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The Bureau’s Annual Golf Tournament at Saratoga National Golf Club raised nearly $1,000 in donations on Wednesday, May 19, 2010 for the Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York, Inc. (B.E.S.T.).
Thank you to all who donated to this tremendous local cause which also secured many in-kind donations and increased awareness of B.E.S.T. and its services to the Backstretch Workers of the Saratoga Race Course. At the closing reception, B.E.S.T. compiled all donations and raffled off a Clubhouse Box for a weekday at the Saratoga Race Course with a visit to Tom Durkin’s booth for the 3rd race call. The winner of the raffle was Mike Squires!
There was great turnout for the event; 125 bureau members, meeting and conference planners and other participants enjoyed the day of golf and the reception that followed.
Click here to view Golf photos!
View Johnny Miller's Golf Photocards!
The Bureau would like to thank Chad Griffin and the golf services staff at Saratoga National Golf Club, Angelo Mazzone, Lauren Holmes and staff at Prime/Saratoga National Golf Club, Tom Newkirk of Saratoga National Golf Club, Jim and Gretchen Squires of The Posie Peddler Inc., Tom Thomas of DeCrescente Distributors, Tim Wedeman of AMS Entertainment, Johnny Miller of Johnny Miller Adventures, and all of the Bureau members that donated prizes!
June 1-3---New York Insurance Association, Inc.---175 ppl
June 1-3---SUNY System Administration Child Care Office---200 ppl
June 2---Empire State Society of Association Executives (ESSAE)---250 ppl
June 5-9---New York State Association of School Business Officials---750 ppl
June 9-10---Connecticut On-Line Computer Center, Inc (COCC)---250 ppl
June 9-12---New York State Society of Professional Engineers, Inc.---120 ppl
June 10---Empire State College Graduation---500 ppl
June 10-13---Tops Clubs, NYS---595 ppl
June 14-20---American Contract Bridge League---1,000 ppl
June 17---WSWHE BOCES Completion Ceremony---1,800 ppl
June 18-20---Citroen Rendezvous---300 ppl
June 27-30---Northeast College & University Security Association---100 ppl
June 27-July 3---Oley Foundation---350 ppl
July 2-3---Eastern Tandem Rally, Inc.---200 ppl
Advantage Travel
Benchemark Printing Inc.
Common Thread Saratoga
Ed Lewi Associates
Painted Pony Championship Rodeo
Saratoga Winery
Triple Crown Motel
When you become a member of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau in Saratoga Springs NY, your business will be actively promoted through various member-only outlets. We actively work to attract conventions, meetings, trade shows and social events to Saratoga Springs and bring business to our local neighborhood vendors.
"We've been associated with your organization now for about 2 years, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. It's been a pleasure to work with you and your staff. You all have been nothing but courteous and a great host, and we appreciate this very much!"
---Tim Wedeman
Owner of AMS Entertainment, Capital Region
Submit your testimonial!
Refer a Friend to Join the Bureau!
Please send us your event listings, special news or congratulations and we will post it on our website and in our newsletters!
E-mail your news and event listings to Angela LaTerra at angela@discoversaratoga.org
+See Area Events
Browse through the Bureau's newsletter archive... Click Here
Send in your recipe to angela@discoversaratoga.org or fax it to 584-2969.
We'd love to hear from you! If there are specific topics you'd like us to blog about or if you are interested in writing your own blog to be published on our website, please don't hesitate to e-mail our sales and communications coordinator Angela LaTerra angela@discoversaratoga.org.
The Bureau is always finding new ways to communicate to our audience. One section on our website is dedicated to blogging. We use blogs as a social media strategy to help us stay in frequent contact with existing and potential customers and members.
Through our blogs, we share industry tips, comment on and discuss issues related to the industry and life in general, explain new technology emerging in the market, and much more!
To keep up with the burgeoning use of Internet marketing, the Bureau has a presence on social media websites. We are featured on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and YouTube. Angela is frequently updating these sites with useful information including upcoming events, pictures, videos, industry articles and more! So, befriend us, follow us, watch us, and read about us! Check us out... CLICK HERE!
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“Saratoga Under Construction” proved to be the perfect theme as we welcomed ESSAE (Empire State Society of Association Executives) to Saratoga for their Annual Conference & Expo. With the expansion project of the Saratoga Springs City Center well underway, and a bit ahead of schedule, the Bureau and its participating hospitality partners took advantage of the opportunity to show-off this venue for the many association meeting & conference professionals in attendance. The overwhelming collective reaction was, “WOW!!”
Many hours went into the preparation of this event and we have many people to thank for making this a successful show. Special thanks go to Mark Baker, President of the Saratoga Springs City Center and Darryl Leggieri, Director of Sales & Marketing at The Saratoga Hilton for partnering with the Bureau on a great after party utilizing the newly expanded space at the City Center.
Click here to view ESSAE photos!
Looking back on May and early June, it’s amazing to me when I realize the pace the Bureau staff kept in selling and promoting our destination. From putting on our annual Golf Tournament, which was a huge success despite the rain (we drew 125 golfers…up from 70 last year), to hosting the Board of Directors of the Westfield MPI Chapter (16 meetings industry professionals) for their annual 2 ½ day Retreat & FAM, to participating in the MPI Northeastern New York Chapter’s Golfapalooza event and sponsoring their after party and, of course, being the host city for the ESSAE Annual Conference & Expo. All of this in addition to our doing our “day jobs” of selling and servicing our members, meetings, conference and group tour clientele…Thank you to our amazing staff!!
As summer is now upon us, our sales team will be on the road looking for new business. We’ll be participating in several sales missions and trade shows in June. July brings us the opening of the Saratoga Race Course on the 23rd with an additional weekend this year. As our mission is to sell Saratoga as a year-round meeting’s & group destination, the Race Course is a vital marketing tool and partner in our efforts to do so.
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Sales and Services Update
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May was a fantastic month in Saratoga – the weather was wonderful, our local businesses enjoyed seeing old friends and new as the days grew busier , we were fortunate to once again host to the St. Clements Horse Show, as well as both the New York State and the National Scholastic Regattas, and Skidmore College Graduation. We welcomed new group business, and welcomed back old friends – Saratoga was hopping! There is one group, however, that will stand out in our memories for years to come.
In late April, we were contacted by Bonnie Cunningham of the Meeting Professionals International WestField Chapter. Chapter members are industry professionals from all facets of the meetings business, the majority of which hail from Westchester County, NY or Fairfield County, CT. Bonnie’s request was simple: “We need a home for our board retreat. Can Saratoga help us?” Our answer was equally as simple: “Yes!” Over the course of the next four weeks, countless members, partners and friends worked closely with Bonnie and Heather at the Bureau to plan an incredible 2 ½ day Saratoga retreat. Sixteen board members arrived throughout the day on Wednesday, May 19th to begin what has been called by incoming chapter president Santiago Carmona “the most productive Board Retreat our leadership has ever experienced… period!” The group utilized six hotel and meeting space venues, visited numerous attractions, took two city tours and even participated at a morning session of yoga at the Yaddo rose gardens. From a wine tasting at the Saratoga Winery and Tasting Room, to walking the backstretch of the Oklahoma track to watch the thoroughbreds in their morning workout – the group had a liberal taste of what makes Saratoga special. At the end of the retreat, it was evident to all involved that the smashing success of the retreat was entirely due to the amazing sense of partnership and cooperation that flows through the Saratoga hospitality community and the creative and eager partner we found in Bonnie Cunningham and the WestField chapter.
Click here to view MPI WestField photos!
The opportunity to bring 16 industry professionals to Saratoga for 2 ½ days is invaluable exposure for our city and county. Not only did we have meeting planners and national hotel sales people come to know us first hand, we will continue to receive exposure with the group through the traditional advertising and marketing outlets gifted to us as the host city. We have already began to see the affects of the valuable ” word of mouth media” as well! The relationships we had worked to build prior to this meeting, cemented during the groups time here and which we will continue to nurture throughout the coming months and years are ones that we are proud to have made and are sure to bring future meeting business to Saratoga for many years to come.
“On behalf of the incoming 2010-2011 MPI WestField Chapter Board of Directors, we are extremely grateful for the hospitality, partnership and collaboration the city of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., demonstrated to our leadership during our visit May 19-21, 2010,” states Santiago R. Carmona, Incoming Chapter President, 2010-2011. “During this challenging economic climate, we are fortunate to have industry leaders and strategic partners that recognize the importance of business meetings and the positive impact they produce to the overall economy of our respective destinations. The Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, along with their hotel and vendor partners, put together an incredible program balancing our business needs and the opportunity to take in and experience their beautiful destination with the sights and sounds that make Saratoga Springs a great business destination for meetings and events. All the while, providing continuous team building and networking opportunities imbedded in the program content. It was this experience that allowed our Board of Directors to be energized and it resulted in having the most productive Board Retreat our leadership has ever experienced… period!”
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MPI of Northeastern NY held their annual golf tournament, “Golfapalooza”, on Tuesday June 1st at the Saratoga National Golf Club. The day began with a tasty lunch expo showcasing local culinary favorites before the 1pm shotgun start. Some sponsors served beverages or snacks along the way and others held contests at their hole for prizes. With a full pairing of foursomes a good time was had by all as meeting planners, association professionals, CVB’s and hoteliers mixed and mingled out on the course. The after party, sponsored by our very own Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, was great way to wrap up the day. It featured Prime at Saratoga National’s fabulous buffet along with cocktails and music. The tournament raised a substantial amount of money for Alzheimer’s Association through sponsorships, silent auction items, raffles and cash donations. This year’s event was a huge success on many levels exceeding the overall expectations of the committee!
The Convention Bureau sponsored Hole 7 (Judy LeCain from City Center handing out a refreshment to golfer)
Prize Giveaway to the person closest to the pin! The City Center expansion prompted the theme "Saratoga Under Construction"
Convention Services
Saratoga Rowing Association's 76th Scholastic National Regatta took place on May 28-29, 2010
There is an Association for Everything and Everyone!
June – one of our very busy convention months – and thank goodness - it seems they all are like this and therefore, we are blessed!
This month I would like to feature two groups – each of which has made Saratoga their unofficial “home” for their tournaments/reunions every year. June 14-20, 2010 – The American Contract Bridge League. Joan Levy Gerard has been bringing the American Contract Bridge League tournament to Saratoga for many years. Each year hundreds of very serious bridge players descend on Saratoga to play their best hands – and hopefully going home with not only a trophy – but many wonderful experiences that our beautiful city has to offer.
Citroen Rendezvous – watch out – you will see all kinds of “Citroen’s” driving around our city June 18-20, 2010. Robert Monteleone does a fantastic job of organizing this event every year. They take little side trips, have bar-b-ques and hold their banquet in our city. This group loves coming back to Saratoga each year for the beauty, convenience and all there is to do here.
The Bureau thanks each of these groups for their loyalty to our city by coming every year. It is truly our pleasure to work with you and host your attendees. Enjoy and we hope to see you again in 2011!
Group Tour– Every time a bus/motorcoach comes driving down Broadway we should all be thinking – “ok – they are driving down Broadway, stopping to shop, eat, visit an attraction – but are they STAYING in Saratoga?" That is exactly what we are trying to find out – and once again – be aggressive in our marketing for tour groups. So now, as we travel in and around the city – we are making sure we have a pen and paper to jot down the names of the companies, come back to the office and see if we can find out more about each group traveling through town.
SaratogaArtsFest!
June 10-13, 2010
SaratogaArtsFest is a four-day annual celebration of the arts that delivers the brilliance and energy of art in its many forms—music, dance, visual art, film, theatre, and literary art.
Click here for the full schedule!
Yappy Hours!
Join Sloppy Kisses and area dog lovers for this fun summertime event! Come for Cocktails, Food and Doggie Fun!! FREE to attend - Food & Drink specials available. Dogs must be well socialized and leashed at all time (Sniffing and Tail Chasing is allowed). Owners are responsible for cleaning up dog waste (They POOP, you SCOOP). Must be 21 years to drink (No drinking age for dogs!) We hope to see you there! In case of inclement weather, check out www.sloppykissesofsaratoga.com or Sloppy Kisses Facebook Page for cancellation announcements. For more info, call Sloppy Kisses at 587-2207 or 383-0103.
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Thursday, June 10th (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM) - The Gideon Putnam Resort (Saratoga State Park - Saratoga Springs, NY)
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Thursday, June 24th (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM) - The Mill on Round Lake (2121 Route 9 - Round Lake, NY)
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Thursday, July 8th (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM) - The Mouzon House (1 York Street - Saratoga Springs, NY)
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Thursday, July 22nd (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM) - The Mill on Round Lake (2121 Route 9 - Round Lake, NY)
Just Lean Back!
The Outdoor Convertible Scandia Chair, designed and built by Nikita Convertibles was featured in the COOL STUFF section of the May issue of CABIN LIFE MAGAZINE along with other new outdoor furnishings from Martha Stewart and Woolrich. The Nikita Chair with its bright green sunbrella cushion was selected for its uniquely user-friendly, "just lean back" design. Nikita Convertibles for den and deck are made in upstate New York of hardwoods from an FSC certified mill and are shipped nationwide.
Visit the showroom at 508 Broadway, Saratoga Springs or go to www.justleanback.com
Jonesville Music Schedule
The Jonesville Store (a.k.a. Café Jonesville) offers live music both Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 6:30pm. There is no cover charge. The upcoming dates are as follows:
Friday, June 4 David Kraai
Saturday, June 5 Chris Carey & Sam Zucchini
Friday, June 11 L.B. Walker
Saturday, June 12 David Rubin
Friday, June 18 Mark Tolstrup & Dale Haskell
Saturday, June 19 John Eisenhart
Friday, June 25 Fairview Avenue
Saturday, June 26 Michael Jerling
New Brand, New Logo!
 Interactive Media Consulting, LLC unveiled their new logo and revised look of their brand. The new logo captures the company's interest in using Internet technology to communicate with a worldwide market. The website has also been re-designed. Watch for our new ads in programs of local community groups IMC supports, including SaratogaArtsFest, Home Made Theater, and Saratoga Central Catholic High School. Visit www.imediaconsult.com
Tang Museum's NEW Hours
Tang Museum at Skidmore College will be open Tuesday-Sunday from 12-5:00 pm. Summer hours: Friday until 7 pm and Winter hours: Thursday until 9 pm.
 Saratoga Springs
City Center Update
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