CSR at Meetings: Event venues become the give-back

We were recently inspired to learn that the founder of one corporate event venue in Manhattan is redefining CSR.  George Faison, the first African-American Tony Award winner for his choreography of the Wiz, has founded a fantastic venue in Harlem that is ideal for a major destination meeting event or a simple cocktail hour.  Working with Tad Schnugg of the American Performing Arts Collaborative, Inc., Faison's vision for a community based arts organization has brought together the artistic and business communities and takes an active role in mentoring the youth of Harlem. 

 

This is truly a win-win for everyone, and most importantly, Harlem's vibrant youth community.

 

Shackman Associates New York helps destination corporate meeting clients develop exciting and unique CSR programs.  Some of these team-building activities have included sustainable meeting components and bike-builds for youth in economically challenged neighborhoods.

 

 

Opening Receptions at Corporate and Association Meetings: Try a Sunday Rooftop

Shackman Associates New York is seeing a new trend in rooftop venues that provides an opening for meeting planners to book Sunday opening receptions without reinventing the wheel.

One rooftop venue is taking a very unique approach: it is booking weddings during on weeknights and opening up its schedule for other "private events" on weekends.  Weeknight weddings are exploding in popularity because of the exponentially increased cost of getting married.  This is putting less financial pressure on venues to book weddings on Saturday and Sunday.

We have previously blogged that opening a corporate, association or incentive meeting on a Sunday in Manhattan is a great way to save costs.  It's becoming easier than ever in New York City.

Corporate Event Venues: Art showrooms offer flexibility, style and space

Art studios in Manhattan were once primarily used for, well, art shows.  The are now becoming exciting venues for corporate meetings, cocktail receptions, and even galas because of their unique design elements. 

The key is choosing a studio that offers the right size, look and feel for your company's sense of style.  Some studios are offered 100% bare and provide AV components such as hanging projectors that create powerful videos on the walls.  Other studios include fashionable wall designs, unique lighting and hip furniture that provide a lounge feel for your event without having to rent out one in a club.  If you like SoHo or Tribeca, the neighborhood has event studios that are converted industrial sites and have exciting entry options such as modern, glass-centric garage doors.  They can remain open as late as November and provide fresh air if your event is packed.  And finally, Manhattan has art studios that are over 5,000 square feet, which is large enough to accommodate over 300 meeting attendees. 

Flotillas on the Hudson River Go All-Glass

The days of the Circle Line tours for New York City meeting groups have been replaced with sleek all-glass options that provide spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline and items like the Statue of Liberty.

More importantly, these views can provided in all weather elements and during dinner, which is a huge advantage over requiring people sitting inside to bundle up and crowd on freezing decks to briefly catch a glimpse of their favorite building or neighborhoods.

Shackman Associates New York recently ran a 10-boat flotilla on the Hudson River for a meeting group that ended with a fireworks show by the Statue of Liberty. 

New York Corporate Meetings and Citi Bike

There is lots of talk about Mayor Bloomberg's Citi Bike program.  If your corporate meeting is thinking about using them for your attendees, we can help.

Citi Bike is really for residents who pay $95 per year to use them, and we have seen mixed results.  In some cases, people who use Citi Bike drop them off in one location and can't use them in another.  More importantly, your attendees need to understand where the bike lanes are in Manhattan.

Shackman Associates regularly coordinates bike tours for corporate meetings and destination incentives.  If you want the best experience, we can help you find bike professionals who know the ideal routes around Manhattan, create customized tours and teambuilding activities, and can recommend the best options for a uniquely peaceful ride.

Broadway Update: "First Date" to open on August 8

Whether sparks fly on stage almost not important because there is plenty of buzz about Broadway’s new musical comedy "First Date: which begins preview performances at the Longacre Theatre on July 9. The show opens officially on August 8 starring Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez.

Chuck’s Levi (in his Broadway debut) and Smash alum Rodriguez star as two strangers who go on a blind date. Their quick drink turns into an eventful dinner served with hilarious sides of Google background checks, fake emergency phone calls and a slew of bad boy and uptown girl exes.

Shackman Associates New York regularly provides corporate meeting and destination incentive groups with unique Broadway experiences that have includes backstage tours and interaction with key performers.

Brooklyn Tech Triangle Will Geographically Alter Corporate Meetings

New York City is already the #2 tech hub in America.  The Brooklyn Tech Triangle will make it #1.  A new plan for downtown Brooklyn was released this week and calls for changes meant to attract high-tech businesses, startups and thousands of employees.  The Tech Triangle will include new transportation corridors, bike paths and footbridges, re-energized and pedestrian-friendly streets, and a host of new green spaces.

It will also geographically alter corporate meetings in the tech industry. 

Shackman Associates New York has frequently blogged about the growth of trendy boutique hotels in Brooklyn.  With 800 rooms and many more coming soon, their innovative, sustainable culture and sense of style are a perfect fit for the Brooklyn Tech Triangle.  And improvements to public transportation that are already underway will open up more tech meeting attendee hospitality options throughout Manhattan. 

 

Photo courtesy of NY1

Corporate Events: The Silent Disco

The speeches are over and it's time for your attendees to get their groove on. You can now pack the dance floor of a ballroom or venue without any music. 

 

Well, no music out loud because it's a Silent Disco! 

 

Here is how it works.  Attendees grab a pair of hipster headphones. pick their own beats and genres of music, and then dance with their colleagues. In some cases, the headphones include LED lights that create a club-like atmosphere.

Some of the most influential companies in Manhattan are all over this trend as an an event idea, including Bloomberg LP at its 2012 corporate party.

 

 

Corporate Meeting Adventures: 3 Laps as a Race Car Driver

If you are an adrenaline-junkie, then you'll love an opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari F430 or Lamborghini Gallardo and feel the powerful acceleration, grip and brakes.  Just 30 minutes from your New York City corporate meeting or destination incentive, you can drive three laps and hit the last straightaway at high speeds  in one of these two spectacular vehicles and get your photo behind the wheel. 

Shackman Associates provides unique experiences for corporate meeting and destination incentive groups.  With more dynamic venues opening every year in the New York area, your meeting's choices of exciting activities are only limited by your imagination.

Meetings on a Budget: Larger screening rooms, bigger savings

Shackman Associates New York recently gave you the scoop on hotels with screening rooms for corporate meeting groups.  Because some meeting planners need more capacity than 100 seats, Manhattan has three distinctive venues that can seat 140, 187 and 262.  All in unique locations with costs close to or less than hotel screening rooms.

One screening venue is located in the heart of Chelsea and has hosted corporations that include Conde Nast.  It also features an event venue next door that can accommodate a cocktail party or gala for several hundred attendees,

Another potential venue will take your attendees into the heart of New Film history.  Located in the East Village and close to many trendy hotels in SoHo, this screening room is located in an historic brick theater house and features an “old-school” décor you would find during the 1970’s.  But the history moves aside when your group enters the high-tech main theater that is ideal for major association meetings or events.

The third option is located within blocks of Lincoln Center and features a 263-seat theater.  It maintains an intimate vibe and can accommodate any kind of corporate presentation, from Blu-Ray to film.

Summer screening at colleges

New York’s many colleges and universities have auditoriums that mostly go unused during June and July.  It’s an ideal time to schedule a major presentation. 

Recovery from Super-storm Sandy: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to Reopen

With many beaches officially open in the New York area but some still seen with uncertainty among the public, we are happy to report that corporate meeting attendees will soon be able to schedule opportunities to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

The Statue of Liberty will reopen on July 4 and Ellis Island is expected reopen around the same time.  Ellis Island in particular has been a favorite of corporate meeting and destination incentive groups and Shackman Associates New York has run major galas that incorporate elements of Ellis Island and its neighboring component, Liberty State Park. 

Overall, the business travel industry quickly recovered from the storm.  While it was disappointing that two of the area's iconic venues were temporarily damaged, more New York City entertainment venues than ever have opened or evolved in 2013 to rave reviews by destination meeting attendees.  

Broadway Update: Evil has never been so "Glee"-ful

In her role as psychotic coach Sue Sylvester on the Fox hit "Glee", actress Jane Lynch was kind of the "Miss Hannigan" of McKinley High School. 

She now gets to play the evil orphan task-master for real in Broadway's production of "Annie".  With appearances running through July 14, Lynch made her first New York stage debut in Off-Broadway's "Love, Loss and What I Wore".  Although her part didn't require the singing she'll be doing with "Annie", loyal fans of "Glee" might remember Lynch singing Miss Hannigan's flagship number on a recent episode.

Shackman Associates New York provides corporate meeting and destination incentive groups with unique Broadway experiences and have included backstage tours and interactions with key performers.  Don't worry, we promise any potential encounter with Lynch will not lead to your  attendees dropping and giving her 30!

Corporate Meeting Food Trends: Lobsters "Rolling" Southward with a Twist

New York City is proving that you don't have to schedule a corporate meeting in Maine to enjoy one of its most famous dishes - the lobster roll. 

As is typical in New York, chefs are not content serving lobster rolls in their most basic version, which is with fresh lobster, mayo, and butter on hot dog bun.  Here are a few new twists that can be catered for your meeting group: a) bacon and avocado with a Bloody Mary; b) Japanese-style, which features dashi, star anise and ginger; c) sweet-potato fries on the side instead of "chips"; and d) as a food truck, which is already a popular meeting component in Manhattan. 

Karen Shackman in USA Today: Data shows face-to-face corporate meetings are profitable

Shackman Associates New York was recently quoted in USA Today as an expert on a new study that found businesses that continued to send employees on the road during the recession were more profitable than those that cut back on business travel.

The study, conducted by Oxford Economics and commissioned by the U.S. Travel Association, shows how travel can affect a company's bottom line just as businesses are starting to once again spend money on trips to meetings and conferences.

U.S. companies generated $9.50 in revenue and $2.90 in profit for every dollar invested in business travel, which is based on an analysis of government data on 14 industries over an 18-year period.

An accompanying survey of 298 business travelers conducted in November found that 57% believed cutting their travel budgets during the economic downturn hurt their company's performance. Only 4% said it helped.

USA Today noted the importance of face-to-face meetings:

Business travelers believe that they would lose 42% of their customers without in-person meetings, the study found. They said they were twice as likely to get new customers with face-to-face meetings than without them.

Karen Shackman, founder of New York event management company Shackman Associates, which specializes in managing corporate meetings, said she is seeing meetings pick up in New York.

"The trend we are seeing in New York is more business travelers who opt to stay and meet in boutique hotels," she said. "New York is in the middle of explosive growth regarding boutique hotels and many offer amenities that reflect the individual style of business travelers."

Corporate Teambuilding: Be a New York City Chef

Corporate Meetings and Destination Incentives have been choosing New York City because attendees can enjoy cuisine from top chefs who are opening new venues in hot neighborhoods and in some cases, in hotels where are meetings are held.

Dining experiences are now becoming more interactive than ever with launch of “Chef for an Hour” experiences. Examples of these classes include:

 

1. Do-it-yourself Pasta. This experience is taught by one of America’s leading Italian chefs. Your meal is paired with wine and includes a recipe booklet, wheel cutters, and apron and rolling pin.

2. Be a Farm-to-Table guru. Attendees learn how to eliminate processed ingredients from gourmet food and make world-class dishes that are served at Manhattan’s trendiest restaurants.

3. Teppanyaki Table Theatrics. Meeting attendees learn how to wow their friends and co-workers by learning the ins and outs of Japanese cooking. This includes seasoning, dicing, spatula spinning, shrimp-tail flipping and other theatrics that are fan favorites at Japanese steak houses.

4. From Rooftop-to-Plate. With more corporate meetings choosing Brooklyn as a destination, attendees are right around the corner from multiple restaurants where chefs grow ingredients in rooftop gardens above their venues. Planting your own garden and cooking a meal to remember from some of these chefs’ top recipes is a great idea for planners who seek to schedule reoccurring meetings in New York.

Off-Broadway Update: "The Last Five Years" Gets an Extension

"The Last Five Years" is one of those Off-Broadway musicals that struck gold and maintains a huge, almost cult following.

The current production has been repeatedly extended and a movie version is in production.

"The Last Five Years" is unique as it follows a very complex courtship from chronologically opposite ends.  The audience sees Jamie's half of the relationship from the beginning going forward and Cathy's half of the relationship from the end going backwards.  Obviously, the key moment of the production is when their journeys intersect at "the proposal."

People have traveled all over the world to see "The Last Five Years" and it is estimated that thousands of marriage proposals have included the show's lyrics.

Shackman Associates provides unique experiences to corporate meeting and destination incentive groups that include insight into the best Off-Broadway shows, backstage tours and interaction with key performers.

Corporate Meetings at the Ballet

Spring is in the air throughout New York City, and so are many pairs of ballet slippers.

The American Ballet Theatre's Spring Season of performances is a great after-hours option for your corporate meeting.  In 2013, three fan favorites - Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet - return to the stage.  However, it is the three new productions - Ratmansky, Le Coursaire and Onegin - that are creating lots of buzz. 

Onegin, with production designs by Tony Award-winner Santo Loquasto, is a fantastic love drama set in Imperial Russia and inspired by Alexander Pushkin's novel. 

Shackman Associates regularly provides unique entertainment experiences for corporate meeting and destination incentive groups that include backstage passes and interactions with key performers.  

Corporate Meetings and Broadway: Motown in Manhattan

"If there ain't no mountain high enough", the cast of new Broadway production of "Motown" sure is serious about reaching any peak they choose to climb.  In addition to offering toe-tapping renditions of favorites from singers Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy and Martha Reeves, "Motown" might be the most extensively costumed show in decades.

It features approximately 350 outfits and 135 different wigs.  For example, with 26 outfit changes, "Motown" follows the career of Diana Ross from ages 15 to 39. 

Shackman Associates New York provides unique Broadway experiences to corporate meetings and destination incentive groups that has included back-stage tours and interactions with key performers.

Yo Adrian! Rocky headed to Broadway

The cast hasn’t been announced, but Rocky, after a well-received world premiere last fall in Germany, is headed to Broadway in 2014.  We're hoping it includes a great dance production to “Eye of the Tiger”!

Brooklyn Update: New Hotel on the Way by London Olympic Park Designer

The culture district that includes the Brooklyn Academy of Music has become so hot that a new hotel is now on the way.  Construction will begin this fall on a 200-room hotel in Downtown Brooklyn and will be complimented by multiple cultural projects.

The hotel is being designed by Thomas Leese, who has received rave reviews for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Meeting Food Trends: A French Twist in New York

French food has never been hard to find in New York City.  However, a generation of hotel chefs and venues that cater to corporate meetings are taking the cuisine to new and exciting levels.

Traditional dishes such as Paris-Brest, a which is a ring-shaped pate a choux pastry stuffed with hazelnut cream, are being treated to unusual additions like Snickers Bars.  Meat-studded cassoulets are being replaced with beans as the principal ingredient, sweet bread medallions are taking the form of tasty nuggets, and the traditional French rack of lamb is getting an Asian infusion by celebrity chefs that features the neck as a key delicacy.

Additionally, some French-themed hotels are offering meeting groups options to incorporate healthy menus in meals for attendees that are usually served to dinner patrons.  The major shift we are seeing in French cuisine at meetings also includes creative new versions of fan favorites like French Toast and Pommes Frites.

Finally, all of the changes are creating more competition among venues, hotels and chefs, which is providing meeting planners better prices for galas, meeting breaks and off-site breakout dinners for destination incentives. 

Pier 57 Restoration on the Way!

If your corporate meeting is looking at hotel accommodations in Chelsea or the Meatpacking District, it will soon have 425,000 square feet of retail and restaurants with in walking distance at Pier 57 on the Hudson River.  The new restaurants will be built from repurposed shipping containers.

The renovated pier will include an amphitheater that will be constructed from old airplane fuselages..  The Tribeca Film Festival will use 100,000 square feet as a permanent outdoor venue. 

Pier 57 will also feature cooking schools, art galleries and music recording studios.  We have recently seen major interest from meeting planners for these kinds of venues. 

New York Botanical Garden Welcomes 7,000 Orchids

More than just a spectacular venue for events, The New York Botanical Garden is one of the truly special urban utopias in the world.

The garden's Annual Orchid Show, which runs through April 22, 2013, features 7,000 orchids that are on display in the country’s largest curated event of its kind.  The show dramatically transforms the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a tropical rainforest.  Even without the orchids, the conservatory is a unique corporate and incentrive destination meeting venue accomodating 120-300 attendees for a variety of event ideas.  For example, one could easily imagine Victorian or Edwardian ladies and gentlemen enjoying an afternoon or evening "amongst nature" once upon a time.

In 2013, Hurricane Sandy storm-damaged trees from the Garden's grounds will be incorporated into the show as a design element. Nearly 300 of the Garden’s specimen trees were either uprooted or otherwise destroyed. 

As one would expect, scheduling an event at the New York Botanical Garden is quite competitive and Shackman Associates New York's network of contacts help incorporate venues like the botanical gardens into destination meeting galas and group intineraries.

Macy's Herald Square Now a Food Destination Too!

Shackman Associates New York has frequently scheduled exclusive shopping experiences at top Manhattan venues, but many meeting attendees still love checking out Macy's because it's the flagshop store from what they know at the mall and see on TV every year on Thanksgiving.

However, it hasn't been known for its food.  Until now.

The opening of Stella 34 Trattoria is transforming the 6th floor at New York's most famous department store into its own destination dining experience.  The venue features homemade pasta, multiple seafood plates, a Prosecco bar with Bellini's, three wood-burning stoves and a very sleek vibe that features a modern decor with lots of windows.

Stella 34 Trattoria, which is becoming it's own "Eataly", is one component of a $400 million renovation project at Macy's 111-year-old store and seats 180 people.

Screening Rooms: Driving explosion of New York City film festivals and ideal for corporate presentations

While Robert DeNiro's Tribecca Film Festival is the biggest, NYC is seeing explosive growth in these kinds of events.  Hotels are taking notice and have incorporated beautiful screening room venues into their list amenities. 

We recently visited one in SoHo during the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival.  With 150 seats, the screening room earned rave reviews from top conservation experts who flew in from around the world to attend the event.  In addtion to the screening room, the hotel developed multiple, adjacent rooms that accomodate pre- and post- film receptions. 

You don't need to be showing films to make a screening room and major component of your next corporate or association meeting.  With the latest digital technology, they are ideal for interactive  presentations and Q&As.

Corporate Meetings on Broadway: Tom Hanks to make his debut!

Tom Hanks isn't just a great actor - he's a Lucky Guy.   At least he's playing one on Broadway!

With previews opening in March, Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks will make his Broadway debut in Lucky Guy, where he will take on the role of tabloid columnist Mike McAlary.  As he investigates the scandal and corruption of graffiti-ridden New York in the 1980s. Hanks will be joined by his former co-star of the hit comedy Bosom Buddies, Peter Scolari.  Scolari will star as columnist Michael Daly, and will be joined by Christopher McDonald as lawyer Eddie Hayes and Peter Gerety as editor John Cotter.

The cast will also include Michael Gaston (A Day in the Death of Joe Egg) as Jim Dwyer, Dustyn Gulledge (As You Like It) as Dino Tortoricci, Deirdre Lovejoy (Six Degrees of Separation) as Louise Imerman/Debbie Krenek, Danny Mastrogiorgio (Golden Boy) as Bob Drury, Richard Masur (The Grapes of Wrath) as Jerry Nachman/Stanley Joyce and Stephen Tyrone Williams (Harper Regan) as Abner Louima.

Resorts World Casino in NYC Opens Major Event Venue

New York City just added 70,000 sqaure feet of event, trade show and corporate meeting space.  While a plan to replace the Jacob Javits Center with a new facility in Queens has been hotly debated among public officials, developers of the Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct ready finishing off Phase II of its mega-complex to attract major industry trade shows, large banquets, corporate and association meetings and concerts. 

Having first opened in 2011, Resorts World is the highest grossing slot facility in the United States and is considered one of the safest gaming venues in the world.  It also recently opened a steak house and a fine dining Chinese venue. 

The New York CityMetropolitan Transportation Authority has been continually expanding transportaion access to Resorts World, and the complex, including Aqueduct Racetrack, is located within 5 minutes of JFK Airport. 


Photo courtesty of AMNY.

Broadway Update: Skyfall writer looks to bring Bette Midler back to Broadway

John Logan, the playwright responsible for the newest James Bond movie Skyfall and other huge hits such as The Aviator, Hugo and Gladiator, has his sights set again on Broadway and his next production is one-woman show based on the life of Hollywood super-agent Sue Mengers.

His preferred choice to play Mengers is super-actress Bette Midler.

 

Logan's first Broadway credit was Red, which received six Tony Awards in 2010, including Best Play. He also wrote off-Broadway's Never the Sinner. In addition to a new Alice and Wonderland play starring Judi Dench and Ben Wishaw, Logan is also writing the next two Bond films.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is Here!

New York Business Travel Ready for a Quick Recovery from Hurricane Sandy

The New York City area had a rough week and our hearts go out to millions of wonderful people throughout the East Coast, especially in coastal areas of New Jersey, Staten Island, Rockaway and Long Island, who have suffered unimaginable loss. 

 

The business travel industry, while hit hard last week, is prepared for a quick recovery.  Most, if not all of our hotels have weathered the storm, and with power fully restored in Manhattan, are ready to accommodate business travelers and corporate meetings with the world-class service and amenities people expect in New York.

 

We had two meeting groups in town last week and everyone worked around the challenges with a positive attitude.  More importantly, our attendees witnessed first-hand the never-quit spirit of New Yorkers, who not only overcame a major natural disaster as individuals, but also made it a priority to help their neighbors in a time of need.

 

New York will be back better than ever.

World's Biggest Ferris Wheel Gets Approval for NYC

We previously blogged that the World's Larget Ferris Wheel was being planning for New York City in Staten Island.  We are happy to report that the project has been approved by the city government and here is a latest rendering of what it will look like:

Morning Mimosas at the Statue of Liberty

Cruising around the Statue of Liberty does not have to an evening-only event.  Destination corporate meeting and incentive attendees are choosing morning excursions that are equally spectacular and often sail through much calmer water on the Hudson River.

Shackman Associates New York can develop morning cruises that include extravagant breakfasts, amenities for business component or speakers, and even a mimosa or two. 

"The Heiress" Returns to Broadway

Broadway's newest production,"The Heiress", has a rich stage and film history.

Die-hard movie fans might remember "The Heiress" as the Academy Award-winning 1949 movie starring Olivia de Haviland and Montgomery Clift.  But the film was adapted from a 1946 Broadway production of the same story.  The Broadway production was then remade in 1995 and another movie was released in 1997. 

The play follows the story of Catheine Sloper, a wealthy woman who can never please her father.  When she meets the man of her dreams, Catherine's father thinks her new love is only in it for the the money.  Instead of proving everyone wrong, the charming Morris Townsend is a no-show for a planned elopement, runs off to California, and returns to New York to find that Catherine has inherited a massive estate.  He again turns on the charm, but Catherine has other plans - revenge!

Acclaimed actess Jesica Chastain makes her Broadway debut as Catherine, and the play opens this month at the Walter Kerr Theatre. 

Shackman Associates specializes in providing unique Broadway experiences for corporate destination meeting and incentive groups that have included backstage tours and interaction with leading talent.


Jessica Chastain stars as Catherine Sloper in "The Heiress".
Photo courtesy of BroadwayWorld.

UN Week or Oyster Week? It's always a "week" in NYC

Whether it's hundreds of countries with diplomats for the annual UN General Assembly or 11 oyster restaurants, there is always a "week" going on in New York City.

This week, the two have merged.

Many meeting planners try to send corporate groups to cities when a special event is happening because it's a great option for after-hours entertainment.  In New York, special events are happening all the time, which provides meeting planners more flexibility to plan meetings for "off-season" periods to save money. 

And if you are curious who is hosting "Oyster Week", here are the 11 venues:

Grand Central Oyster Bar; Lure; Bluefin; Atlantic Grill - Upper East Side; Blue Water Grill; Ocean Grill; Atlantic Grill - Lincoln Center; Monument Lane; Ulysses Folk House; Wild Edibles; and the City Crab and Seafood Company.

Shackman Associates New York has helped corporate groups get exclusive access and amenities at leading venues like these and New York raw fish offerings are so plentiful and delicious, Oyster Week can really be any day of any week you want!

Christopher Columbus gets "Discovered"

Discovering Columbus, a new skyscraping exhibition by Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi, is open for visitors, and poised to be the talk of the city for months.

Nishi and the Public Art Fund have built a fully decorated living room — six stories up — around that very famous marble likeness of Christopher Columbus that sits in his namesake Circle.

The controversial exhibit opened on Thursday, September 20 and runs through Saturday, November 18
at Columbus Circle.

 

New on Broadway: Scarlett Johansson

Another Hollywood A-lister is on her way to Broadway.

Scarlett Johansson will play the role made famous by Elizabeth Talyor: sex-starved Maggie in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

Previews begin December 18 and the show officially opens January 17, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.  The production, which will be directed by Rob Ashford, marks Johansson’s second turn on Broadway. In 2010, she won a Featured Actress Tony Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge.”

Plan Your 2013 Golf Meeting or Incentive Now

With the New York area having just hosted the first leg of the FedEx Cup at Bethpage Black, you might be thinking, "Let's include championship golf as part of our next corporate incentive trip." 

It's a great thought, but you need to start planning for next year and beyond right now.

While Bethpage Black is one of the most exclusive courses in the world to book, Bethpage Red - also part of Bethpage State Park - has been called by the PGA Tour's official site "a strong number two pitcher" to its sister course.  It's so challenging that the USGA was close to using the 18th on the Red Course as the finishing hole of the 2009 US Open. 

But with so many options, why worry about going all or nothing for one course?  The New York City area boasts hundreds of tour-level golf courses, and visitors may not realize that most venues feature beautiful rolling hills or ocean-front links on multiple holes.  The spectacular views, including that of the Manhattan skyline from several of the area's top courses, speak for themselves.

It's not a surprise that Golf Digest has ranked 13 venues within a 2-hour drive of Manhattan in its 2011-2012 list of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses.

Watching Major Champions

The Barclays is held is each year in late August at a New York-area golf venue and two upcoming major championships - the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol and the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock - are great opportunities for groups to see the best players in the world compete up-close.


Fria's Head Golf Course on Long Island

Tavern on the Green Gets a New Life

The slow and sad and demise of Tavern on the Green is over!

The famed restaurant's, new owners, The Emerald Group, are plan to revitalize the venue with outdoor seating up to 300 people and a reputation of serving the best French crepes on the East Coast 150 miles away in Phildelphia's bustling South Street district. 

The executive chef will be a seasoned New Yorker, Katy Sparks, who has worked at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, Bolo and the Quilted Giraffe and was the executive chef for catering company Great Performances.

It's good to see an iconic venue springing back to life with a bright future!

New on Broadway: Jake Gyllenhaal

Actor Jake Gyllenhaal is coming to Off-Broadway for a limited engagement of If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet.  The show began over the weekend at off-Broadway's Laura Pels Theatre. Directed by Michael Longhurst, the play will officially open on September 20, and is set to play a limited engagement through November 25. The cast also features Annie Funke, Michelle Gomez and Brian F. O’Byrne.

If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet is the story of Anna (Funke), a teenager who is bullied at school because of her weight. When Anna’s mom transfers her to the school where she teaches in order to protect her daughter, it only makes things worse. Just as Anna is suspended for retaliating against her bullies, her estranged uncle Terry (Gyllenhaal) arrives unannounced. Terry, a heartbroken drifter with the mouth of a sailor, connects with Anna in a way no one else ever has.

Heard the Brooklyn Buzz?

Heard the Brooklyn Buzz? Shackman Associates has and we bring to you the latest on the fall opening of New York’s newest landmark – the Barclays Center – located in the vibrant borough of Brooklyn, home of the new Brooklyn Nets and host of over 200 live entertainment and sporting events each year. 

Jay Z will hit the stage with a series of eight (sold-out!) concerts – and upcoming acts this fall include Barbara Streisand, Justin Beiber and Andrea Bocelli to name just a few.  On November 1st the Brooklyn Nets will go head to head with their new rival, the New York Knicks as their first game of the season.

With multiple event space options, this entertainment and sporting arena is New York’s new versatile venue in the hip borough of Brooklyn. Let Shackman Associates guide you in hosting your next event at the new Barclays Center.

Dear Politicians: Don't Let the GSA Scandal Devalue Meetings

It’s ironic that the same politicians who have, since 2009, attacked corporate meetings paved the way for the GSA to spend freely at a minimum of 77 conferences.

This blog isn’t going to discuss the legitimacy of GSA meetings, but the venues that host them are a vital part of the economy.  The Meetings and Conference industry adds billions of dollars to the US GDP and employs millions of hospitality workers.

According to a recent study by the Financial and Insurance Conference Planners (FICP), the annual collective-buying power of FICP member organizations ranges between $659 million and $913 million. The study of 91 FICP planner members, which was conducted in March, also reveals that 95 percent of those polled have average annual meeting budgets of $3 million, spend $900,000 for their largest annual event and planned approximately 95 meetings in 2011. In other findings, 95 percent of respondents expect their budgets to increase or remain flat in 2013, and 21 percent expect an increase in the size of their meeting planning teams next year.  (Meetings and Conventions Magazine – July 8, 2012) 

The $800,000 the GSA spent in Las Vegas is about average for a large conference.

However, since the financial crisis of 2008, corporate meetings have found creative ways to stretch budgets and even add serious business elements to destination incentives.  This category of meeting is traditionally a luxury experience reward for top company performers.  For example, destination meetings we have managed in New York saved thousands of dollars by piggybacking food and AV with other meetings at a hotel.  They sometimes cut luxury itineraries in favor of open downtime.  

Most notably, corporate meeting attendees have not shown up on YouTube sipping top-shelf champagne in Las Vegas penthouses.  In fact, the opposite is true.  At Shackman Associates, we have helped meetings appropriately stay under-the-radar during the challenging financial climate and include economic development tours and “give-back” programs in the local community in New York City.

Destinations like Las Vegas and New York have finally bounced back after several years of unhelpful and uneducated criticism by politicians in Washington.  Let’s hope that going forward, government meetings use some of the cost-saving strategies corporate meetings have been using for the past 4 years.

New on Broadway: "Bring it On!"

"Bring It On!" is a high-energy musical opening this fall on Broadway.  If the name sounds familiar, it should be.  The musical is based on the cheerleader movie series that mostly went straight to video, but that is where the similarities end.

The Broadway production of "Bring It On!" features exciting live cheer routines, great music, better acting and the energy of 30 people debuting on Broadway at one time.  It's an ideal show for meeting and incentive groups traveling with spouses. 

Shackman Associates provides corporate meeting and destination incentive attendees with unique Broadway experiences that have included backstage passes and interaction with the productions stars.

New on Broadway: "Chaplin"

Fresh off of winning the San Diego Theatre Critic's Award for Best Musical during its run at The LaJolla Playhouse, "Chaplin" is headed for Broadway in New York City.

The musical, which chronicles the story of silent film icon Charlie Chaplin as he moved from London to become a Hollywood film star, will begin previews on August 21. 

Shackman Associates New York provides corporate meeting and destination incentive attendees with unique Broadway experiences including backstage passes and interaction with the stars of the production.

Only in New York City: Vegan Donuts!

Shackman Associates has another meeting food idea you'll only find in New York - Vegan Donuts.

In our continuing series of posts about healthy, savory food ideas for your destination meeting, several companies with locations around Manhattan, are leading a renaissance of the entire concept of eating donuts. 

Any good vegan can finally know how to appreciate fresh doughnuts daily with few flavors made from seasonal fresh and sometimes organic produce.  For example, Organic Orange, Fresh Raspberry,  Pistachio, Almond Marzipan, Pomegranate and Fresh Apple Cinnamon.

Here are the common denominators you won't find in your meeting break pastries:

No Trans fat.
No Preservatives.
No Artificial Flavorings.
No Eggs.

Some donuts are also gluten-free. 

3 Ways Your Meeting Can "Beat the Heat"

The US can get quite hot in the summer and 2012 could the hottest yet. 

So how can your corporate meeting and destination incentive attendees beat the heat?

Shackman Associates has 3 ice-cold ideas in New York City:

1. Ice rink in a ballroom.  We recently ran a gala event at a major hotel with a temporary ice rink in the middle of the ballroom.  Included was a live performance by professional skaters and an opportunity for meeting attendees to join in .

2. Sub Zero Ice Cages.  If your group is looking to cool off on the wild side, downtown features sub-zero ice cage bars with a vodka drinking room.  One venue is ideal for groups with a gypsy party trolley from your hotel and back.

3. Polar at the Marcel.  With fluffy and furry while pillow and icy mirrors, your group can indulge in the venue's unique menu of mixology including:  The Tundra; and Operation Highjump, featuring "42 below" vodka.

Meeting Break Idea: Gourmet Greek Yogurt Bars in NYC

Tired of the usual pastry and coffee at your destination meeting?  Are food trucks yesterday's news? In New York City, an exciting breed of "Yogurt Bars" have opened in Manhattan near many major hotel venues.

Greek yogurt, with thicker consistency than more sugary competitors found in many supermarkets, has become increasingly popular because it's low in fat and high in protein. 

Chobani and Dannon have opened stores in SoHo, which is close to multiple new boutique hotels, and at Grand Central Station in Midtown, a five minute walk from the Waldorf and Hyatt.  Like New York's gourment coffee houses which attract tens of thousands of tourists, yogurt bar menus include items you can't get anywhere else in the US - for example, yogurt featuring chopped figs and walnuts with honey drizzled on top, or yogurt with cucumbers or olive oil.

Katie Holmes Returns to Broadway

Fresh from her divorce settlement with Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes is wasting no time getting her career back on track and her first stop will be Broadway. 

She will star this fall in the new dark comedy “Dead Accounts" by Theresa Rebeck, a Pulitzer Prize finalist whose play, "Seminar", was a big hit on Broadway last year. 

Katie Holmes, who made her Broadway debut in 2008 in a revival of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons", will portray Lorna, a somewhat regular person on a diet, who is living with her aging parents in Cincinnati while trying to pull together her life. 

The Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (“The Coast of Utopia,” “Hairspray”) is directing the five-character play, which will run at the Music Box Theater this fall.

Shackman Associates New York has provided corporate meeting and destination incentive clients with unique Broadway experiences that include backstage passes and interaction with talent from the production. 

For more information about run dates for Dead Accounts, contact us at dmc@shackmanassociates.com.

4 New Tech Features for Meeting Scavenger Hunts

We have blogged multiple times about uses of QR codes at corporate meetings and destination incentives.  We recently incorporated QR and GPS into a scavenger hunt in Central Park in Manhattan and more advances have been made to make team building activities like this even more exciting.

Among the newest features available for a scavenger hunt are:

1. Mobile optimized web-based applications that will work with all types of mobile devices
2. Synergy to track your group's progress and see how your competitors are doing
3. No need to download a gaming app
4. A platform admin portal, QR window client and other elements such as T-shirts, posters, pillows and pop-up banners.

Not surprisingly, New York City leads the US in venues with QR codes.  This includes most public attractions, hotels and many retailers.  With expanded technology, Shackman Associates can help your meeting group customize any scavenger hunt with efficient scheduling, unique challenges, and enhanced interactivity with locals. 



Photo courtesy of Worldseeker

Why ObamaCare Ruling Justifies Corporate Meetings

Whether you agree or disagree with today’s ruling on ObamaCare, we are still left with a 2,000-page law that few people, businesses and industry associations understand. 

Hospitals, medical device manufacturers, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, technology companies and the health care investment community will need, now more than ever, a forum to discuss how to prepare for new regulations and opportunities and act individually and as industries.

And that’s just in health care.  Virtually every company and industry association will be affected by the health care law and corporate leaders will need to thoroughly discuss continuing compliance strategies.

It makes a powerful case for a corporate or association meeting.   

Here in New York City, we have seen dynamic growth of innovative health care companies and health care technology firms.   We have also managed meetings for international Pharma manufacturers, insurance companies, and large associations with heavy business components.  With over 90,000 available hotel rooms in the city, meeting planners can quickly find the amenities and business components they need to schedule a productive forum.

Let’s hope politicians in Washington understand how important these meetings will be.  MPI recently released a toolkit that helps planners justify the need for meetings whenever the media or Congress claims it’s a waste.

If politicians in Washington continue to stand by behind ObamaCare, then they also need to stand behind corporate meetings that will help it work better.     

AN “EYE” ON NEW YORK!

Seems like New York will be rivaling London with its very own “Eye” Ferris Wheel!  The proposed  Ferris Wheel will be located on the north shore of Staten Island , very close to the ferry terminal from Lower Manhattan – just 25 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of downtown New York.

At a proposed height of 600 feet, this New York Ferris Wheel stands to be even taller than The London Eye, and is estimated to draw some 2 million visitors who regularly take the Staten Island ferry – not to mention a whole new demographic of visitors who stand to enjoy the vistas of New York and beyond.

This means a whole new opportunity for our clients to experience in the not-too-distant future!
Watch this space, we will provide regular updates.

Broadway on a Budget for Meetings and Incentives

Catching a Broadway show is a favorite after-hours activity for meeting and incentive attendees and we have frequently blogged about exciting new musicals and plays that are opening each month. 

Because we look to provide special experiences like backstage access and interaction with leading performers, timing your meeting for Broadway's off-season helps us improve your favorite show with high demand.  Ask us how we can help you ideally schedule your upcoming meeting to take advantage of the off-season for top performances!

BROADWAY NEWS: Billy Ray Cyrus Joins Cast of Chicago

Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus will make his Broadway debut on November 5 in “Chicago.”

Perhaps the world's most famous father - his daughter is Miley Cyrus - the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer is ditching Nashville for now and will take on the role of criminal lawyer Billy Flynn for a seven-week engagement.

Other celebrities to join the “Chicago” cast have included Sofia Vergara, Melanie Griffith, Brooke Shields, Ashlee Simpson, Usher, Huey Lewis, Michael C. Hall and Jerry Springer.

Shackman Associates New York has provided corporate meetings and incentive travel groups up-close experiences for shows like "Chicago" that includes theatre tours, backstage access and interaction with leading characters.

Another Hotel Grows in Brooklyn

Shackman Associates NYC has become a leading source of meeting trends in Brooklyn and just this week,, we have learned that Toll Brothers and Starwood Capital Group expect to break ground next summer on a 200-room hotel next to Brooklyn Bridge Park. 

The $300 hotel, which will also include 159 condos, is the latest Brooklyn project in wave of hotel development targeted toward corporate meeting and incentive groups.

We recently toured the Wythe Hotel in Williamburg with a destination meeting client.  Hotels in the borough are offering attendees a funkier perspective of New York City, exciting local dining options, unique after-hours group venues and quick access to the booming Lower East Side and East Village. 

Mike and Spike Head to Broadway

Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson announced this week that he will team up with director Spike Lee to bring his one-man show, "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth," to the Longacre Theatre in Manhattan for six nights.  The shows runs from July 31 - August 5

The show features a raw confessional on the highs and lows of Tyson's life and will also mark Spike Lee's debut as a director on Broadway.

Lee is the director behind such films as "Do the Right Thing," "Malcolm X" and "Inside Man," and much of his films make bold statements about race relations in the United States. 

Tyson's show is the latest in a line of one-person shows to hit Broadway, including ones by William Shatner, Hugh Jackman and Kathy Griffin.  We expect this trend to continue and are specialists in providing corporate meeting and incentive groups "unique Broadway experiences."

AND THE WINNER IS...

Last night New York celebrated the best of Broadway, as the city hosted the 66th Annual Tony Awards.
From the many nominees, the following winners were applauded:

MUSICALS

The Gerswhin's Porgy and Bess,
Winner of Best Revival of a Musical
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Audra McDonald)

Newsies
Winner of Best Original Score Written for the Theatre
Best Choreography

Nice Work If You Can Get It
Winner of Best Performances by an Actor (Michael McGrath)
Winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Jjudy Kaye)

Once 
Winner of Best musical, Best Book of a Musical,
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Steve Kazee),
Best Direction of a Musical
Best Orchestrations
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Best Sound Design of a Musical

PLAYS

Clybourne Park
Winner Best Play

One Man, Two Guvnors
Winner of Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (James Corden)

Other Desert Cities
Winner of Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Judith Light)

Peter and the Starcatcher
Winner of Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Christian Borle),
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Best Costume Design of a Play
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Best Sound Design of a Play

Off-Broadway for Meeting Groups: A Wonderfully Chaotic Event

An Off-Broadway production can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. But you haven't really visited New York until you experience one.  With Fuerza Bruta, your corporate group will absorb fear, shame, chaos, serenity, harmony, and peace all in one "scene".  For example, there is a man running on a treadmill who is running from his problems.  Or perhaps the man running on the treadmill is running from fear.  The performers obviously thrive on chaos.  Maybe that's why women and men in the show throw boxes at each other.

But if it was cool enough for Usher to make two special guest performances, Fuerza Bruta is cool enough for your next after-hours meeting idea. 

Shackman Associates just checked it out - you are right in the middle of the experience at Fuerza Bruta.  Originally from Buenos Aires, there is the music, the fun, some confetti, and at times, it feels like you are in the movie Inception.

You won't forget it.

Productions like this are popping up everywhere in New York and Shackman Associates provides meeting attendees with special experiences at these kinds of shows.

2 "Raw" and "Racy" Ideas for Healthy Meetings and Incentives

Executives and meeting planners know that staying healthy on the road  helps attendees stay sharp in meetings.

Shackman Associates New York has 2 ideas to keep your meeting healthy and adventurous:

1. Healthy Menus.  We help develop menus for banquets and galas with a local flavor from produce growers and farmers.  New York is also the home to a boom in "raw food".  Restaurants with catering and event options have been popping up near hot, new boutique hotels and raw food - never cooked above 118 degrees Fahrenheit - has become a Manhattan gourmet delicacy with fans that include celebrities and former President Bill Clinton.  

2. Park races, active tours and scavenger hunts.   With more park space than any other major city, “active” eventsoptions are abundant throughout Manhattan.  Two attendee favorites are organized bike tours or races and scavenger hunts through Central and Riverside Parks.  During attendee downtime, there are numerous free options – including race walking  programs and 45-minute deep yoga sessions.  Several specialized yoga studios have opened in the Meatpacking District and many of Manhattan’s new hotels boasts state-of-the-art gyms.

Watch the Space Shuttle Arrive and Thrive at the USS Intrepid

On April 27, millions watched in awe as the Space Shuttle Enterprise flew up the Hudson River and over Manhattan on its way to JFK airport.  It will open on July 19 at the USS Intrepid Museum.

But the shuttle's journey isn't over.  Its final arrival is scheduled for sometime in June, and will involve another spectacle: The Enterprise will sail up the Hudson River and be hoisted, via crane, to the deck of the legendary carrier Intrepid.

The shuttle's "flight" over Manhattan lasted for seconds.  Its sailing will last hours and is a great idea for spending some downtime during your meeting. 

Shackman Associates New York has managed spectacular corporate events and galas on the USS Intrepid and the addition of the shuttle will make this a more attractive venue than ever. 

Photo courtesy of Wired.com

Meetings go Bump, Grind and Shimmy with Burlesque Events

Burlesque is making a huge comeback in movies, closets, fitness and mixology venues.  It can be also be a creative addition to your next corporate destination meeting.

Shackman Associates New York is on the cutting edge of this trend and your group can customize the burlesque experience.   This is an especially attractive option for spouses during incentive trips.  If you're not a performer, but if you want to learn to perform, burlesque classes help meeting attendees learn from some of the most experienced, fun-loving, and successful people in the industry.

Classes teach multiple forms of the art and your experience can end there or continue by watching your instructors perform live on stage later in the evening!

Corporate Incentive Shopping Experiences Evolve in NYC

Shackman Associates has coordinated special shopping experiences for incentive travel clients, and while a few glasses of champagne at Saks 5th Avenue remains popular, this is an experience that has become exponentially more imaginative throughout the city.

Want something funky?  Boutiques in the Lower East Side and SoHo are pushing the envelope with the latest designs from Italy and independent designers.

If you want to completely bypass the showroom, we recommend "Behind the Scenes Tours" with manufacturers in the Garment District.  You'll get the first crack at hot fashion before the retailers do and manufacturers are providing comfort at the level you'll see at any storefront on 5th Avenue.



Destination Incentive shopping tours today provide the shoes you'll wear at the beach this summer.



Private shopping tours are providing the same comfort you'll get at major retailers.

A Very "Cheesy" Meeting and Incentive

Many business travelers visiting New York make a point of trying the city's world famous pizza and bagels.  We have arranged pizza tours for meeting and incentive groups and they are wildly popular with attendees.

In 2011, business travelers sought food trucks for every occasion.

In 2012, a new dish might be surpassing all of them - Gourmet Mac and Cheese.  The New York Post recently reported thMac and Cheese is the #1 ordered food in Manhattan and some of New York's top Chefs are taking an old classic to new and delicious levels.   For example, if you haven’t tried NYC’s  buffalo chicken Mac and Cheese, we know who makes the most unique versions - perfect for extended meeting breaks, cocktail reception buffets  and working lunches.

The New "King" on Broadway

"The Lion King" has officially become the #1 all-time grossing production on Broadway, surpassing "Phantom of the Opera".  According to the show's producer, Lion King has taken in $853,846,062. It's an incredidle accomplishment because "The Lion King's" run on Broadway has been 10 years shorter than "Phantom."

Shackman Associates New York has provided corporate meetings and incentive travel groups up-close experiences for shows like "The Lion King" that includes theatre tours, backstage access and interaction with leading characters.

Magic and Bird: The Broadway Show the Guys in Your Meeting or Incentive Group Will Love

If your next destination business meeting is shaping up to be "guy-centric", Magic-Bird opens this Wednesday on Broadway and groups of men who have seen the preview together say it might be better than the product you'll see down 7th Avenue at Madison Square Garden.

The production is a celebration of one of basketball's storied rivalries between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.  Magic and Bird met in one of college basketball's most revered championship games, again 3 times as professionals in the NBA finals, and lastly as teammates for the first Olympic "Dream Team" in 1992.   

The show also covers Magic Johnson's stunning revelation that he had the HIV virus - and according to what we hear, it will send a tear down the face of the most hardened corporate CEO.

Basketball has exploded in popularity around the globe and international meeting attendees are likely to recognize the main characters.  Even if they don't, Magic-Bird is riding a new trend of transformative Broadway productions that are making "catching a show" more popular than ever while in New York City.