Big-name hotels in major cities unveil the conference space of your dreams

What better destination for a big meeting than a bright, celebrated city?

From NYC to Chicago to Vegas, celebrated hotel brands debut expanded meeting space and strategic redesigns to draw conferences of the best and brightest to their all-star cities.

City in a Garden

JW Marriott Chicago for New and Renovated
Burnham Ballroom, JW Marriott Chicago

Centrally located on Chicago’s famous Loop is JW Marriott Chicago, made all the more enticing with the debut of its freshly renovated event space. The hotel, established in 1914, is a monument to Chicago architect Daniel Burnham’s skill and is a shining example of Chicago’s architectural heritage.

The newly designed event spaces connect this timeless architecture with all the essentials of modern meetings, from flexibility and functionality to privacy and charisma. The Grand Ballroom, with 8,008 sq. ft. of customizable meeting space, can be portioned into three separate rooms. The Burnham Ballroom features arched ceilings, chandeliers and golden hues. 37 distinct breakout rooms round out the meetings and events options. Elevators and escalators connect the multiple levels of meeting space.

Guests residing across the 610 guest rooms will enjoy the nine-foot ceilings and crown moldings within, while indulging in the convenient location without, whether choosing to explore the city via Union Station or visit the nearby Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, Willis Tower or other options.

Read More: Hot Cities for Cool Downtown Meetings

Brighter Than the Stars

Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Charging station at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino wraps up a $100 million redesign of its 2.1 million-square-foot convention center. With upgraded technology infrastructure, new signage and a refreshed design, the remodel aims to match the evolving needs of modern meetings and events.

The vibrant new design emulates Mandalay Bay’s tropical aesthetic. Through a collaboration between MGM Resorts International Design Group and Dezmotif Studios, intentional elements such as white-washed walls and ceilings adorned with cerulean and coral floral patterns, with warm walnut accent walls, create a bright and inviting space. The convention center displays new artworks that center MGM Resorts’ commitment to promoting diverse and underrepresented artists within its corporate Fine Art program.

New technology includes Cat6A Ethernet cabling, 11 digital walls measuring 24 by 13 ft., 20 double-sided 55-inch mobile flexible display units and more.

Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino offers three distinct hotel experiences, with the 3,211-room Mandalay Bay, the 424-room Four Seasons Hotel and the all-luxury-suite Delano Las Vegas, alongside award-winning restaurants, the Shark Reef Aquarium, the tropical pool experience at Mandalay Bay Beach and more across 120 acres.

Empire State of Mind

InterContinental New York Times Square New and Renovated
InterContinental New York Times Square

In the beating heart of New York City, InterContinental New York Times Square unveils elegant renovations to its over 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space.

The hotel, opened in 2010, is located in Midtown Manhattan at the corner of 44th and 8th Avenues in the vibrant Theater District. Amidst all the bustling energy of this area, the property offers a tranquil, upscale escape with a sleek design characterized by deep-hued woods, plush furniture and long drapes framing tall windows throughout. Meeting spaces feature an earth-tone palette and new art installations, and each is named after Manhattan Parks to emphasize the hotel’s theming around natural elements.

The Conference Center Complex features the 4,000-square-foot, pillarless Gotham Ballroom, with 16.5-foot-high ceilings. The Conference Center Complex, in total, offers nine pillarless meeting rooms as well as expansive breakout areas. In total, the property offers 11 meeting rooms.

Meetings and events throughout the hotel can take advantage of in-house catering with locally sourced menus, event planning services and audio-visual teams. The property is LEED Certified and a recipient of the 2022 Energy Management Leader for instituting the Department of Energy’s 50001 Ready program.

Read More: Seeking Sustainable Venues

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