because the process is so complex that it really takes an entire team of people to help with crates, food, doggie sweaters, walks, veterinary paperwork, and coordinating adoptions on Facebook. The process can last just a few days or can continue when your attendees return home.

One person in our office recently participated in a rescue that included short-notice coordination with international flight attendants at JFK. While transporting 3 chihuahuas to adoptive homes near Paris, it got wild when shrink-wrapped crates had to be assembled within 5 minutes to get the dogs on the plane. And it obviously takes more than one person to keep them calm when the TSA makes you take the all the crates apart minutes after you get the dogs settled in them.

Worth every second of chaos!

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! 

A Pop-up Holiday Give-back Idea from NYC's Queen of Fashion

While many destination corporate meeting and incentive travel program attendees in New York have shopped for the latest in fashion by Donna Karan, the legendary designer's other brainchild, Urban Zen Holiday Market, is our favorite CSR give-back idea for the 2014 holidays.

Open until January 4, 2015, Urban Zen is a non-profit market that features handcrafted pieces from around the world.  Every penny goes directly to artisans in countries that include Haiti, Tibet, Bali and Thailand. Urban Zen's broader mission is to advance integrative medicine around the world, encourage emotional, physical and spiritual growth of children, and help cultures maintain their unique values in a highly globalized society.

While pop-up "holiday village shopping" has become more popular and diverse than ever in New York, Urban Zen's convenient Greenwich Village location makes it an after-hours no-brainer to get in the holiday spirit.

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!

Experience "Devoted" NYC Coffee Beans for Artisinal Destination Meeting Breakfasts

It seats 25 people. It's in the hottest New York City borough for corporate meetings. And it might have the best coffee beans in the world.

If your corporate meeting attendees love their morning coffee break, we suggest moving the entire event to Botica del Cafe in Brooklyn. As part of the Cafe Devocion company from Colombia, this awesome new venue just opened on Sunday. It includes a tasting menu and a vertical garden. If the smell of the beans doesn't inspire brainstorming, then perhaps the company's give-back policy will convince your meeting to collaborate for business while contributing a portion of the bill to local Colombian schools.