Corporate Events: Manhattan Skyline Views and Foliage all at once on the Hudson

Corporate meeting attendees love the Manhattan skyline, but it often requires a cruise on the Hudson River to acquire a truly panoramic perspective.

Just 12 miles north are new and exciting event venues that are right on the river, and looking South, offer a truly unique skyline view of Manhattan that is tucked between the hills of the Palisades and behind the George Washington Bridge.  They also feature breathtaking views north to the Tappan Zee Bridge and beyond to 20 miles of foothills.

In the Spring and Summer, event venues in the "River Towns" provide a breath of fresh air and cool breezes off the Hudson.  But we think the miles if foliage attendees can see in the Fall could be something special for your next New York meeting. 

The "River Towns" are also an ideal option for a corporate retreat or off-site lunch for executives attending large association conventions.  Shackman Associates New York has previously blogged that these kinds of retreats are often an hour or more north of Manhattan.  Meeting planners now have much closer options that offer the best of both worlds.

Look north at the Husdon Valley

 Turn south an take in the Manhattan skyline.

Broadway Update: Denzel Washington back in 2014

(via Deadline.com) Denzel Washington will star opposite Diahann Carroll in the Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s classic A Raisin In The Sun. Previews begin March 8, 2014, with opening night on April 3, 2014 at the Barrymore Theatre where the original production opened 55 years ago. Set on Chicago’s South Side, A Raisin In The Sun revolves around the divergent dreams and conflicts within three generations of the Younger family: son Walter Lee (Washington), his wife Ruth (Sophie Okonedo), his sister Beneatha (Anika Noni Rose), his son Travis and matriarch Lena, called Mama (Carroll). Rounding out the cast are Stephen Tyrone Williams, Jason Dirden, and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Washington won a Best Actor Tony for his performance in 2010′s Fences. The Kenny Leon-directed A Raisin In The Sun is a limited engagement, running 14 weeks only through June 15, 2014.

Hotel Trends: Long Island City the next Brooklyn

While the word is out on how hot Brooklyn is for corporate meetings and destination incentives, its neighbor just few miles to the north is start to heat up as well.

Long Island City is in the middle of a renaissance, and the once gritty industrial neighborhood known mostly for its cab garages is becoming a mod oasis for business travel, meetings and events.  Boutique hotels are finding Long Island City to be the perfect location outside of Manhattan while providing spectacular views of the skyline and iconic bridges.  One rooftop venue is next to the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge and provides a corporate event group with an exciting pan-Asian experience.

And finally, Long Island City has the advantage of being a 10-minute subway for cab ride to Midtown East!

Lincoln Center Update: Ethan Hawke to star as Macbeth

Broadway isn't the only entertainment venue heating up as the weather gets colder.  Ethan Hawke will reunite with director Jack O'Brien in a new production of Macbeth at Lincoln Center.  Limited showings will begin on October 24.

According to a recent interview with E!Online, Hawke said he has always wanted to play this part.  He and O'Brien previously worked together in Henry IV.

Shackman Associates New York provides corporate meeting, association meeting, and destination incentive groups with unique entertainment experiences on Broadway, off-Broadway, and at other spectacular venues like Lincoln Center.  This is frequently included backstage tours and interactions with key performers.

Association Meetings and Conferences: Consider private technology to filter out endless social media updates

While there is continuing debate on how to use social media during business components at conferences and large association meetings, we recently came across a firm, QnA, via Twitter (@NYCmeetingDMC) that figured out how to create a hyper-intelligent, private system to deliver very targeted results.

The key is to provide moderators with more control than ever over questions, answers and even who gets asked the questions. 

With this kind of technology, your association meeting attendees can now ask unlimited questions, and moderators can quickly filter out ones that don't make sense or disrupt the flow.  Furthermore, because speakers can clearly see the questions being asked, they do not get lost among the noise of status updates.

Need to export data into a spreadsheet or pdf format?  It's a one-click process.  Moderators and speakers can also create components for live polling, discussion capture and event feedback.  And finally, we are seeing an opportunity to run meetings without requiring attendees to download apps that might work differently on the iPhone versus a Galaxy. 

Photo courtesy of QnA, @QnA_Event_Tech

Broadway Update: Fantasia Barrino and Wynton Marsalis a dream team in After Midnight

It seems like so long ago when Fantasia Barrino became the Season 3 winner of American Idol.  Since then, she has become a Grammy Award-winning R&B vocalist and Broadway star.

Director Warren Carlyle and superstar fashion duo Isabel and Ruben Toledo are teaming up with  Barrino and nine-time Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars in After Midnight, which recreates the days of a hip Harlem nightclub to a new generation of theater fans.

In 2007, Barrino made her Broadway debut in the lead role of Celie in musical The Color Purple.  The musical was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel by Alice Walker. After appearing on American Idol and The Oprah Winfrey Show to pitch her upcoming appearance, the musical rolled in over two million in pre-ticket sales in one week.  The Color Purple had sold 6.5 million tickets before Barrino first took the stage on April 10, 2007.

Shackman Associates New York provides unique Broadway experiences for corporate meeting, association meeting and destination incentive groups.  The experiences have included backstage passes and interaction with key performers. 

With previews beginning on October 18 and the show's projected run to end in February 2014, we are expecting After Midnight to be a very high-demand production.

Photo courtesy of Rickey.org

Food at Corporate Meetings: Turn Cocktails into Cupcakes!

Cupcakes, mini-cupcakes, and many other versions of this delicious treat are already a big trend at corporate meetings and destination incentives.  But we've found a new take that just might take the cake!

One New York City bake shop is flavoring cupcakes like your favorite cocktails.  There is real alcohol in the frosting and filling and feature flavors like Old Fashioned, White Russian, Margaritas, Car Bombs, and Sex on the Beach.  They cater events and are the perfect dessert or treat for a quite filling cocktail hour!

Major Events: Brooklyn continues to boom with Video Music Awards

With the Video Music Awards (VMA's) being held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on August 25, New York City is proving once again that it is a top destination for major events and conventions.  In fact, the Barclays Center is now the #2 grossing arena in the world. 

Shackman Associates has been accommodating increasing requests by corporate meeting and destination incentive groups to hold major components of their trip to New York in Brooklyn.  The borough has a rich history and culture that does not exist anywhere else.  When the Barclays Center first opened, the area surrounding it was still a little raw from the massive construction project.  What a difference a year makes!

Event attendees can choose from multiple shopping venues around the arena and we are seeing new restaurants and coffee shops popping up that provide the hipster look and feel people love about the borough.

Photo courtesy of Sports-Kings

Off-Broadway Update: Be the star of the worst remake ever

The movie "Point Break" was a huge when it was released in 1991.  It also launched the career of Keanu Reeves as undercover FBI agent Johnny Utah, and had Patrick Swayze and Gary Busey in roles that now all seem kind of laughable.

But Alcorn Entertainment decided to order a remake a few months ago, which has led to an explosion of YouTube parodies.  It has also led to the birth of a very unusual Off-Broadway show: "Point Break Live."

This show travels around New York City doing its own remake of the movie and has an interesting catch: the part of Johnny Utah is selected from the audience!  Shackman Associates thinks this is a great way for corporate incentive groups to have a little fun at the expense of an good-sport executive who might be selected as the next Keanu Reeves.

It doesn't take a real actor to make a good Johnny Utah because as the show's producer noted to the New York Times, "In the movie, it looked like he just received his lines, so feeding them on a cue card to a volunteer won't look that much different."

Shackman Associates New York develops unique experiences for corporate meetings, association meetings and destination incentives that often include backstage passes, interaction with key performers, and off-Broadway shows that attendees won't find in other cities throughout the world.

Corporate Team-building: Use Foursquare for Four-day Scavenger Hunts

Here's a new team building idea that is turning the corporate scavenger hunt on its side: Foursquare for scavenger hunts that can last as long as four days.  Think it sounds impractical?  It's not.  Especially when a corporate meeting has heavy business components that last most of the day.

Here's the real kicker: museums love these kinds of events because they know they can promote new exhibits and pad visitor statistics while helping a meeting group incorporate other items they need to find. 

Of course, an organized scavenger hunt that lasts for hours is easier to manage than something that requires days self-discipline and a version of the "honor system".  But that is why Foursquare is the equalizer.  If your team as to check-in, it keeps everything even.  And it helps meeting attendees find a cool way way to manage their down time.

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.