Venues, Historic and Future-Facing, Unveil New Meeting Space Around the Globe
New and renovated event venues open in the historic building that housed the first railroad station in Jacksonville, Florida, in-between Australia’s two most famous World Heritage sites and in a vibrant new hotel that celebrates the architecture of Washington Heights in New York City.
The Great American Railroad
Originally built in 1919 as the Jacksonville Union Terminal, at the time the largest railroad station in the South, Prime F. Osborne III Convention Center in Jacksonville, Florida, is an impressive historical building now undergoing renovations to elevate its convention and meeting spaces. Visitors today can still engage with the building’s history as they encounter a retired rail car, train bumpers, original signage and over two dozen rail tracks. Amenities include catering by SAVOR…Jacksonville as well as a gift shop.
The renovations introduce new lighting systems, fresh carpet and acoustic panels to many of the venue’s 78,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, made up of 22 rooms of varying sizes with 33-foot ceilings. The main concourse area sees new digital display systems. The Grand Lobby, with 75-foot ceilings and marble walls, sees new carpeting, cabinetry, programmable uplighting and marble wall resealing. The exterior of the building receives painting trim and a new roof.
This historical building maintains its refined, historic feel while adjusting its capabilities to meet all AV and tech needs to build an outstanding modern meeting. Get ready to immerse your event in the classic charm of The Prime.
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Seeing Green Between Natural Wonders
In Cairns, Australia, alongside two world heritage sites—the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest—Cairns Convention Centre unveils an AUD$176 million renovation project with environmental stewardship at its center. Upon encountering the building, guests can appreciate the biophilic exterior of living greenery, accompanied by 1,200 sun blades. This helps keep the interior of the building cool during hot days without using excess energy – and not to mention, gorgeously green.
Inside the centre’s 10,500 sq. m. (113,021 sq. ft.), which can accommodate up to 2,500 guests across the venue, smart building management systems maintain the sustainable initiative. The space is lit with high-efficiency LED with automated dimming control and motion sensors, and it is kept cool and comfortable with energy efficient fans.
Read More: Sustainable Meetings Through Renewable Concepts
Renovated meeting spaces include three meeting rooms, an exhibition and plenary lecture space and a rooftop banquet space. The Trinity Level offers views of the neighboring Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest and includes the outdoor Trinity Terrace. The latest AV technology gives meeting planners the flexibility to curate their events and provide access to virtual attendees.
Reaching for the Sky
Nestled atop the New York City skyline is Radio Hotel and its 12th floor meeting and event space Above the Heights. With 9,219 sq. ft. of interior space and a 4,191-square-foot outdoor terrace featuring a pergola retractable roof, accommodating up to 600 guests together, Above the Heights offers an impressive and flexible venue for your next NYC meeting. Guests can enjoy the convenience of a 170-spot underground parking garage on-site.
The colorful blocks of green, yellow, blue, orange and magenta on the exterior of the building, designed by architects MVRDV and Stonehill Taylor, resembles a vertical Washington Heights, inspired by the existing vibrant architecture of the Washington Heights neighborhood Radio resides in. Spacious new guest rooms are decorated with bright colors and feature street-facing windows, walk-in rain showers, HD Smart television, mini refrigerators, in-room safes and workstations equipped with charging ports. Guests can enjoy a tasty Dominican menu at Jalao NYC, the first U.S. location of the famous Santo Domingo restaurant.
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With their renovated rooms, world-famous restaurant and lively design, Radio Hotel and Above the Heights offer a meeting and event location that is sure to stand out.
