QR Invades Fashion Week!

QR is about to become this year’s craze at Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week, which starts on Thursday.

No, it's not a designer - instead, QR (Quick Response) is a 2-D barcode that can be scanned by a smart phone's camera and transfer information. Based on the type of code it is, it might direct the viewer to a website, make a phone call, deliver a vCard, or view a map and picture.

Diesel just launched an innovative campaign where customers can scan a QR code on a product, and be redirected to the Fan Page where they can check out other looks and the content available on the page.

Thousands of bloggers who attend major shows like Fashion Week will incorporate QR codes they see at the tents into mobile blogging.  By incorporating Fashion GPS that was so successful last year, QR at designer booths, and mobile shared-image communities such as Instagram, bloggers will have more influence than ever!

New Luxury Signature and Boutique Hotels in Midtown Manhattan

Shackman Associates New York has reviewed exciting boutique hotels in Chelsea, Nolita, and Downtown that host meeting and corporate incentive groups.   This exciting trend has now reached Midtown with two properties – The Setai and Chatwal – that offer almost 5,000 square feet of corporate meeting space. 

The Setai offers meeting groups close proximity to Bryant Park and an event venue that directly overlooks Fifth Avenue.  The Chatwal’s modern amenities compliment an atmosphere that take meeting groups back in time to the heyday of New York’s famous Lamb’s Club, Built in 1905, this Stanford White-designed building was a clubhouse for The Lambs, America’s first professional theater club, and served as home away from home for its members such as Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, John Barrymore, Spencer Tracy and Fred Astaire. These infamous notables spent many a night in their “grill room” swapping tales, and breaking into song.

With luxury making a comeback at corporate meetings and incentives, New York City continues to roll-out spectacular hotels on iconic properties.

Photo courtesy of NYCGo

Shackman Finds Secret NYC Restaurants for Meeting Attendees

Travelers often associate a business trip to New York City with a meal at one of the city's high-profile eateries.

At Shackman Associates, we can help meeting attendees find Manhattan's "secret" restaurants, which dining experiences small business groups will remember.  Some venues are initimate enough  - like the Wine Cellar at 21 - to accomodate a private lunch or dinner meeting of association executives.  Others are located in quiet neighborhoods that are close enough to hotels and nightlife without being inundated with tourists. 

For example, one venue just 5 blocks from the Gansevoort Hotel in Chelsea offers a private upstairs party room that few people know about and a lively lounge downstairs to continue an after-event celebration.  These kinds of venues are perfect for small incentive groups.
Want to eat New York's world-class sushi and avoid the lines in Midtown?  We are familiar with several Upper West Side establishments who can accommodate groups with an incredibly fresh menu of creative plates.

Copacabana Re-Opens in Times Square!

The Copacabana is making its comeback in Times Square with their new 25,000 square foot restaurant and dance club. The Copa, which has been without a home since 2007, has taken over the former China Club space near Times Square. After undergoing a full renovation, the space will reopen as a restaurant and dance club, complete with a glass enclosed rooftop, nightly live music acts, a 16-seat bar and 125 varieties of rum.  Of course, the"retro-glamorous" Supper Club vibe is back too. The chef will be Alex Garcia, the Nuevo Latino fixture who opened Patria with Douglas Rodriguez before going on to launch Calle Ocho, and then Gaucho Staek Company and Carniceria in Brooklyn

The four story space officially opens to the public on July 12^th boasting the beloved Copa Dancers.

Hoping Metrazur Finds a New Home!

In true New York spirit, our team bid one last fond farewell to a New York Landmark. Home to over a decade of some of the best food in such an iconic setting, Metrazur is closing its doors as of July 1^st.

As an ode to the restaurant, we each listed our favorite dishes from over the past 11 years:

Allison: Any of their Seasonal Soups – fresh & filling
Emily: Happy Hour Cosmopolitans!
Ilana: Hand Cut Ahi Tuna Tartare with Taro Root Chips
Javier: Seared Sea Scallops with Crab Meat, Frisee, Lemon, Scallion Smoked Paprika, and Red Pepper Sage
Jeff: The Raisin Bread!
Karen: Lobster Cobb Salad
Krista: The Nero Di Seppia Risotto with Wood Oven Prawns
Mayra: Dessert… The Warm Chocolate Chip & Banana Financier… Yum!

PS…We hear that Metrazur is looking for a new outpost – so stay in touch with us to find out where and when!

Hold a Meeting at NYC's Most Intimate Museums and Iconic Venues

If you were attending an architectural conference in New York, how great would it be to enjoy a special lunch in what is considered one of the world’s “Great Buildings?”

And while it is not exactly a museum, how about a dinner for a financial meeting on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange?

Shackman Associates New York has helped meeting groups hold unique events in both iconic and unique venues in Manhattan.  As summer tourists jam major museums, we recommend lesser-traveled venues with incredible exhibits and charm.  For example, New York City is home to museums where high-quality art can be viewed comfortably in two hours and features paintings from the great European artists most meeting attendees would recognize.  Some museums were originally private art collections in mansions, are presented to help visitors enjoy the artwork in the same manner as mansion-owner, and include ornate furniture and grand architecture that can be enjoyed as much as the exhibits themselves!

We recently held a dinner for an association at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendure exhibit with live performers.  Whether your meeting wants to think big or intimate, New York has plenty of venues to satisfy your thirst for a unique museum experience!   

Association Dinner at the Temple of Dendur

Celebrate America in Style at Your 2012 Meeting

New York City’s July 4^th Fireworks Show is returning to the Hudson River and is considered the one of the best in the world. 

With July 4^th landing in Mid-Week for 2012, piggybacking a destination meeting around the 4th could provide your attendees a unique experience, especially if your group is International.  For example, we are taking clients on a site inspection during this year’s Independence Day in anticipation for their 2012 meeting.   

While New Yorkers scramble to find rooftops and crowded piers to watch Fireworks, we suggest rooftop venues where we have close relationships with proprietors or better yet, a yacht cruise.  There are chartered yachts available for Hudson River cruises and if you want something more exclusive, we work closely with private yacht companies who can provide your meeting attendees with an unforgettable experience on the water.   

Meetings Go Flash Mob in New York

AT&T has been airing a brilliantly funny commercial featuring a Flash Mob - scheduled for Grand Central Station - that goes horribly south when one of the participants doesn’t get a text message postponing the event for 30 minutes.

Fortunately for meeting groups, “Oops Mobs” can be avoided with expert planning and close relationships DMC’s have with popular Mob venues. We’re organizing Flash Mobs throughout the city, including a recent one at Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center.

Meeting attendees love the idea of showing up a landmark they want to see in a very unique way. It’s certainly not your average tour of New York and that’s what makes Flash Mobs so memorable. They are increasingly supplementing board rooms, ballrooms and conference rooms as the hot corporate and incentive teambuilding venue in New York City.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd8ppk0UCx8

Splish, Splash! Cool Off by New York's Spectacular Hotel Pools for Meetings, Incentives and Events

Manhattan offers meeting groups choices of poolside venues that would make any cul-de-sac subdivision in Arizona or Florida jealous. 

There are nine premier pools in New York that combine meeting elements by day with spectacular evening pool venues overlooking the city skyline.  Shackman Associates New York puts its relationships with hoteliers to work in creating unique summer pool experiences that locals often claim is one of the best reasons to live in Manhattan.

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.

Dora Will Explore Times Square One More Time

With the Macy's flower show in full bloom, it should be noted that the store's biggest event - The Thanksgiving Day Parade - will stay on its current route down Broadway for one more year. In 2012, however, that may change.


Parade organizers have discussed moving the parade to 6th Avenue, which may create great uncertainty for any visitors looking for a top viewing location.. Over the years, SANY has helped meeting groups, especially those traveling from international destinations who have extended events into Thanksgiving, obtain great indoor venues from which to view the parade.

2011 may be a once-in-a-lifetime last chance to witness the Macy's Parade along its most revered and iconic route. Otherwise, be sure that we will be looking for new venues along the new parade route – wherever that may be.

Parks and Recreation (Not the TV Show!): NYC Gets Greener

Did you realize that New York City has more miles of waterfront than Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and Portland combined?

It also has the highest percentage of land used for parks - 19.5% than any other high-density in the US. If you want the great outdoors as a important component of your corporate meeting, things are about to get even better in the Big Apple.

Mayor Bloomberg just announced 20-year, $700 million capital funding project that will help acquire 50 acres of new waterfront parks, expand and improve 10 existing parks and develop 14 new greenways and esplanades. New boat launches are under consideration as well as integrating city heliports into parks for showing weekly movies during the summer.

One of the most unusual outdoor marvels in New York - High Line Park – will open Phase II this Spring. Built on an elevated platform and running 1.54 miles through Manhattan’s trendy Chelsea section, High Line is a sustainable-living success story because it replaced rotting rail tracks that were once an eye-sore and potentially, a long-term environmental hazard.

Want to learn exactly how green New York is? Check this out:

Lights, Not Dark, Briefly Turned Off for Spider Man - Consumers Remain Turned On

One of the most technically elaborate and controversial Broadway musicals of all time, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark is ironically turning off the lights for a brief hiatus.  We expect demand to continue and will facilitate meeting planner requests as production resumes. 

Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark brings the Manhattan skyline to life on stage and features incredible aerial stunts as Spider-Man flies over the audience to fight his foes.  The musical features a rock score penned by famed U2 musicians Bono and the Edge.

Current cancellation dates are as follows:

All performances from April 19, 2011 to May 11, 2011 have been cancelled. Preview performances will resume on May 12, 2011.



Photo courtesy of http://www.broadway.com/

Additionally, performances on June 12, 14 and 15 have been cancelled. 

Spice up Your Meeting with Dancing Desserts, Cult Wines and Seductive Lambs

Remember when the typical choice for meeting food was “the chicken” or “the beef”?

Menus have become more interesting. Much more interesting! New York City is home to some of the world’s most unique venues for usual food and beverage pairings. Here are three we recommend for your next business trip or corporate meeting:

1. The Priscilla, Queen of Broadway Cupcakes – We’ve been known to score exclusive backstage passes at Broadway shows for meeting groups and now they can be paired with the city’s first-ever Broadway-inspired cupcake! The Rockefeller Center’s Magnolia Bakery recently teamed up with Academy Award-winning designers Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner's to develop a pistachio cupcake based on the stage musical’s trademark dancing cupcake costumes. Pistachio meringue butter cream is topped with a meringue kiss, bright edible confetti and iridescent "disco dust!"

Courtesy of http://www.broadway.com/
2. Suds and Seduction at Jimmy’s 43 – If you have visited the Delirium Café in Belguim, Jimmy’s is its US brother without the overwhelming feeling of having to pick from one of 2,000 beers. Jimmy’s also has perhaps the best slow-roasted lamb riblets on either continent. They are “Marvin Gaye of meats” the wait staff will tell you! Jimmy's selection of lamb plates comes from 3-Corner Field Farm, a renowned producer of grass-fed lamb. For meeting groups, we recommend pairing the riblets, rich lamb tongue, creamy fried brains and veal cheeks with a tasting of the venue's renowned foamy IPA's.

3. Chambers Street Wines – The owners describe their selections as “cult wines” partially because every item in the store is made from low-sulfur US wineries and bottled without pesticides or herbicides. Chambers Street works with groups to organize wine tastings at the store or on location at your meeting.

Mondrian New York: A Fusion of Style, Simplicity, Fantasy and Reality

New York's growing supply of "hot hotels" just got even warmer with the opening of the Mondrian SOHO. 

The 270-room hotel, whose original opened on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood,  unites a deeply rooted appreciation of the outdoors and a relaxed, casual living atmosphere with a pervasive sense of magic, glamour and excitement.  For example, the Mondrian New York features indoor-outdoor bar and dining venues that include lush enchanted gardens and informal social seating. Executive Chef Sam Talbot, formerly of Top Chef renowned healthy cuisine guru, is offering guests a spectacular menu of modern day east coast seafood.

The Mondrian also features over 4,700 square feet of meeting space including the following options keeping with the hotel's overall theme:  The Gallery, The Gallery Terrace, The Penthouse, and The Penthouse Terrace.

Shackman Associates New York recently had the opportunity to take a pre-opening tour of the property and it is truly a special venue!

4 Ideas to Enjoy a Glimpse of Yesteryear in NYC

In the spirit of Presidents' Day, we've come up with four ideas to help your corporate meeting group  experience a slice of history in New York and America - one of which tastes as good as it sounds!

Ellis Island Comes to Life!

From April 16 through Labor Day Weekend, An exciting new30-minute LIVE theatrical production in the intimate Ellis Island Living Theatre will features Lady Liberty’s 125th Anniversary and the immigrant experience.  Professional actors provide a multi-cultural experience by including contemporary immigrants in the storyline.

New York’s Historical Society gets a Facelift

Fresh from a $65 million renovation, the New York Historical Society is re-opening on November 11 and will be surrounded by exciting events and four centuries of New York history.  One of the highlights will be the Civil Rights Gallery on the second floor. The first exhibition will be photographs of African Americans who were leaders in the fight for civil rights in the 20th century by British photographer Platon.

Also on the second floor will be a new gallery featuring some of Peter Marie's collection of miniatures of the beautiful women of Gilded Age society next to their photographs from the famous Vanderbilt Ball of 1883. And throughout the rest of the second floor are the Revolutions! exhibit and Big City Views, featuring large-scale views of American cities, including maps, prints and photographs.

Speaking of Revolutions...

Although the Boston Tea Party is commonly associated with the first American tax revolt, the REAL work to fight “Taxation Without Representation” was done at Federal Hall in downtown Manhattan. Rebuilt as a Customs House at its Wall Street location, Federal Hall is the birthplace of American government. George Washington took the oath of office as our first President at Federal Hall, and this site was home to the first Congress, Supreme Court, and Executive Branch offices. The Bill of Rights was written here too!

“Consume” history

Pete’s Tavern first opened its doors in 1864 and this achievement makes Pete's Tavern both an official historical landmark and the longest continuously operating bar and restaurant in New York City. It even stayed open during Prohibition...disguised as a flower shop! Pete's Tavern is proud of its history and steadfastly maintains its traditions. It still looks as exactly as it did when its most celebrated regular O. Henry wrote the classic Gift of The Magi at his favorite booth by the front doors in 1902. Pete's Tavern also continues to serve much of its original-recipe Italian-American cuisine and its highly prized 1864 Original Ale.

Been there, done that? 3 Ideas to Keep Your New York Meeting Fresh!

Even if your company is meeting in New York for the first time, there’s a good chance your attendees have been there before in some capacity.

Here are 3 unique ideas to keep the wow factor alive in the city that never sleeps:

#1 - Enhanced Orientations

We have developed the sightseeing component into a different dimension that allows guests to explore areas which are not necessarily on "the beaten path". Your hotel might be well-known, but the tour stops don’t have to be! Venues include the Cloisters and more “local” sights north and south of Midtown Manhattan. We like to include fantastic lunches at neighborhood venues not usually frequented by tourists. On one occasion, our client required a final night “wow” event to keep with their standing in the industry. An exclusive event at The Metropolitan Museum was the ideal solution. The cocktail reception was held in the Charles Englehard Court and to further personalize the event, we added an element of iconic ‘living statues’ – great for pictures – to the ones already in place.

Photo of The Cloisters courtesy of Washington College

#2 - Manhattan in a Room

If the right venue is chosen, three major, yet thematically diverse evening events at a host hotel can accommodate numbers, budgets and thirsts for an authentic New York flavor. We have transformed the same ballroom into something very unique so guests would not feel that they were in the same space on three consecutive nights. On Night One at one meeting, we recreated the Manhattan skyline with the building tops functioning as performance stages on which we featured a cross-cultural snapshot of the city relating to a variety of dance styles, music and performance art. Night Two was awards night which required very formal elegant gold tones with heavy use of floral design and candelabras reflecting the seriousness of the evening. Night Three was “let your hair down time” and, since we were in Times Square, the theme was reminiscent of a big Times Square dance party replete with neon, glitter and confetti and two fun bands.

#3 - New York without 11 million people

We recently worked with a flooring association convention where afterwards, we arranged for the association's corporate executives to meet at the Mohonk Mountain retreat in upstate New York. Only two hours from Manhattan, Mohonk is a spectacular business meeting venue that offers privacy and a host of amenities for spouses and the executives themselves (on an after-meeting-hours basis). Our effort to combine the convention and retreat into one trip not only made sense economically, we also helped key association members get away from frantic pace and lights of the big city into a location that helped them think clearly and develop strategic initiatives that the association reports is helping the industry as a whole emerge strongly from recession.

3 "Tasty" NYC Corporate Incentives

The Bravo TV network recently aired an episode of Top Chef Season 3 in which the remaining competitors were awakened by internationally acclaimed cookbook author Padma Lakshmi and asked to make breakfast for her in a hotel meeting room. Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?

If you’re on a Corporate Incentive trip to New York, think again. You could soon be served a pajama-clad breakfast by one of the best chefs in America. Or other meals too.

Here are three 3 ways to incorporate “I” for Iron Chef in your next “I” for incentive trip:

Chef Incoming! – New York hotels are leading a new trend of contracting with celebrity chefs to provide meals as extravagant as room service for select guests. While that may be beyond most meeting budgets, importing a chef for a luncheon or dinner is a win-win for everyone. For attendees – great food. For the chef – more access to a high-end audience who increasingly shares culinary recommendations with others and online.

Workin’ Out, Eatin’ out – We recommend scheduling activities such as bike tours of Central Park that are followed by a meal at a celebrity-chef restaurant. Many of these venues love mid-day incentive groups and let’s face it, a healthy bike ride through Central Park’s hills will work up a hearty appetite!

Deliciously Raw – If you haven’t noticed, raw food has come a long way from a carrot on a stick. Venues such as Pure Food and Wine are quickly becoming business travel favorites and let’s face it – if former burger-lover Bill Clinton eats there, they must be onto something!

3 Tech Trends Not Named iPhone Take NYC Business Meetings by Storm

If Verizon is going to eat $5 billion to get their version of the iPhone in as many hands as possible, it’s a safe bet business travelers will have plenty of opportunities to try out more gadgets than ever in 2011.

Manhattan, the site of Verizon’s iPhone announcement, has always been the most fertile ground for tech launches. We recently blogged that technology companies are sponsoring, breakfasts cocktail hours and special demos for meeting attendees.

Here are more 4 tech trends, especially attractive in Manhattan, to keep an eye on this year:

1. “Grown-up” Social Media – Have you noticed that tweeting the play-by-play at a meeting or conference has lost some of its cache? Attendees at large meetings in New York - often located at multiple hotels - are using now social media to prepare for the meeting, learn more about other attendees, and schedule one-on-one time off-site. Utilizing sites such Pathable helps DMC’s like ours plan more of the after-hours activities that are poised to make a major comeback in 2011.

2. Mobile Itineraries – Verizon and AT&T may be jockeying for iPhone supremacy, but the real battle in New York for business travelers is among consumer-originating itinerary providers like Dopplr, TripIt and WorldMate. Furthermore, potential sponsors including Amadeus, Concur, Rearden Commerce, Sabre, Travelport TRX, are putting their mobile development and marketing dollars into what has been coined as traveler-centric buyer.

3. Event GPS -  New York’s September 2010 Fashion Week ushered in Fashion GPS and the technology was massive success. Event GPS provides a web-based platform that electronically tracks and manages exhibitor locations, guest lists and invitations in real time. I expect GPS to continue its emergence as a renovated Javits Center hosts larger EXPOs going forward.

4. Apps for International Meetings – With the emergency of TelePresence at New York hotels and conference centers, meeting attendees may need to simultaneously communicate in a virtual setting with colleagues in multiple languages. Mobile Apps such as iTranslate, which offers quick and easy translations for over a dozen different languages, will emerge as great tools for getting business done during meeting like a finance conference at the Downtown W. They are even better for international business travelers who don’t want to stuff their bags with pocket dictionaries!

New Year – New Mascot!

Team Shackman is welcoming the newest member to our family.

Meet Mocha

Coming in at 3.2 pounds, this little bundle of fluff has been dubbed “The Distractor” for his incredible ability to put all things to a halt when he comes walking by. We know his passion for events is already developing and we look forward to Mocha being the lap warming member of our team.

2 New Locations to Skate UNDER the Stars

Winter in Manhattan is synonymous with two world famous ice skating rinks at Rockefeller Center and Central Park.  However, they can get a tad crowded, can't they?

Here are two new unusual ice rinks - downtown, no less! - that might leave a lasting impression on your next visit.  At the very least, a few spills on the ice can be soothed be a beverage that will surely warm the soul!

Ice Rink at the W Hotel

As first reported in the Observer, the W's ice rink on the fifth-floor terrace bar, open through Thursday, not only boasts an exclusive location but also boasts a most-unique view of the World Trade Center site.  As part of the rink, the terrace bar will be open with a special set of drinks - fortunately, no one can take them on the ice!  

Not Your "Standard" Rink

The Standard hotel is also getting in the ice skating business.  Those yellow summer Lounge chairs on the patio are gone and in its place is a sea of white.  And instead of long lines of tourists around 52nd and 5th, your group can step right into the Standard's Biergarten, which is also one of New York's best winter heated outdoor bars.

  

6 Unique Location Ideas for "The Meeting" During NYC Meetings

With all the natural excitement people feel when coming to Manhattan for a corporate meeting, the last thing attendees want to do is sit in bland, windowless conference room for a work session.  Here are six ideas to spice of the business side of the agenda for your corporate group:

1. View of Liberty While Immersed in History - we have coordinated numerous events and meetings at Ellis Island, and for a small to mid-sized groups, the historic park offers conference room facilities and a short "break-time" walk to a view of the Statue of Liberty and downtown Manhattan.

2. An Atmosphere for "Higher Learning" - if your meetings contains an educational component, New York's colleges and universities offer both modern and architecturally stunning facilities to corporate group in the heart of a beautiful urban campus setting.  St. John's is the leader in this regard and one campus in Manhattan Financial District contains the largest and most comprehensive insurance resource center in the world.

3. The Mecca of "Winners" - while the Knicks and Rangers haven't hoisted a trophy there in a long time, a Madison Square Garden meeting helps project a winning culture for your attendees.  We have close relationships with the venue and with eight smaller rooms and a 5,000 person theatre, MSG can accommodate a corporate group of any size!  Shackman Associates can also piggyback a meeting with a live sporting or concert event afterward.

4. Big Decisions on a Big Boat - perfect for smaller meeting groups or splinter sessions for Association Boards of Directors, we suggest floating a few proposals while floating on a super-yacht on the Hudson or East Rivers.  Yacht-owners have been eager to offset costs in the down economy by renting our their vessels and options include both day trips and overnight accommodations.  

5. Seclusion Amongst 8 Million People - Once reserved for private dinner parties and rehearsal dinners, Manhattan's most creative dining venues are renting out "special", secluded rooms to small corporate groups.  Walking through a restaurant's downstairs kitchen to a private room with VIP service and delicious meeting menu option might make you feel like you're in a Francis Ford Coppola movie, but being uninterrupted in an intimate setting could be priceless for your business.

6. Where the Glass is More Than Half Full - Unique meeting venues are opening throughout the Chelsea and Meatpacking District sections of Manhattan, and as is the case with the newer boutique hotels, several stand-alone meeting spaces in renovated loft-style buildings feature ceiling-to-floor glass that offers attendees spectacular views of the city.

         

4 Ways to Enjoy a Slice of Summer at a Winter NYC Meeting

New York City is filled with exciting outdoor venues where the upwardly mobile congregate after work and corporations throw wow-factor cocktail and dinner parties. Maybe it’s the wrong time of the year to be talking about this?

Not anymore.

Manhattan’s outdoor bars and restaurants are using creative ideas and smart engineering to keep the crowds and meeting groups coming. Here are 4 great techniques that venues are using to create the endless summer:

Winter Glass – Sounds somewhat pedestrian but many hotel bars, especially those in the Meatpacking District have been designed to easily transition from summer to winter without sacrificing one degree to warmth or the spectacular views their establishments offer.

Red Robes – One Flatiron District rooftop venue provides meeting attendees with red robes - no, not a Snuggie -to keep patrons warm. If that doesn’t sound fashionable, the city’s best view of the Empire State Building will quickly change your mind.

Retractable Roofs – NFL Stadiums have them and so do some of New York’s best new outdoor venues. This also comes in handy in the summer when the mercury tops 100 (as it did in 2010) or a thunderstorm dampens your incentive trip’s top evening event.

Warm Drinks – When the leaves change, so do the cocktail menus at outdoor venues. Frozen drinks give way to Hot Toddies and other very creative warm beverages that are favorites of Manhattan’s growing army of mixologists.

Shackman Associates has close relationships with many year-round outdoor venues and many, based on the calendar, will go the extra mile to make your group comfortable and “spirited”!

Graffiti in the Ballroom

When Chanel recently reopened its Manhattan store, they encouraged guests to paint some graffiti on their wall.  No, the store isn't below a railroad track somewhere.  It's in SoHo and the wall is doing just fine, thank you!

Chanel used a projection screen and a modified spray paint can with infared technology that inspired an array of very creative designs that would make even the most experienced concrete grafiti artists a tad jealous.  Shackman Associates New York has access to this unique technology and it might be the perfect team-building idea for your next meeting!

Not only the best place to live...NYC The Best to Meet!

The Harris Poll has once again found that New York City is the top preferred destination for living in the US.  Here are 10 reasons why New York is the best place to meet as well!

1. Booking New York City guarantees record-breaking attendance because we’re a popular destination with energy, diversity and things to do all year. Attendees come early, stay late, bring spouses and enjoy doing business here.
2. As a global transportation hub, we’re easily accessible from around the world, so airfare is competitively priced getting here. And, once here, there are many reliable, inexpensive options available 24/7 to get around the City.
3. From Radio City Music Hall to Ellis Island, the City’s event venues are plentiful, flexible, beautiful and special.
4. New York City is the professional capital of the world in finance, media, retail, services, fashion, publishing, entertainment and other significant sectors.
5. We have more than 75,000 hotel rooms and 18,000 restaurants to choose from and offer one of the most progressive arts and cultural scenes in the world.
6. We’re the greenest large city in the US (Public Lands Trust).
7. We’re the safest large city in America (FBI statistics).
8. We’re the world’s hottest city (Condé Nast Traveler).
9. . We’re truly a city that never sleeps: find anything anytime, 24/7.

10.  Shackman Associates New York provides planners with plenty of creative options, as well as direct assistance with meeting logistics and events.

Rock it Out on Broadway (and everywhere) in NYC

If you never saw the Beatles live, Rain - opening October 26 at the Neil Sikmon Theatre - comes very close to the real thing.  Rain offers the full range of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience.  The multi-media concert recaptures the era through all phases of The Beatles astounding musical career including Shea Stadium, the psychedelic late 60s and The Beatles long-haired hippie, hard-rocking rooftop days.

And Rain isn't the only way to connect with the Beatles while in New York.  Rock tours provide groups unique access to the cultrual history of music, art, fashion and different neighborhoods that helped New York City form a rock n' roll culture, including where the beatles first lived when they arrived in New York.  Tours also feature East Village landmarks that were shaped and influenced by Rock, Punk and Glam during the 1960’s and 70’s. Your group can see the places that made dThe Ramones, New York Dolls, Andy Warhol, The Fillmore East, Velvet Underground, CBGB’s institutions locally and around world.

Tapping into Tapas on Columbus Day

To celebrate Columbus Day we're injecting a little touch of Espana into Manhattan.  There's no way to better get in touch with your explorer self than venturing into one of New York City's many great Tapas bars. 

Here are two that could also be a perfect fit for a corporate meeting:

Sala One Nine
Located in the heart of the Flatiron District, Sala is sure to quench anyone's obsession with olives.  Sala offers numerous choices for on-site meeting catering including after-hours cocktail parties.  We like the Traditional Tray that offers six varieties of Tapas and caters up to 18 people.

Solera
Located in a midtown brownstone, Solera has a private event room available for groups and is the perfect venue for an intimate casual dinner for small incentive groups.  Solera boasts a top collection of authentic Spanish wines in New York.



  

Reeling Them In - 3 Ways to Boost Meeting Attendance

The signs of recovery are definitely there in the meetings industry, but some prospective attendees remain a little gun-shy about actually booking the flights, reserving hotel rooms and allocating a budget for those after-hours events. Here are 3 ways to lure them into action:

1. Piggyback an incentive - we recently managed a group client trip to attend a Vision Expo. Our client decided to follow-up the trade show with an incentive trip for top performers. This obviously helped increase attendance and enthusiasm for the expo itself!

2. Technology sponsors - corporate meetings have been utilizing sponsors to help pay for breakfasts or after-hours cocktail parties. The side benefit is that exciting sponsors draw more attendees. Because many of the newest gadgets entering the consumer market are released in New York City, meeting attendees here are getting first looks and tries at the coolest mobile products and apps.

3. Book a hot hotel - New York City's hotel industry is booming. Behind all this activity are exciting new hotels with whom Shackman Associates already has great relationships - the W Downtown, Eventi in Chelsea, and the Intercontinental Times Square. These properties offer spectacular amenities, plenty of meeting space and quick access to the city's most desired dining and entertainment venues.

New York "Raises Its Game" for UN Week

As President Obama prepares his speech to the international community, we can look at our office window today on 56th Street and watch delegates, related diplomats and their security details all here for the United Nations General Assembly and making their way down Second Avenue en route to the UN. While International visitors here for meetings love the variety of culturally diverse dining venues, stores and bars, during UN week these establishments are delightfully alive with a unique cosmopolitan vibe.

It’s also that time of year when Manhattan’s East Side becomes a quasi-military zone.

In 2010, this is enhanced by two factors – first, delegates will stay an additional three days to discuss the Millennium Development Goal project; and secondly, President Obama plans of spending multiple days in the city.

Despite the inconveniences and random motorcades, New York City will hardly miss a beat. Unlike a smaller city that would essentially shut down for an event the size of the UN General Assembly, New York simply offers many alternative neighborhoods, hotels, transportation options and coveted meeting venues.

Right on the heels of the much celebrated Fashion Week, UN Week is not only a reminder why New York is a fantastic draw for international business travel, it proves that even at the height of disruption, Manhattan is THE destination for any meeting that is focused on getting business done.

Fashion Week in Review - Success from Evolving!

Conventions and trade shows sometimes have a nostalgic feel when they are held at the same time and place every year. Before 2010, New York’s Fashion Week was synonymous with the “tents”.

Getting access to those coveted tent shows - all outdoor - in Bryant Park was the name of the game, and when the show moved to Lincoln Center this fall, there were some who probably missed that.

But New York is always evolving, and nowhere can that been seen more than at Lincoln Center. It’s not just a place for concerts anymore. Fashion buyers and media were treated to a 100,000-square-foot site and the revisions made to its look, layout, and technology.

The renovated Lincoln Center is a fantastic venue for shows. While the “tents” remained, constructing the floor (approximately 448 feet by 272 feet) for a massive show like Fashion Week went far more efficiently because the structure frame, despite having to be built over existing planters, did not have to take into account the lawn and the “sinking into grass” effect experienced at Bryant Park.

And then there was Fashion GPS, a Web-based program that electronically tracks and manages designers' guest lists and invitations in real time. Bryant Park was an Internet nightmare with shaky connections that were sometimes worsened right off-site with weather-driven challenges. Lincoln Center, on the other hand, was fully equipped with every modern technology amenity, making paper invites to shows a thing of the past.

And in a world where news travels instantly, the ability of influential bloggers to post new entries, Flickr photos and TwitPics with mobile technology took this year’s Fashion Week to eye-popping levels.

Fashion Week’s success in 2010 is an example of a bigger evolutionary trend that positions New York as a worldwide meeting and EXPO information capital.

Sounds of Middle Earth in Midtown

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, will be presented live to film at Radio City Music Hall for two performances only, on Friday, October 8th and Saturday, October 9th, 2010 at 7:30PM.


Following the success of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring concert last October, the Academy Award®-nominated film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers gets the same treatment at the world-famous Radio City Music Hall. Beneath an immense 60-foot screen, Howard Shore’s Grammy®-winning complete original score will be performed live to Peter Jackson’s award-winning epic. www.TheRadioCityLOTRconcert.com

The music of Middle-earth will be brought to life by more than 300 musicians Switzerland’s 21st Century Symphony Orchestra, The Grammy Award ® - winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus, The award-winning Dessoff Symphonic Choir and renowned soprano Kaitlyn Lusk, all under the direction of celebrated Maestro Ludwig Wicki.

Last fall, over 10,000 people filled Radio City for The Fellowship of the Ring shows. The New York Times said “the music of Middle-earth soared at Radio City Music Hall,” while Entertainment Weekly said “it was a terrific night at the theater…Too bad we’ve got to wait until Oct. 9, 2010 to see The Two Towers in the same fashion.”

From Pigskin to Parties

Autumn and American Football go-hand-in-hand and The New Meadowlands - just a ten-minute drive from Manhattan - is the latest NFL football to open and is an ideal location for a corporate meeting and incentive group. The New Meadowlands can host events whether or not it’s GameDay and Shackman Associates has long-standing relationships with Sports and Exposition Authority personnel who manage luxury corporate boxes and restaurants in the stadium.


Despite past controversy over Public Seat Licenses, the New York Giants just announced that blocks of single-game tickets will now be sold directly. Besides NFL games, special sporting events such as FIFA soccer matches and some of 2011’s hottest concerts, including U2’s rescheduled world tour will be held at The New Meadowlands.

Add Yankee Stadium and CitiField to the mix and New York now boasts America's three premier sporting venues

Swan Lake Back on Broadway!

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, the modern re-interpretation of the legendary ballet that won three 1999 Tony Awards, will return to New York this fall at the New York City Center Oct. 13-Nov. 7.
We enjoy a close working relationship with the show’s organizers and can help acquire fabulous seats for meeting and incentive groups. Call us today for more information!

Viva Italia!

New York has always had a love affair with Italian food. It’s about to become BIG love. Thanks to Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, a new 37,000 square-foot Flatiron District mecca of Italian delicacies – Eataly – opens on August 30.


With Eataly, Mario and Joe have created 20 food departments, restaurants, bars, gourmet grocers and butchers. Not just a dinner venue, Eataly will offer numerous options for breakfast and lunch – not to mention enough Olive oil sampling to make even Vito Corleone jealous!

Sugar Sushi Invades Manhattan!

The world-class chefs at Nobu have an unlikely new rival for our sushi affection - Pop Tarts!  With hoards of sweet delights (including sugary sushi), Pop Tarts has just opened its new flagship store in the center of Times Square. The menu also includes the Fluffer Butter, marshmallow spread sandwiched between two Pop-Tarts frosted fudge pastries; the Sticky Cinna Munchies,cinnamon rolls topped with cream-cheese icing and chunks of Pop-Tarts cinnamon-roll variety.  Don't forget the "popping" light show every hour!      

New York’s Newest Hotels Fit Every Type of Meeting

New hotels are booming in New York City and no one will ever confuse them with the term “old school.”

Shackman Associates New York has developed close relationships with five exciting properties that among them, can meet any need your meeting or incentive group may have:

Going “Big” Apple

With the expansion and renovation of the Javits Center, The Intercontinental Times Square offers 607 guestrooms that feature 42" flat-screen TVs and floor-to-ceiling windows. It is right around the corner from the Javits and represents the largest new hotel since 2002. It will also be the largest hotel in New York to achieve green certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a distinction that corporate and government groups increasingly demand when booking meeting space. Because of the pricey single room rates, Shackman Associates’ relationships with group booking personnel are essential to keep your group on-budget.

Downtown Moving Upward with Finance and Tech

The newest W Hotel in Downtown Manhattan provides meetings close proximity to the power of Wall Street with access to unprecedented business technology – both in the guest room and throughout the 1,933 square feet of meeting space. Next to the new World Trade Center site, the W is perfect for a new breed of financial meetings that need data and an ability to connect with participants from around the world.

New Breed of Boutique

How many boutique hotels do you know have 20,000 square feet of meeting space? Here’s one - The Eventi hotel, which recently opened in the trendy Chelsea section of Manhattan. With a capability to accommodate over 300 guests at a sit-down event, The Eventi also is a competitor in the outdoor high-rise bar scene. Shackman Associates has also coordinated numerous after-hours events in the adjacent Meatpacking District.

Style on a Budget

Swanky without being snobby, Fashion26 is located just steps from the Fashion District and is an ideal hospitality choice for a small meeting on a budget. With very low room rates by New York standards, the hotel accommodates meetings up to 80 people and offers quick access to exciting dining and entertainment venues with whom we have built close relationships. If you don’t like crawling on the floor to plug in your laptop, Fashion26 has you covered with outlets above the desk. And did we mention those tasty cupcakes from “Crumbs?”

Hot Hotel in a Hot Neighborhood

You’re not going to find a more authentically New York neighborhood than Nolita and The Nolitan is the first luxury boutique hotel to open there. With 55 rooms, the Nolitan is the perfect venue for a select corporate incentive group looking for a sanctuary in the big city. While this venue offers a taste of luxury “living” in Manhattan, Shackman Associates can help you maximize your ventures outside to Little Italy just blocks away, exclusive shopping in SOHO and NOHO reachable within minutes, and exciting after-hours venues throughout Lower Manhattan.

With even more hotels opening this Fall, we will keep you updated on their progress and exciting new amenities.

In NYC for an Expo? Add a meeting or incentive to save time and money

Meeting planners looking to stretch every dollar possible can save both money and time by co-locating a face-to-face meeting or incentive program with a previously scheduled event.


For example, we recently developed an incentive program for an eye-glass company who was in town at the same time for the Vision Expo. While the incentive program itself did not cut corners, co-locating it with a major trade show afforded our client two advantages - both in money and perception. First, the company's top performers were able to consolidate time and save airfare by traveling only once. Secondly, with incentive programs coming under so much scrutiny from politicians in Washington, DC, the meeting planners we worked with loved keeping the incentive event very low-profile by having a business-only event to boast at the same time.

Co-locating can also take place within the same company. For example, we have also just scheduled a business conference for a Pharmaceutical client in 2011...who is holding an incentive program for part of the group immediately afterward. The same advantages I mentioned above apply here - one airfare and hotel reservation per person, low-profile, and huge time savings.

Technology Better for Face-to-Face over Virtual Meetings? It is now.

Forget the idea that technology is steering meetings into virtual events. The newest gadgets and hi-tech tools are making face-to-face meetings more efficient and worthwhile than ever.

From state-of-the-art conference centers to new ways for finding dining venues and attractions in destinations like Manhattan, face-to-face meeting technology creates two benefits not found in virtual meetings: first, it improves and incentivizes the overall business travel experience; and secondly, it alleviates a problem reported in Forbes that half of virtual meeting attendees multi-task during presentations.

New York is fast becoming a world leader in face-to-face meeting technology, and is one of only 5 cities where the Starwood Hotel Group offers Tele-Presence. The advent of this technology is allowing companies on very tight budgets to send some attendees for face-to-face interaction while enabling virtual attendees to participate in a way that makes them feel like they are there too.

More importantly, Face-to-Face meetings and incentives by themselves are also becoming more high-tech than ever and here are a few ways New York expects to lead this new trend:

Electronic Check-in, Digital Take-Home packets: The same technology that helps travelers check-in at airports on mobile phones is coming to New York meetings. Business travelers can also say goodbye to those packets, big bags and sign-sheets as more companies move to an electronic check-in format that gets the meeting started faster with less distractions. With automated, post-discussion packets that can be emailed within minutes of a meeting’s conclusion, business travelers don’t have to find more space in their travel bags for mountains of paper.

Collaboration Software: Relieving an age-old problem focus-group organizers cite as a reason for less than accurate results, New York is becoming a national leader in using collaboration software at brain-storming meetings. This allows participants to improve the discussion by entering opinions electronically and anonymously. Opinion entries are encouraged to be frank and then are followed by a lively, focused discussion on original ideas – not bandwagon agreement. It also speeds up the meeting itself, which in-turn enables attendees to experience more culture, entertainment and dining sooner.

Consumer-originating itinerary providers – with less formal itineraries and more down-time for large meeting groups, companies likeDopplr, TripIt and WorldMate have developed real-time business travel applications for iPhones and Droids. At Shackman Associates, group meeting attendees often have time before and after a special event or themed dinner we organize and these new applications create personalized routes for experiencing New York. New mobile tech companies are also targeting face-to-face group meetings for sponsorship opportunities. Helping with costs for breakfasts, cocktail-receptions and even providing attendees free trials of mobile apps is great news for meeting planners forced to schedule at the last-minute. Now they can provide attendees value and a little “wow” on a budget.

The Future of Backdrops is Now

We recently ran a special event for a large corporate incentive meeting where attendees got a glimpse at a new era of backdrops. Entertaining 250 people, we built a custom stage in Hangar 3 on the deck of the USS Intrepid anchored in midtown Manhattan on the Hudson River and erected a special video screen as a back wall to the stage. As part of the backdrop, we employed an ongoing video presentation that featured the following elements - waving American flags; a video-narrated "story of the Intrepid" while it was in open-water combat; and slide-show images of legendary performers while “cover” talent was entertaining live on stage.

Overall, the use of backdrops at events is undergoing yet another huge change. In just the past two years, backdrops featuring digital prints, custom images on special materials or over-the-top themes that in some cases featured water walls have gradually been replaced with less expensive video and picture imagery that add more wow factor for attendees.

In the current economy, the key for incorporating backdrops is versatility - and that demand is opening the door to exciting new technology that can be used over and over again.

Hurry Up and Wait

Two of NYC’s most crucial transportation hubs – JFK Airport and the Roosevelt Tram, will be undergoing some hefty renovations beginning this month.

At 14,572 feet, JFK’s runway is the second longest commercial landing strip in the country and handles a third of the airport’s traffic, including more than half of its departures. The renovation aims to widen the runway from 150 to 200 feet and will include a new drainage system, new electrical infrastructure, and the addition of delay reduction taxiways.

Another renovation has already begun on the Roosevelt Island’s Tramway. In operation since 1976, the Tram carries residents of Roosevelt Island 250 feet above the Hudson River to Manhattan. The complete overhaul will increase efficiency as well as allowing each train to operate independently of each other.

Let’s hope that they finish construction faster than the long anticipated 2nd Avenue subway line (new completion date – 2017).

Waves of Warmth hit NYC

Now through January 15th, stop by the Angel Orensanz Foundation to view the surprising new installation by artist Angel Orensanz himself. ‘Waves of Warmth’ is his latest installation created to represent joy and happiness through color and light, something everyone could use a bit more of during these times of economic crisis. The sea of fabrics portrayed to confront great fearless courage hangs proud at this legendary landmark on the Lower East Side.

NYC ranks as No. 1

The Big Apple has claimed the title as the top American tourist destination for int’l travellers in 2009, luring about 8.6m visitors. Overall arrivals to New York City surpassed 45m last year, and its expected that figure will reach the 50 million mark by 2012.

Happy Holidays!

From everyone at Shackman Associates - Wishing you all a very happy holiday season and best wishes in the New Year!

NYC Meetings “Sustaining” The World’s Smallest Carbon Footprint

The New Yorker’s David Owen recently made the case that the Big Apple is the most eco-friendly in the US – without even trying! And while Flagship “sustainable living” websites such as Treehugger.com have long argued that urban living is one of the greenest ways to save the earth without personal conviction, New York meetings are indeed putting a major effort toward “going green”.

Here are 5 things we are doing to create “sustainably” successful meetings in 2010:

Innovative “city farms”: Just like Michelle Obama’s White House garden is being harvested for tonight’s state dinner, New York City has been developed some really unique gardens of our own. Rooftop farms have popped up throughout all five boroughs and in Queens, food distributors are contracting with homeowners who have backyard spaces to plant and grow specific crops.

“Green” City breweries and Wineries: Manhattan and Brooklyn have become emerging hubs for some of the hottest beverage options in the US. Instead of importing expensive wines from other parts of the country or world, meetings can now arrange tasting events at loft-style wineries right in the city and for team-building events, new wine schools are opening throughout the area that enable a corporate group to make and custom label their own varietal – without the grape stomping!

Hotels aim for “zero-sum” footprints: Manhattan’s hotels are at the forefront of the sustainable guest experience. Some of the new boutique hotels have developed actual formulas that offset a guest’s footprint, other venues donate portions of room rates to green organizations, and we have worked closely with the entire local hospitality industry toward encouraging use of the city’s world-class mass transit system. We have managed several recent meetings where attendees were given pre-paid MetroCards for downtime travel around New York.

“Tap” It for Water: It doesn’t get much press, but New York City’s tap water is ranked by experts as the country’s purest. More and more hospitality venues are teaming with leading environmental groups to reduce bottled water in the trash and some are partnering with non-profits such as “Tapit” Water to create tap water portals in high-end restaurants and hotels throughout Manhattan.

Bikes over buses: Meetings groups who want to see all of Manhattan’s beauty are opting for guided bike tours as alternative to double-decker buses. We have arranged custom Central Park tours that make meeting attendees feel they have entered a completely pristine world away from 8 million people – and tours along Riverside Park offer spectacular Hudson River views with the entire skyline off to the side.