Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1250928
THE EMPIRE STATE….THE PERFECT PLACE TO MEET B Y C H A R L E S W I L L I A M S The "Empire State" has it all….from an assortment of meeting venues to a bustling nightlife & plenty of attractions to keep attendees entertained. From the high peaks of the Adirondacks to the white sand beaches of the Hamptons, New York's natural wonders offer recre- ational opportunities as well as top level business and meeting facilities, statewide, all year long. • • ROCHESTER • • Rochester is a city on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in western New York and the seat of Monroe County. With a population of 208,046, Rochester is the third most populous city in New York State, after New York City and Buffalo. Rochester has 88 hotels, with a total of 7,500 sleeping rooms. The largest hotel has 460 rooms, and the Convention Center offers 100,000 sq. ft. The century old City of Rochester Public Market is great place to people watch and for shopping. Known as "The Flower City," Rochester hosts The Lilac Festival at Highland Park, which is the old- est, of 140 festivals, and most popular in Rochester and the largest event of its kind in North America, attended by over 500,000 people annually. The Rochester International Jazz Festival is one of the largest Jazz Festivals in America, with 200,000 annual atten- dees. Geva Theatre Center is a regional, not-for-profit, professional theatre compa- ny based in Rochester. It is housed in an 1868 building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Center has full seasons of programming. Other sites to experience in Rochester include the Eastman Theater, George Eastman Museum, Strong National Museum of Play, and the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery. The Greater Rochester International Airport (GRIA) services the city. American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United provide daily flights. Rail service to Rochester is provided by the Louise M. Slaughter Rochester Station, served by Amtrak's Empire Service between New York City and Niagara Falls, the Maple Leaf between New York City and Toronto, and the Lake Shore Limited between New York City/Boston and Chicago. Interstates 390, 490 and 590 allow land access to Rochester. Also, New York Expressway 104, 390, 590 along with the Inner Loop and Lake Ontario State Parkway allow access to Rochester. • • NEW YORK • • New York City is one of the most visited tourist site in America, with 41 million visitors. With 9 million inhabi- tants in the 5 boroughs sitting where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean, it is the nation's most populat- ed city. The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center has a total of 864,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, and 225,000 sq ft of meeting space. The largest ballroom has 54,400 sq ft. There are 502 hotels with a total of 121,200 sleeping rooms. The largest hotel has 1,965 rooms and within a mile of downtown there are 29,577 hotel rooms. At its core is Manhattan, a densely populated borough that's among the world's major commercial, financial and cultural centers. Its iconic sites include skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building, Harlem's Apollo Theater, Central Park, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge, the MET, and Bryant Park. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? NYC & Company New York City CVB - (212) 484-1200 htts://www.nycbcc.com https://www.nycgo.com(eu) New York City Black Chamber of Commerce – (718) 747-8885 www.nycbcc.org B M & T ••• January/February 2020 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 40 • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Hilton Garden Inn Rochester Downtown 106 Hyatt Regency Rochester 341 Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Rochester 248 Woodcliff Hotel and Spa 237 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Joseph A. Floreano Riverside Convention Center Total Meeting Space 50,000 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 22 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Visit Rochester – (800) 677-7282 www.VisitRochester.com Up State New York Black Chamber of Commerce – (518) 801-8881 https://www.usnybcc.org /become-a-member High Falls Rochester Photo Credit: Evilarry/Wikimedia AREA GUIDES N E W Y O R K