Need new reasons to meet in New York? This dynamic US city has been a favourite meetings and events destination for decades; it’s versatile, it’s globally accessible, it’s a cultural melting pot, it’s a bucket-list destination for many. Plus with some of the most iconic, recognisable skylines and attractions in the world – from the Statue of Liberty and the Guggenheim to the Chrysler Building and the Metropolitan Museum of Art – it’s a definite crowd-pleaser for delegates.
Yet as New York is one of the most-visited cities in the world, how does the city continue to deliver that excitement level event planners are looking for, which will attract attendees again and again to an event or conference held there?
“Each visit to NYC is like a new adventure, whether you’re hopping between Manhattan, Queens or Brooklyn, exploring in the morning or late at night, diving into winter wonderlands or summer festivals,” Reed & Mackay General Manager Events, North America, Kristy Thomas Bonet says. “New York’s energy is contagious. One moment, you’re swept up in the neon glow of Times Square: the next, you’re unwinding in the calm of Central Park. There’s always something unexpected, something fun and something unforgettable around every corner.”
Encouragingly, there are always new reasons to host an event in New York City – here are just nine to get you started.
1. View the city from a different angle
Offering a mix of group activities and free time for your delegates is an essential part of an event programme. Even for those who have visited before, there are new opportunities to see the city that never sleeps from new angles. Why not include a visit to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, one of the tallest skyscrapers in Midtown Manhattan? It offers a combination of immersive art experiences and rewarding views across New York from its cool observation deck. Elsewhere, Hudson Yards – New York’s newest neighbourhood – is home to the Edge, a 100th-floor indoor/outdoor sky deck, the highest sky deck in the western hemisphere.
2. Immersive experiences
As a global cultural hub, New York is no stranger to galleries, museums and independent spaces hosting immersive experiences to transport you to another world. One of the city’s newest experiences is Mercer Labs, which describes itself as where ‘culture and innovation converge with intention and art humanises technology’.
3. Hotels that inspire events
With more than 120,000 hotel rooms across the city’s five boroughs, event planners won’t be short of accommodation options to choose from when organising room nights for delegates; just a few examples include the following.
Located overlooking the iconic Central Park, JW Marriott Essex House has been classed as a New York Historical Hotel since 1931. With 11 event rooms, including its Beaux Arts-inspired Grand Salon, the hotel is an elegant property to stay and meet in.
Guests at Lotte New York Palace may recognise its exterior from the original series of Gossip Girl but that’s not all that’s glamorous about the property. One of the largest luxury hotels in New York, its chic, oval-shaped ballroom can host up to 450 reception style. Its invitation-only Rarities bar, with an exclusive range of rare spirits, can make an ideal location for a private event.
When it comes to sheer space, the Hilton New York Midtown is the largest hotel in the city in terms of square footage of event space and boasts the largest ballroom. Which also makes it an ideal venue for product launches, with its space offering plenty of branding opportunities.
With 1,971 rooms, the New York Marriott Marquis offers the biggest room space in New York. Its recently renovated event space now offers 43 meeting spaces and, next year, its revolving rooftop restaurant will reopen following a renovation. Plus, it’s the only hotel in the city that’s home to a Broadway theatre.
InterContinental New York Barclay, which will celebrate its centenary in 2026, may have 704 rooms, three ballrooms and a total of 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, but it maintains a boutique feel. Plus, 250 of its rooms are connecting, which also makes it a good choice for bleisure travellers bringing family along.
4. New hotels on the block
The hotel choice will continue to get broader still. New York will witness the opening of more than 70 new hotels across its five boroughs, towards the end of this year and across the next three.
On Manhattan’s exclusive Upper East Side, The Surrey – opened in October – is part of the luxury Corinthia group and offers 70 rooms in a 16-storey property.
Another luxury property, The Twenty Two, is set to open in Union Square. The 77-room hotel will include 17 suites and a restaurant and is the sister property to the London hotel of the same name.
And Midtown Manhattan will see the reopening of the iconic Waldorf Astoria New York in Spring 2025, following a complete renovation and restoration.
5. Sustainable venues
Sustainability has always been at the heart of New York – New York City Tourism + Conventions highlights that when the city’s population exploded in the 19th century, it would have been easy to build into Central Park, but visionary acts of sustainability prevented this.
And those efforts towards building with sustainability in mind continues to this day. The recently expanded Javits Center, with its 850,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space and views over the Hudson River, is just one example. As a part of its recent expansion, a one-acre rooftop farm, rooftop orchard and greenhouse were installed, as well as a number of other sustainable upgrades.
6. New and upgraded attractions
Even if your delegates have visited New York a number of times, there’ll always be new and enticing venues to visit during an event or incentive programme.
Why not take a stroll during meeting breaks along the scenic promenade at Hudson River Park’s Pier 97? As of next year, a visit to the Hip Hop Museum can be incorporated into an itinerary when it opens in the redeveloped Bronx Point. And, back in Midtown Manhattan, a new dining, retail and entertainment development – TSX Broadway – is opening in phases. It recently opened its 18,000-square-foot podium LED display to which anyone can upload 15-second videos.
In fact, 2025 will see a flurry of new cultural openings: the National Urban League’s Urban Civil Rights Museum; The Studio Museum in Harlem; the New Museum; and Central Park’s Delacorte Theater. And earmarked for 2026 are the opening of The American LGBTQ+ Museum; a revitalisation of the Ellis Island Museum; and The People’s Theatre: Centro Cultural Immigrante.
7. Five boroughs to explore
Reed & Mackay Events Global Quality Control & Special Projects Lead Jack Jeffries believes New York is a great choice for events, particularly incentives.
“Whenever you visit New York, it’s buzzy, it’s energetic and there are a myriad activities to make it special for an incentive trip,” Jeffries says. “Even if you’ve been many times before, there are so many districts within its five boroughs – Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens – to see that you’ll always experience different food, different cultures. On a recent fam trip to the city, we visited Dumbo in Brooklyn – it has a funky vibe, great street markets and Pebble Beach with its fantastic views back over the Brooklyn Bridge and the lower Manhattan skyline.”
8. Better access to the city
New York’s JFK airport is one of the US’ busiest airports, with arrivals and departures from nearly every international airline.
And soon, it’s going to provide even better access to the city, thanks to the current redevelopment taking place at the airport. It recently expanded Terminal 8 and has broken ground on the redevelopment of Terminal 6. This is scheduled to open in phases with the completion of the arrivals and departures hall and the first five gates in 2026, and an additional five gates in 2028. Construction is also currently underway at Terminal 1, which will become a state-of-the-art terminal with 23 gates and dining, retail, lounges and recreational space, expected to open in 2026.
Furthermore, the city’s Newark Liberty International Airport is undergoing redevelopment, with a new Terminal A, offering 33 gates serving Air Canada, American Airlines, JetBlue and United Airlines.
9. Year-round celebrations
New York is world-famous for its Thanksgiving Parade, its St Patrick’s Day Parade and many other renowned celebrations. Next year and 2026 will be even more exciting times to visit. In 2025, New York City celebrates its 400th anniversary since the founding of the New Amsterdam colony in 1625, a significant moment in North America’s history. And, in 2026, the city that never sleeps will welcome eight FIFA World Cup games, including the final.
Get in touch
Mail hello@reedandmackay.com to discuss all of your corporate travel and event management needs.
Lead photo credit: © Julienne Schaer/NYC Tourism + Conventions
