Dear Friends and Partners,
With spring officially upon us, there is growing cause for optimism in New York City. Vaccinations in New York State (many given at the Javits Center) are now open to everyone age 16 and up (hospitality workers, including public-facing hotel and restaurant employees, were given priority in an earlier tier to help the industry recover), indoor dining has extended to 50 percent capacity at restaurants and domestic travelers are no longer required to quarantine upon arrival into New York.
Tomorrow night New York City’s skyline will once again be lit in blue in honor of Meetings Mean Business’s Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), which highlights the value of face-to-face meetings and the importance they will play in the City’s recovery. Fred Dixon, NYC & Company President and CEO and MMB Co-Chair, will kick off a local hybrid event hosted by MPI Greater New York, NYPCMA, SITE Northeast and EventFluence, Behind the Curtain: Planning a “Meet Safe” Hybrid Meeting, in person tomorrow. Click here to register.
In March, we celebrated Women’s History Month, and we are proud to share “NYC Female Leaders Share Their Pandemic Lessons” from Smart Meetings, featuring NYC & Company’s Kelly Curtin, EVP, Membership & Destination Services; Trudy Singh, Regional Vice President, Convention Development; and Board Members Rebecca Hubbard, General Manager, Lotte New York Palace, and Marlene Poynder, General Manager, Conrad New York Downtown.
On a more somber note, we recognize the painful and unacceptable anti-Asian bias, discrimination and hate crimes that continue to occur as a result of coronavirus-related stigma and misinformation. As the travel industry strives to recover, we must continue to combat anti-Asian racism and stand in solidarity with our local communities. Read more about how to support NYC’s Asian community here.
With encouraging developments underway and lots of new and exciting product, we look forward to welcoming you back to the five boroughs. Here is the latest:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves, and New York declared domestic travelers are no longer required to quarantine upon their arrival. For international travelers, mandatory quarantine and proof of negative Covid test results before boarding their flights to the United States will remain. The Department of Health still recommends quarantine as an added precaution for all travelers. All visitors must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form.
- In-person and catered events—including meetings and conferences—have resumed at 75% (page 7) of the venue’s capacity, with no more than 150 attendees. All attendees must test negative before the event and masks are required.
- Event, arts and entertainment venues have reopened at 33% capacity. With testing, venues can host up to 150 attendees indoors and 500 attendees outdoors. Without testing, gatherings are limited to 100 people indoors and 200 people outdoors (so long as this does not exceed the venue’s 33% capacity). Physical distancing and masks are required.
- Outdoor professional sports stadiums holding 10,000 people or more have reopened at 20% capacity, with strict Covid-19 safety regulations and proof of a recent negative test or complete vaccination. Smaller sporting venues holding 1,500 people indoors or 2,500 people outdoors may also reopen with 10% capacity indoors and 20% outdoors.
- As of April 1, outdoor performing arts venues holding more than 2,500 people may reopen at 20% capacity.
We are excited to announce our latest meetings initiative for NYC-based planners—Commit to the Comeback: Meet Local NYC, in partnership with the Partnership for New York City and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Meetings mean more to NYC than ever before, and with a wealth of hybrid options, venues aplenty and rigorous health and safety protocols, there are so many ways to Meet Local NYC right now. Will you join the comeback and keep your meetings local? Even if you’re coming from farther afield, our NYC meetings experts will be happy to assist you—and make your next event a success.
10 reasons to book NYC
New York City remains the world’s most versatile destination for meetings—and we don’t just mean virtual. With in-person and hybrid options, venues aplenty and rigorous health and safety protocols, planners have so many ways to Make It NYC right now. Even in this challenging moment, the City is alive and well—and your meetings will remind the world of its incomparable dynamism, stimulate the local economy and play a crucial role in NYC’s long-term recovery. Here are just a few reasons to Commit to the Comeback and plan your New York City meeting right now.
All In NYC: Embracing Diversity Webinar
Join us tomorrow, April 8, at 2pm EDT, for the fifth installment of our All In NYC: Embracing Diversity Webinar Series, Black on Broadway, which will feature notable Black figures in the theater industry as well as highlight one of the City’s premier cultural attractions, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Attendees will learn, too, about the oldest continuously inhabited free Black settlement in the United States, Sandy Ground in Staten Island.
Meeting Planner Webinar
Go All In on NYC by attending the Meet the Many Sides of Brooklynwebinar on Thursday, April 22, at 2pm, to learn about the endless (and sometimes surprising) options for gathering in this multifaceted borough.
Previous Webinars
If you missed last month’s webinar, A Big Moment for Tech Meetings, catch up at the link below.
The Black Experience in NYC is a special-interest hub and content channel on NYCgo.com dedicated to celebrating the diversity and nuances within the Black community in NYC—and all the things that make it incomparable to every other Black community in the world. Explore neighborhood guides featuring Black-owned businesses, video content and love letters to NYC from influential Black voices.
Keep your NYC product up to date by using our What’s Open in NYChub that showcases the latest resource on business hours and services.
Recently Opened
- Aloft New York LaGuardia Airport
- The Kimberly Hotel
- Kimpton Muse Hotel
- Mandarin Oriental, New York
- Park Hyatt New York
- Pestana Park Avenue
Ways for You to Keep Current with NYC
- Looking for a quick response for your RFP? Don’t forget to check the “copy supplier” box and select NYC & Company when submitting an RFP on CVENT. The team can provide expert advice and ensure timely responses from our hotel and venue partners.
- Share this newsletter with your colleagues and encourage them to sign up.
- Follow us on LinkedIn.
As always, we welcome any questions or feedback. Don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team or email conventionsales@nycgo.comso that we can follow up.