May 2011 Meeting Planner

MAY 2011

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

11 AM-Registration, 11:45-Lunch, 1 PM-Shotgun Tee-Off, 6-7:30 PM-Reception with Awards and Prizes.

 *The Winning Foursome will recieve a day at the Race Course in the Bureau's Box!

Sponsorships Available
Spaces are filling fast!
REGISTER ONLINE!

Join us at ESSAE's Annual Conference and Expo 2011!

On June 2nd, at the Saratoga Springs City Center, we will be giving away an iPad 2 with submission of an RFP! www.essae.org 

Click Here to View the ESSAE Brochure!

Planning is still in the works for a Summer FAM (Familiarization Tour) ahead…more details to come in the next newsletter!

The Convention Bureau will be sponsoring the after party at MPI NENY’s annual Golfapalooza at Saratoga National on June 7th.  This will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association and is a great opportunity to get out for an afternoon and evening of networking fun with meeting professionals and hospitality partners from the industry!

From left to right:  Jamie Lanning, Longfellows Hotel and Conference Center; Joanne Kirkpatrick, Holiday Inn Saratoga Springs; Christina Curley, Courtyard by Marriott Saratoga Springs and Heather McElhiney, SCTB all attended and exhibited at the Destinations of New York State Group Travel Show in Poughkeepsie, NY.  The two day event attracted group tour operators and leaders from around the Northeast and included education sessions, networking and a trade show.

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The Bureau staff would like to congratulate Gina Potfora, Director of Member Services for ACEC New York, on her recent CMP desgination! Way to go Gina!

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As you know, the City Center expansion is almost complete, and all of us at the Bureau could not be more thrilled! We are excited to have another top notch Saratoga venue to offer our friends and clients and the opportunities this new space offers. Have you been to the City Center recently? If not, we want to arrange a tour for you. Come to Saratoga in the morning and meet us for breakfast and a tour, or in the afternoon for lunch. If your schedule is tight, we can have you in and out in less than a half hour. If you have a little more time, let us show you what is new in Saratoga. Please contact Heather or Marie today to schedule a walkthrough of the new Saratoga Springs City Center.

heather@discoversaratoga.org
marie@discoversaratoga.org
or Call 518-584-1531

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Game. Meet. Match. Round. Regardless of what they are called , they are all sporting events, and Saratoga wants to host them! Did you know that Saratoga has venues to accommodate almost any sport you can think of? From our beautiful new recreation center, to Gavin Park, to Saratoga Lake, we have top of the line facilities and picturesque venues. Saratoga already plays host to several sporting events, such as rowing, hockey, cross country, soccer, lacrosse, boxing and more, and we have the experience and desire to help make each event a smashing success! Our coaches love our facilities, our organizing committees love our community support, and our families love all there is to do when they’re not cheering their players on.

Do you attend any regular sporting events? Do you know someone who is involved in the planning of events? If so, we would love to hear from you! Heather McElhiney is your contact here at the bureau – send her the event you would like to see come to Saratoga and a contact name, and she will do the rest. Or, we would be happy to provide you with information on Saratoga as a sporting destination to take to that coach, organizer or planner you are thinking of. Heather can be reached at 518.584.1531 or Heather@DiscoverSaratoga.org.

Saratoga Arts Fest
June 9-12, 2011
www.saratogaartsfest.org

SaratogaArtsFest, a four-day annual celebration of the arts scheduled in early June, delivers the brilliance and energy of art in its many forms—music, dance, visual art, film, theatre, and literary art. Now in its fourth year, SaratogaArtsFest has become a cultural staple to the popular Saratoga summer arts scene. The SaratogaArtsFest Admissions Package includes an ARTSPASS which provides full festival access to multiple events, organizations and discounts, including shopping and dining specials throughout downtown Saratoga Springs.

Sales of the ARTSPASS will be available at these retail locations: Saratoga Beads, Impressions of Saratoga, Mimosa Gallery and the Skidmore College Bookstore in Case Center.

Click here for more information on the expansion!

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

May 2-9---St. Clement's Regional Catholic School Saratoga Horse Show---600 ppl

May 4-8---NYS Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Inc---900 ppl

May 5-6---NYS Academy of Family Physicians---16 ppl

May 8-12---New York Rural Water Association---500 ppl

May 10-16---St. Clement's Regional catholic School Saratoga Horse Show---600 ppl

May 11---Saratoga Hospital, Annual Just for Women Dinner---250 ppl

May 12---Saratoga Economic Development Corp. Annual Dinner

May 13-15---NYS Association Nurse Anesthetists---100 ppl

May 13-15---Saratoga Rowing Association, States---2,500 ppl

May 13-18---22nd Annual IEEE/SEMI Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference---200 ppl

May 14---Saratoga Springs High School Prom---800 ppl

May 17-19---New York Department of Environmental Conservation Bureau of Water Assesment & Management---100 ppl

May 17-20---NYS Local Government Technology Directors Association---200 ppl

May 19-20---School Administrators Association of NYS---75 ppl

May 21---Skidmore College Commencement---1,000 ppl

May 21---South Glens Falls High School Junior Prom---300 ppl

May 22-24---Home Care Association of NYS, Inc.---300 ppl

May 23-27---USS Kirkpatrick Military Reunion---45 ppl

May 24-26---NYS Conference of Mayors---325 ppl

May 25-27---Fourth District Dental Society---900 ppl

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The Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau is on CVENT and STARCITE!

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The  Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau is happy to welcome Spring back to the Capital Region!  In addition to all of the wonderful events, attractions and things to do in Saratoga, come visit us for some of these great special events:

• SPAC’s 5K Rock and Run, May 22^nd, 2011
• SPAC Battle of the Bands, June 4^th, 2011
• Saratoga ArtsFest 2011, June 9-11, 2011
• Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, June 25-26, 2011
• Skidmore College Saratoga Classic Horse Show, June 21-26, 2011
• Circus Smirkus! America's Award Winning Youth Circus, July 13 - 14, 2011
• And more! 

Contact the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau if you are interested in bringing a group for one of our fantastic events, or if you would like to be our guest for a site visit during one of these events!

Have you reached out to Kathy Denkenberger in the Convention Services Department regarding your upcoming meeting? Did you know……..

• Your group is entitled to receive our Ultimate Saratoga Maps at your conference in Saratoga? Please be sure you contact us in advance of your meeting so we can deliver them to you at your hotel headquarters. You won’t want your delegates to miss out on this valuable piece to enjoy while they are here. The discount card is always a hit with attendees.
   
• Welcome Kiosk - An interactive touch screen TV can be stationed in your headquarter hotel, displaying Saratoga visitor information, sponsor logos, etc. (restrictions apply)
   
• Passkey GroupMAX Housing - This  program is going to be a valuable tool in assisting planners with their housing reservations. Please call today to see if your group qualifies to utilize this service.

• Landing Web Page - We can produce a specific to your group to assist them with details about your upcoming meeting in Saratoga

• We can send a press release out with details of your event/conference in Saratoga

• We can assist in coordinating a “Dine Around” for your group to experience some of our fabulous restaurants in Saratoga

These are just a few of the things that the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau can assist you with for your meeting/conference/event in Saratoga.

If you have recently met in Saratoga and have a success story to share – please send it along. We love to let people know what a great city we have to hold your next Convention or Meeting!

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 webpage 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.

Residence Inn "Handicapping 101"

The complimentary seminar is held at Residence Inn each Saturday morning during track for guests of the Marriotts of Saratoga: Courtyard and Residence Inn.

Saratoga Automobile Museum Upcoming Events!

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is located at: 110 Avenue of the Pines, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Hours of operation: 7 days a week, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission: Adults - $8.00, Seniors and Students - $5.00 with children under 6 free. For more information call Tracy Paige (518) 587-1935 x 17 or tracy.paige@saratogaautomuseum.org

May 14 and 15, 2011 – Saratoga Automobile Museum Auto Show Weekend, 2 days, 3 shows.
Saratoga Spring Invitational is an event held by the reflecting pond of the Saratoga Spa State Park for the weekend. The Invitational will give both participants and onlookers a view of the finest automobiles in the history of transportation. Saturday is the show with the conclusion of the show on Sunday afternoon. Watch as the winning vehicles parade around the grounds of the park.

The Second Annual Euro Car and Motorcycle Show will be held on Saturday, May 14, 2011. All European Cars and Motorcycles are encouraged to register for this event. Trophies, dash plaques, music, food and more will find this an exciting day for all that attend.

The Auto Show will be held on Sunday, May 15, 2011. All vehicles are encouraged to enter this event. Every year, make, model, from 2 wheels to 4 wheels are welcome. Trophies, dash plaques, music, food and more will find this an exciting day for all that attend.
Saturday and Sunday also hosts Artists, Vendors, Food, Music, New Car Dealers, the Price Chopper Hopper and more. Sunday welcomes Vintage Racecars from ACOT and the Sports Car Club of America. A two day spectator pass is $10 per person which does include admission to the Saratoga Automobile Museum. Pre - Register your Show Car for $10 on the Saratoga Automobile website - www.saratogaautomuseum.org. Registration the day of the show is $15. Registration fees include entry into the show as well as entry for one into the Museum. Additional Museum tickets may be purchased for $5.00.
 

Saratoga Casino and Raceway Special Events

National Museum of Dance May Schedule

Upcoming events for the month of May at the museum include Hispanic Day and A Day in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Hispanic Day will celebrate culture, dance and food on May 15 at 1:00pm. Saratoga Springs High School Spanish Classes will be performing, as well as the Viva Mexico Dancers of Arthur Murray Studios and Johnny Martinez of Tango Fusion demonstrating all the different types of Tango. Mango Tree Imports from Ballston Spa will be doing Spanish Arts & Crafts and the Capital Region Language Center will present their Spanish Children's Chorus! A Day in the Saratoga Spa State Park will be a lecture and presentation given by Saratoga Spa State Park Naturalist, Allison Schweizer on May 19 at 10:00am. Allison will be speaking about the historical bathhouses in the area, the mineral springs, and everything that the park has to offer. 
 

Hampton Inn & Suites News

The Hampton Inn & Suites Saratoga Springs Downtown offers six upscale meeting rooms from a small 5 person board meeting to a 50 person training session.  We now offer lunch buffets and seated menus from our restaurant, Jacob & Anthony’s American Grille.  Enjoy a private area in the restaurant for your group to dine for lunch, dinner, or an hors d’oeuvres reception. 


Jacob & Anthony's American Grille


Hampton Inn & Suites Board Room


+See More Area and Bureau Member Events

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

Submit an RFP! 

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

Hilton Garden Inn Meeting Room Package 

When planning your event, allow the professional staff at the Hilton Garden Inn Saratoga Springs to assist you in creating the corporate atmosphere you desire. Our Saratoga Meeting Room Package will save you time and money by including everything for your event in one low affordable rate.

Click Here to View the Package!



Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is now accepting orders for the 2011 classical season. Order forms and pricing can be found at:
http://spac.org/groupsales.cfm
 

Tang Museum Spring Exhibitions

“Environment and Object: Recent African Art”
February 5-July 31, 2011

Works by contemporary African artists, in sculpture, photography, painting, video and installations. Creating conceptually resonant images and objects that register the impact of urbanization or critique the human costs and ecological costs of resource extraction. Others employ strategies of accumulation and dense lyrical works that combine a love of abstraction with a commitment to the use of found materials.