January 2011 Meeting Planner

Happy New Year! We are hitting the road immediately in 2011, first heading to the Helms Briscoe Annual Business Conference in DC and we don’t stop until the National Tour Association Convention in December.

In addition, we are excited to announce that we have contracted with Passkey for their GroupMAX product so we can provide a state of the art housing product for our large city-wide conventions. This housing tool will allow large groups to funnel their reservations through the Bureau and ensure we capture a larger share of their room nights. It allows us to better serve city-wide events that already call Saratoga home.

We have also invested in another new piece of technology and that is our new interactive kiosk which the Bureau will feature at large conferences and events in town. This kiosk will allow conference and group delegates to peruse menus of area restaurants, find location and hours of area attractions, feature maps of the area with most of this information being able to be translated into several languages as well.

2011 is off to a flying start and we excited at the prospects that lie ahead! Here’s to a happy, healthy and successful New Year!!

SAVE THE DATE!

Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau's Annual Golf Tournament
at Saratoga National Golf Club
Wednesday, May 25th

All of us at the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau hope that you have enjoyed a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to an exciting, successful and FUN New Year. Kathy, Marie and Heather are looking forward to a year of travel: we will be on the road more than ever to see you! We are looking forward to visiting with our friends and clients in the Capital District, in the Northeast and New England, at trade shows and on sales calls. While we will be attending some “tried and true” trade shows, we would like to ask for your input on some we may not be aware of:
What trade shows or industry events do you attend? Whether for education, networking, or getting down to business – what are the most successful events that you attend as a planner? We would love to hear your thoughts and thank you in advance for your responses; they are greatly appreciated, and we hope to see you there!
 

Didn’t get you fill during Restaurant Week? Then come back and see us on February 5th for the 13th Annual Chowderfest! The Saratoga Springs Chowderfest is part of the larger annual Winterfest celebration, a weekend extravaganza of activities and entertainment throughout the downtown area. Chowderfest begins at 11:00AM, and will feature over 50 restaurants competing to win one of the seven coveted Chowderfest titles. Join us for the weekend or the day and help us decide who will take this year’s prize! You can enjoy a day strolling the historic Victorian streets of Saratoga, popping in to the neighborhood restaurants and shops, and enjoying the festive atmosphere. Join us for the weekend and take in all of the Winterfest activities, such as cross country skiing in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Exclusive lodging rates are being offered for the weekend – click the following link for more details! www.discoversaratoga.org/
Chowderfest/



***We hope you will join us for an event or two. If you are interested in visiting us, why not take the opportunity to mix a little business with pleasure? Come to Saratoga for one of the above events, and allow Heather or Marie to show you what’s new in Saratoga, treat you to a dinner, or just meet up for a quick hello! We look forward to seeing you soon! www.discoversaratoga.org/events

Click here for more information on the expansion!

Read the City Center's Blog, browse through photos, click here!

January 7-9---Alpin Haus Ski Shops, Inc. RV Show and Sale---Public Invited

January 14-18---Youth for Christ---1600 ppl

January 20-23---Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY, Inc.---700 ppl

February 2-6---Empire State College-Graduate Studies Program---300 ppl

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December brought some great conventions! The Associated General Contractors of America and The Joy of Sculling – both repeat groups that choose to hold their meetings in Saratoga each year.

The SCTB staff attended several holiday functions throughout the capital region – ESSAE, Saratoga County Chamber Holiday Mixer and the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) Holiday party.

As 2010 comes to a close, many groups are already reaching out to us regarding their 2011 meetings. We are busy creating and preparing Landing Pages for groups, working with them on additional lodging, pre-convention promotion and just being their liaison to our beautiful city.
 
In January, Kathy Denkenberger will be traveling to the ACOM – Association of Convention Operations Managers and a day of PCMA Convening Leaders (Professional Convention Management Association) conference. It is always very rewarding to get together with our colleagues from around the country to see how they are faring during these challenging economic times.

Landing Page for Your Conference!

Are you a meeting planner who is bringing your convention/conference to Saratoga Springs, NY? Or are you in the process of finding a home for your convention/conference?

Our new “Saratoga Landing Page” is being offered to meeting planners free of charge. We can customize a web-page which lists the highlights of Saratoga during the time of your conference – i.e., local events, directions, weather, things to do, etc. We’ll include links to spas, golf courses, restaurants and attractions and include the itinerary of your convention/conference. All you have to do is provide us with the information for your conference. We will set it up and then send you the URL to distribute to your delegates/members.

Don’t delay – please call Kathy Denkenberger, Vice President of Operations and Convention Services today at 518-584-1531 to find out more about this exciting service.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center's (SPAC) 2011 Classical Events

Check out the dates and information on the NYC Ballet, Philadelphia Orchestra, Jazz Festival and much more... Click here to see a list of events!
 

Exclusive tours of the Oklahoma Training Track by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

For questions or reservations, please call the Education Department at 518-584-0400, extension 120, or email nmredu2@racingmuseum.net  Find out why this beautiful and historic site, located across the street from Saratoga Race Course, is a favorite base for leading trainers such as Todd Pletcher and Nick Zito. Our behind the scenes tours, offered in cooperation with the New York Racing Association, are available from June to October. This walking tour covers approximately 1 mile and lasts for 1.5 hours. The cost is $10 for non-members and $5 for members. This price includes admission to the Museum after the tour. Sturdy walking shoes are suggested! For more information and reservations, call (518) 584-0400, ext. 120. For insurance reasons, tour participants must be at least 10 years old.
(No children in backpacks or strollers.)

The National Museum of Dance's  25th Anniversary!

The National Museum of Dance & Hall of Fame is the only museum in the nation dedicated entirely to dance. We are excited to invite you to celebrate our 25th Anniversary with us in 2011. We'll be opening a new exhibit just for the occasion, a grand display of important, unique, and interesting objects collected in our archives over the years. Also in 2011, we will still have on display the Dancing With the Stars exhibit, the Michael Jackson Tribute exhibit, Postage Paid: Dance Around the World, Art in the Foyer, and even more to be announced!

The museum closes for the winter between December 20 and March 3, but we welcome scheduled tours even while we are closed to the general public! Our docent guided tours can be scheduled by calling 518.584.2225. Prices are all $5 and under per person, a great deal to view dance history in a historical Saratoga building. During the summer tours are welcome to visit our active dance studios where the students of the New York State Summer School of the Arts in the months of July and August—a real treat!
www.dancemuseum.org
 

Saratoga Arms Ultimate Bed & Brew Weekend

We are pleased to announce an exciting new package designed for the beer enthusiast and those who want to learn more about the brewing process. Saratoga Arms is partnering with the Olde Saratoga Brewing Company to offer you a winter weekend of craft beers, fine dining and just plain fun. The Olde Saratoga Brewing Company brews several varieties of the freshest craft brewed ales and lagers in the area. The weekend will include unprecedented access to the brewery and brewing process. Following the brewery tour partake in a delicious four-course beer pairing dinner. A wonderful way to warm your winter bones.

The Bed & Brew weekends will be held on the following dates:
• January 21-23, 2011
• February 25-27, 2011
• March 18-20, 2011
• April 29-May 1, 2011
Prices begin at $569 per couple for the weekend. If you would like more information click here! http://www.saratogaarms.com/specials-winter.html

Saratoga Arms Bed & Brew Weekend Smith Sisters are Video Blogging

Smith daughters, Amy and Sheila, have joined the world of internet video blogging. Amy and Sheila are highlighting the many exciting reasons to visit Saratoga Springs at any time of the year on their new website www.InSaratoga.com   

Their plan is to produce a video a month with a whimsical point of view showing things to do or places to go in the Saratoga region. The Smith Sisters just wrapped up their third video...a tour of the Olde Saratoga Brewing Company featuring our Ultimate Bed & Brew winter weekend package. "Schlemiel, schlimazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!"

Click on photo to take a look at their video:

Amy & Sheila visit the Olde Saratoga Brewing Company

Arm yourself with all the tools you need to plan a successful meeting or convention in Saratoga Springs. The toolkit has videos, media, photos and much more! + GO TO TOOLKIT

You can find “all the news that’s fit to print” (or email, or blog, or send by video…) about Saratoga conventions and meetings. Read our press releases to find out what we’ve been up to. Current local Saratoga news, blogs, recent videos, and a gallery of photos give you a better idea of why Saratoga meetings and conventions are productive, successful, and always fun! + GO TO MEDIA PAGE

Meeting planners know there is always something to do in the Spa City year-round - perfect for meetings, conventions, reunions, and group tours! + SEE AREA EVENTS

From special event planning to promotion and lodging assistance. The Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau makes hosting a successful meeting so much easier!
+ FILL OUT AN RFP

Women's Winter Weekends at the Residence Inn by Marriott

20% discount for meeting planners! Grab your girlfriends and treat yourselves on January 7/8, February 4/5, and March 4/5.

Facials, massages, pedicures, shopping and dining, live music and dancing at Vapor Night Club, shuttle service, hot breakfast, spacious suites, and wine!

Reservations can be made through Director of Sales Leslie Miller, 518-886-0656 or Leslie.Miller@marriott.com

Saratoga Automobile Museum 2011 Events

On Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 2pm, the Saratoga Automobile Museum will present a workshop on... Click here to see a list of events!

Vapor Night Club at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway's January 2011 Events

There are events going on every weekend in January, check them out... Click here to see the full list of events!

CMI Communications, one of New York State’s largest audio visual rental companies, is now one of the Saratoga Capital region’s most extensive resources for state of the art audio visual equipment and technical service.
Click here for more info!