Exciting adventure awaits upstate
Up in the Air and Out of the City
By Eming Piansay
If you’re a planner looking for a distinctive experience for your attendees, Upstate New York has a roundhouse of offerings to entertain and engage your eager guests. Whether your attendees are seeking a place to swim, a place to game, or a hot air balloon ride—Upstate New York has plenty!
Insider Tip
“Upstate New York’s serene landscapes and Mohonk Mountain House’s world-class facilities make it the perfect destination for group meetings, fostering creativity, teamwork and rejuvenation amidst nature’s splendor.”
– Mohonk Mountain House team
5 Reasons Why Meeting Planners Love It
The Corning Museum of Glass is a not-for-profit museum focused on exploring one of earth’s vital materials: glass. Guests can watch hot glass demos, as well as flameworking demos with a 4,000°F torch! Guests can also make their own glass.
Look at things from a different perspective. Above All Balloon Rides offers private hot air and tethered balloon rides. Balloon experiences over the Albany area last for 3-4 hours. Guests will be able to float over rolling hills, valleys and waterfalls.
If your team is interested in a hike, consider exploring Buttermilk Falls State Park. Buttermilk Creek has more than 500 feet of rapids and cascades, which creates a nature-made pool for visitors to soak or swim in.
Want to try your luck? Head over to Seneca Games in Irving, New York. Guests have access to the game room, 650 video gaming machines and a bingo hall.
Need a laugh? The National Comedy Center can help with that. The center’s goal is to offer education on the comedic arts. The Center also hosts The Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which includes over 50 live events and welcomes 15,000 attendees annually.
5 Places to Meet
Albany Capital Center is located near the New York State Capitol, as well as the highway. The Center offers off-street parking, space for tour buses and exhibitor trucks.
50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 7 meeting rooms.
photo by albanycapitalcenter.com
The Otesaga Resort Hotel offers a wide range of team-building activities such as tennis, canoeing, ghost stories around a firepit and so much more!
30,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 14 meeting rooms and 132 guest rooms.
photo byotesaga.com
Mohonk Mountain House lives in New Paltz, 90 miles outside of New York City, and is encompassed by 40,000 acres of forest.
10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 8 meeting rooms and 265 guest rooms.
photo by Mohonk
Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center offers an in-house food and beverage department. It is connected to Hyatt Regency Rochester and Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown via an enclosed skyway.
10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 25 meeting rooms.
photo by rrcc.com
Marriott Syracuse Downtown can be found near Armory Square, Syracuse University and The Oncenter.
34,517 sq. ft. of event space, 21 event rooms, 10 breakout rooms and 315 guest rooms.
photo by marriott.com
An Instagram-able New York Minute
Everything moves so fast in New York, but there are plenty of places that stop time just long enough to be Instagram-worthy.
New York City
The Edison Ballroom is a fabulous place to capture your special moment. Found in the heart of Times Square, New York, The Edison Ballroom is a multilevel venue with state-of-the-art lighting and sound system and 17,000 sq. ft. of event space.
For the bookworms, The Morgan Library & Museum houses a collection of historical literature from illuminated, historical manuscripts, early printed books and old master drawings. The Morgan Library and Museum offers several renovated periods rooms including a 264-seat performance hall.
Bring your attendees to Socrates Sculpture Park! Hold an outdoor discussion by the New York City waterfront and then snap a few pictures with the public art!
Upstate New York
Check out the gorge created by Genesee River at Letchworth State Park. There are plenty of photo worthy waterfalls. There is also an Autism Nature Trail, the first trail of its kind designed for individuals on the autism spectrum.
As the birthplace of Lucille Ball, Jamestown, New York offers attendees the chance to snap a photo in front of a re-creation of the studio set of I Love Lucy! at the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum!
We’re not in Kansas, but we are in Chittenango, New York, the home of All Things Oz Museum. Here, attendees can learn about the writing of L. Frank Baum, as well as all the works dedicated to Oz.
Head over to Buffalo to feast your eyes on The Martin House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, with a focus of spatial openness, horizontal planes, and an palette of nature colors.
This article appears in the March/April 2024 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
