‘The Big Apple. Yes, we’re talking about the city that never sleeps - New York City! One of the world’s most iconic destinations, New York City is truly the great American melting pot. A vibrant destination that carries multiple personalities, NYC is also a world-class destination for organizing meetings and events. The city has been attracting meeting professionals from all over the world, hosting world-class events like New York International Auto Show, Time 100 Gala, UNICEF Snowflake Ball, New York Business Expo & Conference, etc. But what makes NYC a favorite of global meeting planners? An extensive transportation network, rich hotel inventory and a diverse collection of meeting venues, both traditional and non-traditional, together make New York City a world-class destination for meetings and events. The robust infrastructure of the city can effortlessly accommodate events of all sizes. Let’s take an in-depth look at the city’s events’ infrastructure.
Getting to and Around New York City is Easy
About 130 million passengers traversed through the airports of the city in 2017, making NYC’s air travel system (by passenger traffic) the largest in the United States and the second largest in the world. New York City has three main airports—John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark Liberty International (EWR). JFK is located in Queens, and majorly handles international flights. On the other hand, LaGuardia, also in Queens, handles domestic flights. Newark Liberty International Airport is settled in Newark, New Jersey and operates both domestic and international flights. It's located a bit away from the city, but it is generally less crowded and offers advanced amenities. A widespread network of public transportation makes it easy to commute within the New York City. The public transit network comprises of buses, ferries and one of the most extensive subway systems in the world, which operates round-the-clock in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
Plentiful and Diverse Inventory of Meeting Venues
The city's group business infrastructure has grown substantially in recent years. A mix of new construction, state-of-the-art renovation of historic spaces, large-scale meeting hotels and hip boutique hotels, New York City offers endless opportunities for event planners to organize their dream events. Event organizers can take advantage of unique New York event venues, like the historic Great Hall of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and transport their guests back to the gateway of America with an event for up to 1,000 people. Planners can also choose to amaze their guests with views of the Manhattan skyline from the popular Rainbow Room atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza—the perfect backdrop for events of up to 400 attendees. For large-scale events, New York has a plenty of options. Jacob K. Javits Convention Center boasts of a booming 844,780 square feet of meeting space across 100 meeting rooms. The largest meeting hall of the center can accommodate 5,240 people at once. Spanning six city blocks, the Javits Center ranks among the nation's 20 largest convention centers. Madison Square Garden is another meeting venue suitable for hosting events with up to 2,000 attendees. The largest room of the facility offers 36,000 square feet of meeting space, famed for hosting large events including top musical acts, sporting events and family shows throughout the year. From its 20,000-square-foot arena to its 9,500-square-foot Garden Terrace, the Madison Square Garden can accommodate just about any sort of event, whether it's a ball dance party or fashion awards night. Want to know more about meeting and event planning in New York City? Visit Cvent’s New York City Guide.
