New York City, NY

Key Highlights

Hotels 400
Total Sleeping Rooms 75,277
Committable Sleeping Rooms* 1,980
Committable Meeting Rooms* 4,288
Largest Exhibit Space 810,000 Sq. Ft.
Largest Ballroom 54,400 Sq. Ft.
Average Hotel Room Rate USD $246
Average Daily Meal Cost USD $71
Average Weekly Car Rental USD $458
*Maximum for a single hotel
Contact a Destination Expert

New York City, NY Meeting Planning Overview

Welcome to our New York City meeting planning guide – a city guide for NYC meeting planning. New York City - The name alone is virtually enough to attract meeting, event and convention goers in droves each year. For meeting planners, New York City meeting planning can be quite hectic. In fact, the city is host to hundreds of events and more than 50 million international and American visitors annually. And with a well-supported transportation network, plenty of hotel accommodations and New York City meeting hotels, and a wealth of other meeting facilities that only continues to expand, New York City event planning is becoming more and more diverse. From the meeting planner's perspective, the city is certainly making good on its reputation as one of the best in the world.

A hub for both domestic and international travel, the city is served by three airports – John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International. Together, they offer competitively priced flights to over 100 million passengers annually. Once inside the city, guests are never at a loss for transportation options. Public transit, which includes buses, ferries and one of the most extensive subway systems in the world, offers around-the-clock travel to just about every corner of New York.

Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a constantly upgrading and expanding set of accommodations and attractions. There are approximately 90,000 hotel rooms, thanks to new properties as well as the renovations of well-known favorites. In 2008, for example, the much-loved Plaza Hotel re-opened with $400 million in renovations; it now offers 282 luxurious guest rooms. Such unmatched facilities add a certain glamor to the New York City event planning world.

For planners, the upgrades to many of New York City's classiest lodging facilities also include additional spacious meeting rooms.

To truly experience New York, NYC meeting planning professionals need to get guests and attendees to step outside the boardroom. Infuse meetings with authentic New York spirit by hosting an event at one of the city's hundreds of unique sites, such as the Bronx Zoo or the New York Aquarium. Views of the Manhattan skyline are the perfect backdrop for receptions of up to 200 guests at the chic Sky Room at the New Museum of Contemporary Art's new downtown facility. Transport guests back to the gateway to America with an event of up to 1,000 people at the Ellis Island-American Family Immigration History Center. Or, celebrate a New York pastime by inviting a group to one of the plush suites at the new Yankee Stadium.

New York City is certainly a destination that knows how to do things big – and New York City event planning is no exception. There are plenty of large-scale New York City event venues to complement its smaller options. Headlining the meetings scene is the stunning Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Spanning five blocks, the center ranks among the top 20 largest U.S. convention centers. The center boasts 760,000 square feet of exhibition space and 28,000 square feet of meeting space, with a total of 102 meeting rooms. Equally impressive are the amenities, which range from enough kitchens to provide 10,000 meals simultaneously to wi-fi Internet access and plasma television screens for exhibitors.

Other suitable spaces for large events include the famed Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Knicks and frequent host to musical acts, sporting events and family shows. From its 20,000-square-foot arena to its 9,500-square-foot Garden Terrace, the Garden is more than capable of accommodating any type of event, whether it be a black-tie gala or intimate awards dinner. Or, invite guests to New York's majestic Radio City Musical Hall. Its shimmering gold curtain – the largest in the world – and city-block-long marquee set the stage for a night of luxury for up to 600 guests.

A hub for international business and commerce, New York City joins London and Tokyo as a command center of the world economy. Finance, insurance, real estate and media industries all play a key role in the city's economy, which is the largest regional economy in the United States. Nearly 50 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in New York, along with the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. Public post-secondary institutions in the city include the City University of New York, while the private schools of Columbia University, Cooper Union and New York University, among others, are also in the city.

View the other pages in the New York City Destination Guide to learn more information about event and meeting planning in New York City.

New York City, NY Area Destinations

Upper East Side, NY Upper East Side, NY Lower East Side, NY Lower East Side, NY Times Square, NY Times Square, NY LaGuardia Airport, NY LaGuardia Airport, NY
Meatpacking District, NY Meatpacking District, NY Midtown, NY Midtown, NY Gramercy, New York Gramercy, New York Upper West Side, NY Upper West Side, NY
JFK Airport, NY JFK Airport, NY Long Island City, NY Long Island City, NY Grand Central Terminal, NY Grand Central Terminal, NY Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn, NY
Harlem, NY Harlem, NY Financial District, NY Financial District, NY Soho, NY Soho, NY Fifth Avenue, NY Fifth Avenue, NY
TriBeCa, NY TriBeCa, NY Chelsea, NY Chelsea, NY Greenwich Village, NY Greenwich Village, NY Nassau County, NY Nassau County, NY
Staten Island, NY Staten Island, NY Meadowlands/Bergen County, NJ Meadowlands/Bergen County, NJ Hamptons, NY Hamptons, NY Hoboken, NJ Hoboken, NJ
Jersey City, NJ Jersey City, NJ Long Island, NY Long Island, NY Newark, NJ Newark, NJ Parsippany, NJ Parsippany, NJ
Trenton, NJ Trenton, NJ Westchester County, NY Westchester County, NY

About New York City, NY / Additional Info

The buzzing metropolitan that is New York City traces its roots back to 5,000 Lenape Native Americans that occupied the region before European arrival in 1524. Initially a Dutch fur trading settlement, it came under British rule in 1667 before becoming one of the first members of the United States after the Revolutionary War. From the first presidential inauguration to the 1863 Draft Riots to the September 11, 2001 attacks, New York City has been and continues to be the site of countless significant events in the nation's history.

Today, the city alone is home to over eight million residents. A true testament to America's "melting pot" culture, its population is remarkably diverse, thanks to the city's role as an entry point for immigrants throughout history. About 36 percent of its residents are foreign-born. From Dominican to Chinese, Mexican to Russian, no one country dominates the nationalities represented in New York.

Exploring this rich cultural mosaic is as easy as stepping right outside the door. Roughly 170 languages are spoken in the city, which is built primarily on the three islands of Manhattan, Staten Island and Long Island. Though each of its five boroughs – the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island – boasts a story and culture of its own, many are home to dense ethnic and national enclaves. Explore Manhattan's Chinatown's specialty food shops or the Museum of Chinese in the Americas. Sample authentic Italian fare in New York's Little Italy in Manhattan or throughout Staten Island, which boasts a higher percentage of Italian Americans than any other U.S. county. Or, head to Brooklyn to experience one of the most vibrant Jewish communities outside of Israel.

The cityscape of New York City is as diverse as its residents. From the Art Deco Chrysler Building to the Gothic Revival Woolworth Building, the city is a mélange of architectural styles. Plus, with 50 skyscrapers reaching over 650 feet, it boasts more such structures than any other U.S. city.

Guests need not worry of getting stuck within an urban maze of steel and concrete, however. In fact the city has over 28,000 acres of parks and 14 miles of public beaches, meaning plenty of room for outdoor enthusiasts to explore. No visit to New York City would be complete without a stop in Central Park, where guests can ride the antique carousel, take a gondola ride in the lake, or, in the winter, enjoy outdoor skating at the Wollman Rink. Also popular, the New York Botanical Garden is the largest such garden in any city in the United States. Enjoy the sweet fragrances of orchids, tulips and daffodils at its immaculate garden displays, or wander the 50-acre Forest area, where some trees date back 200 years.

New York City's breathtaking scenery is matched by what awaits guests indoors at its endless attractions. Enjoy a show or concert at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, home to 12 arts organizations, or explore over two million pieces of art, from Egyptian to European, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Empire State Building, the tallest structure in the city, remains a visitor must-see, while the Brooklyn Children's Museum's kid-friendly exhibits have been delighting families for over 100 years. From concert halls to baseball stadiums, museums to night clubs, New York City's attractions are just like its people: a diverse mix that's ready and willing to welcome its guests with open arms.

 
See a problem with this listing? Report an Issue