Unique NYC Venues Attract High-End Mtgs.

Expanding on the extensive variety of hotel meeting spaces to fill the needs of nearly every high-end event, many corporate planners are exploring and beginning to use new, unique New York City sites that offer fresh alternatives to traditional event locations. The city offers an unparalleled palette of attractions as possible venues.

"New York City is a great place to host a corporate meeting or special event because of its accessibility and location, the many hotels and conference centers, diverse attractions, its fabulous restaurants and of course, the shopping," said Blanca Diaz, senior director of meeting services at Fission Communications in New York.

Multicultural Manhattan has many meeting options to offer. For Midtown dining amidst diplomatic dignitaries, check out the United Nations. Guests will feel inspired in the Delegates Dining Room of the UN, a world-renowned setting where diplomats, ambassadors, and world leaders dine, celebrate and arbitrate. Tours of the General Assembly and the Security Council can be arranged. The Delegates Dining Room provides a vibrant, multicultural setting with sweeping views of the East River and New York City skyline. Bordered by the colorful flags of the UN's 191 member states and floor-to-ceiling windows with 180-degree views, the dining room provides an impressive backdrop for corporate or social occasions and holds up to 750 dinner guests and 800 reception guests.

For smaller affairs, a variety of private dining rooms are available, with space for groups of 20 to 200. For larger events, the private dining rooms can be combined with the Delegates Dining Room to accommodate a cocktail party for 1,000.

For decades, Ellis Island has represented the gateway to America. Now called the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, this unique venue has several different event spaces to offer, including the main entry hall and the mezzanine balcony, both of which have been restored to their original condition. The Registry Room, a beautiful pre-war hall with high ceilings and large arched windows, can accommodate up to 1,000 people. The Ellis Island museum also features two theaters and a conference room that can host up to 125 people for receptions, dinners or other events.

Throughout the facility, corporate attendees can enjoy views of the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline and exclusive tours by National Park Service Rangers. An optional fireworks program can be arranged as a final touch.
One of New York City's gems is the historic landmark Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where businesses can host intimate meetings and receptions boasting ethnic cuisine for both dinner parties and cocktail receptions. Guests can enjoy a short, guided tour of the tenement building and shop at the museum's store. With available dishes ranging from Hungarian sausage to Chinese spareribs, the museum's caterer can help incorporate various ethnic cuisines that further celebrate the rich heritage of this historic locale.

Nature lovers can play host within the shroud of Central Park. The New York Society for Ethical Culture is a historical landmark building located in Central Park. Built in 1910, the facility boasts a newly renovated concert hall with Tiffany stained glass windows. A social hall features panoramic views of Central Park. Both event spaces can accommodate 20 to 800 people.

Sitting amidst history at One Hanover Square, Bayard's is a beautiful landmark brownstone built in the 19th century as a private residence. Today it is a private club, open to the public for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The venue has several private banquet rooms available for meetings as well as private functions. It has quickly become a hotspot for business clientele.

Those companies that are trying to add a little bit of fun to their corporate events should look no further than Toys "R" Us Times Square. Two new event spaces—The Skybox and Geoffrey's Party Pavilion—are available for corporate events.

While the Skybox offers conference-style business amenities for groups of up to 50 people, Geoffrey's Party Pavilion can be adapted to create a fun-filled atmosphere. In addition, the Skybox boasts a towering vantage point over the world's largest toy store, including its 60-foot indoor ferris wheel and the Lego replica of the New York City skyline.

There's nothing like being amidst the shimming blue New York Harbor water with panoramic views of the city's infamous skyline. Several New York City yacht charter companies offer business meeting spaces aboard their vessels. While most cruises only can accommodate a few dozen people, the experience will leave a memorable impression on attendees.

Of course, the New York area does not lack for any form of hotel and conference center, many of which have created stylized, distinctive meeting spaces.

For a more Asian feel to your meeting or event, The Kitano New York Hotel, a Japanese-owned hotel situated on Park Avenue and 38th Street, offers two elegantly furnished Penthouse meeting rooms—The Murray Hill and The Park Avenue. What makes the penthouses truly unique are the floor-to-ceiling glass doors that lead to outdoor terraces that reveal stunning views of Manhattan landmarks. Rising high above the rooftops of Murray Hill's historic townhouses, it offers something different to the usual bland hotels in built-up Midtown.

Guests can enjoy their lunch or coffee break while overlooking the stunning Manhattan skyline with views of the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station.

The Penthouse meeting rooms boast 1,400 square feet, occupying the entire 18th floor of the hotel, and are outfitted with a full complement of audiovisual equipment. Separately, each suite can accommodate 20 conference attendees, 50 theater-style and up to 60 guests for a reception. They also can be combined for events of up to 150 guests.

The new Mandarin Oriental, New York offers a 6,000-sq.-ft. pillarless ballroom with three walls of windows overlooking Central Park. While Mandarin Oriental may be one of the newest hotels on the block, it's not your typical hotel ballroom. A sleek, modern design with an oriental flair is found throughout the facility.

All of the Mandarin Oriental's meeting rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual capabilities, including permanently installed broadcasting systems that can satisfy network requirements for live feeds.