Colleges, Universities Prove Viable Alternative Mtg. Sites

<B>Colleges, Universities Prove Viable Alternative Mtg. Sites</B>

By Frank Rosci

Small to medium-size corporate groups can make the most of the quality time and prime rental space available at many colleges and universities in the New York City area.

"Such venues are good alternatives because of generally much lower prices than the more traditional meeting places in New York hotels and conference centers," said Jill Adler, president of Meeting Matters Inc. in Long Island, N.Y. "Using them is a good way to beat the astronomical costs of hotels and conference centers in the city. But when considering colleges and universities as potential meeting sites, planners must be extra aware of their meeting's specific requirements to be certain they can easily get exactly what they need."

At Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., 25 miles west of New York and 15 minutes from New York JFK International Airport, groups will find 46 meeting and event rooms, said Pamela McClenagan, director of conference services.

"Most of the groups who book us are local and most of their functions are day meetings, but we can accommodate groups overnight in residence halls as well as in suites," McClenagan said. The largest group Adelphi can host is 750. Conference amenities include Internet access and audiovisual production and presentation materials. A major advantage of using the space is lower price. "Booking here can cost about $1,500, while the same space in Manhattan can cost $15,000," McClenagan said.

Fordham University at Rose Hill, one of New York City's most famous schools of higher learning, located in the Bronx, 25 minutes from midtown Manhattan and 30 minutes from New York LaGuardia, offers groups 20 meeting and event rooms available year-round, with overnight rooms available from June 1 to Aug. 1.

"We work with groups to schedule meetings around classroom space, and average about two corporate functions a month, including meetings and training sessions for banks and a number of other kinds of companies," said Richard Waite, conference coordinator. "One of the reasons groups book Fordham is the prestige associated with the university, and when they come, participants are usually more serious about the work. Rates are more reasonable than either hotels or conference centers and with the savings groups can do more things at the meeting than they could at those other venues."

Most corporations don't often think of using a university setting but they should, Waite added, for the savings, setting, service and amenities they would receive.

Fordham also offers year-round meeting space at Lincoln Center, where there are 15 meeting and event rooms that can accommodate a group of up to 400, with 3,800 square feet of exhibit space.

Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., is 25 minutes from downtown Manhattan and 30 minutes from Newark International Airport. While meeting space (39 meeting and event rooms) and overnight accommodations only are available in summer because of classes during the rest of the year, the college does offer year-round banquet space, said Kurt Salsburg, dean of summer programs.

"In addition to better rental rates for group events, a college setting offers other advantages, such as attendees tending to be more serious about the meeting since they're on a college campus," he said.

"Also, there are many experts in many fields on campus, who individual planners may rely on for their expertise as speakers, consultants and in other ways," Salsburg added.

Benefits for a college or university include greater visibility in a growing and highly competitive marketplace, employment opportunities for students and increased revenue.

Complete Meeting Packages at Wagner begin at $45 per person, per day, Salsburg said.

Hofstra University's Scott Skodnek Business Development Center, 22 miles east of New York City in suburban Long Island and 30 minutes from both New York JFK and LaGuardia airports, offers groups a number of meeting spaces, including a large conference room with a capacity of 180 seats, a videoconference lab with 35 workstations, a small meeting room with a capacity of 20 seats and a boardroom with a capacity of 30 seats.

In addition, groups also have access to 20 meeting and event rooms through Hofstra's Office of Conference Services and Special Events, said Chris Adams, director of conference services and special events.

The McGraw-Hill Business Technology Lab offers groups financial and investment data, global and emerging market information, construction reports and economic forecasting information and 23 workstations. All rooms feature Internet access and large group display systems, said Bridget DelGaudio, assistant director of scheduling and events.

In New Jersey, not far from New York, Rutgers, The State University, located in New Brunswick, offers the University Inn & Conference Center, 40 miles from Manhattan and 40 minutes from Newark International Airport.

"In the past two years, we've booked 10 percent of our total business from New York City. While it continues to grow, we are working to attract more from our tri-state area of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania," said Deana Pagnozzi, conference and event coordinator.

Full-service and historical University Inn offers six meeting rooms and 36 overnight guest rooms year-round, she said, and accommodates groups of from 10 to 100, with an average size of 20 attendees. "Groups, who book us for training sessions and seminars, come here because the price is lower than big city hotels, and because New Brunswisk provides a pleasant and different scene than a traditional corporate setting, which works to build stronger interest among participants," said Pagnozzi.

At Georgian Court College in Lakewood, N.J., 60 miles from Manhattan and 60 minutes from Newark International, groups will find 65 meeting and event rooms available year-round, with overnight rooms only in summer, said Mary Cranwell, director of special events.

"The groups who come here, including a number of government agencies, usually book for one-day seminars. A great advantage of being here and of being on a college campus is that the meeting is not held in a party atmosphere, which can be the case in other meeting settings," she said.

Other colleges with meeting space in the New York City area include C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University (50 meeting and event rooms) in Brookville, N.Y., 30 minutes from New York JFK, LaGuardia and Long Island MacArthur airports; and State University of New York in Farmingdale (50 meeting and event rooms), 40 minutes from Manhattan, 15 minutes from MacArthur and 40 minutes from New York's JFK airport.