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September 29-October 4---Empire State College-Residency Program---200 ppl
October 2---Collegiate Sprint Football League-Adirondack Trust Allegiance Bowl---Public Invited
October 2-6---School Facilities Management Institute---700 ppl
October 5---Saratoga Job Fair---Public Invited
October 3-7---New York Construction Materials Association, Inc.---200 ppl
October 6---Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce-Business Showcase---Public Invited
October 6-9---New York Society of Physician Assistants---400 ppl
October 8-10---NYS Association of Agricultural Fair Managers---100 ppl
October 10-14---Northeast Souvenir Salesmen's Association---250 ppl
October 14-17---NYS Bar Association---50 ppl
October 15-21---Alcohol and Substance Abuse Providers of NYS---800 ppl
October 20-23---New York School Nutrition Association---400 ppl
October 22-24---Northeastern Retail Lumber Association---130 ppl
October 24-26---SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry---460 ppl
October 26-28---New York Association of Homes & Services for the Aging/FLTC---350 ppl
October 29-31---Saratoga Rowing Association-Head of the Fish Regatta---4,000 ppl and Public Invited
October 29-31---NEACA, Inc-Arms Fair---Public Invited
October 29-31---Professional Relations & Research Institute---275 ppl
October 29-31---Dental Hygienists Association, NYS---125 ppl
October 31---Saratoga Springs Rotary Club---300 ppl
October 31-November 3---Morgan Recreational Supply---200 ppl
November 1-3---New York Independent System Operators---50 ppl
November 3-5---NYS Day Service Providers---300 ppl
Community Court Motel
Mae Communications
Martinelli-Slocum Publishing
Old Friends Cabin Creek
Pacific Grill
Springwater Bed & Breakfast
The Washington Inn
NEW PROGRAM!
RECOGNIZING
OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
The Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau launched an annual program recognizes outstanding service, professionalism and stewardship within the hospitality industry in Saratoga called “Hospitality Stars of Saratoga”. This program provides an opportunity for Bureau members to be recognized, by their peers & customers alike, for going above and beyond the normal call of duty and build upon Saratoga’s reputation as providing world-class hospitality.
All Bureau members are eligible. Nominees will be grouped into categories and those will consist of lodging, restaurants, service providers/retail establishments and attractions/entertainment. Nominations will come in the form of a narrative, describing instances of an individual exceeding expectations and providing outstanding service. Nominations can be submitted at any point during the calendar year via the online form at www.discoversaratoga.org. A committee will review nominations and select winners within each category. Nominees will be recognized each quarter in the Bureau’s Member Newsletter with the winners in each category being recognized at the Annual Meeting each March.
Sponsorships of this program will be solicited from the Bureau membership. Winners will receive a $250 Downtown Business Association (DBA) certificate, engraved plaque and Certificate acknowledging the award and signed by committee members.
To nominate an individual or learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please CLICK HERE!!
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.
“I just had one of our guests come to me and tell me it is one of the best dinners he has ever attended with this group. He said the wait staff were outstanding and the food was just phenomenal. He said he was sitting with some of our younger attendees and they were all about the seafood tower. Well, it seems I could go on and on but I’m sure you get the gist of this message. Well done, thank you and we’ll certainly be back. “
---a meeting planner appreciating working with Sperry’s on Caroline Street
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
Please send us your recipes!
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’s 6th Annual
Restaurant Week!
December 3rd- December 9th
www.discoversaratoga.org/restaurantweek
Having returned from the 1st Global Technology Conference, hosted by Global Foundries in Santa Clara, CA, where almost 1800 attendees listened to senior leaders from the company detail plans for their organization and industry (a huge part of that, as some of you know, is happening right here in Saratoga) I am still so pumped up and excited at the opportunity this brings our destination. As attendees (mostly semiconductor and nano-science professionals from all over the world) stopped by our exhibit booth, many asked about our destination and why we were there at the conference. By the way, we partnered with the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation and Center for Economic Growth on our exhibit to show a unified interest in this business from our community. The mission of SEDC and CEG was to promote Saratoga County for new business development opportunities and our mission at the SCTB was to bring back new Technology Association & Corporate Technology group and convention business to Saratoga Springs. I have to say the response to our presence was fantastic. We have secured several legitimate leads for future national & global conferences and have many more opportunities to follow up on. This one experience validates our strategy to go after new and emerging technology markets and position Saratoga Springs as a global conference destination. That’s not to say that we have never hosted national or global conferences in the past, we certainly have and have been successful. But this is different. The opportunity that Global Foundries has given Saratoga by building here opens new market segments and provides sustainable convention & conference business growth. We cannot be more thrilled.
The Saratoga Springs City Center expansion project continues to move in the right direction and is still on target for completion before the end of this year. This project is extremely vital in our efforts to attract new and larger events to Saratoga Springs and continue to serve our existing client base that continues to grow in size. For specs and diagrams on the City Center space, simply go to www.discoversaratoga.org and click on the "City Center Update" on the right side.
Fall is a great time to visit Saratoga Springs! The leaves are turning, the air is crisp and downtown is alive with visitors. So call our Sales team to book your next meeting, conference or group tour!!
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Sales and Services Update
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In recent newsletters, we have been keeping you updated on our group tour activities which began with renewed effort through a dedicated sale person in late spring. We began by holding group tour round tables for both our attraction and our hotel partners and would like to thank those in attendance again for their participation and feedback. Heather McElhiney has participated in sales blitzes’ to the group tour market throughout the northeast region, attended trade shows and conducted several one-on-one appointments with group tour operators. Our new Group Tour Manual came out this year, and Kathy Price arranged for the manual to be delivered into approximately 1,100 group tour operators and leaders hands.
Heather will be continuing to travel the northeast and beyond to spread the Saratoga word to all involved in the tour business, but she needs your help! Professional tour operators and leaders are always on the lookout for a fresh idea, a new package, a great price and a new twist on an old favorite. It is these items that they are asking for and will get their attention. The Bureau has began developing a group tour specific mini-newsletter that will be delivered at least monthly to our group tour database. This newsletter will highlight upcoming special events in the Saratoga region, existing and ongoing attractions and events, as well as specials, packages and itineraries.
***In addition to keeping our operators regularly updated, we will be working on putting together packages to sell to the market and would like to include all of you. Both for our newsletter and for our trade shows and sales calls, we need to know what is happening at your place of business. We need information on your upcoming exhibits, your “hot rate” deals, your special events – any information or event that you would like the group tour market to know about and participate in! In order to successfully sell a tour, operators generally need to know about an event 6 months prior, but prefer 9 to 12 months lead time. We will be happy to include any “last minute deals” – 3 months or less lead time – but we will find the most success with ample lead time. Newsletters will be sent on a monthly basis and we will need regular updates from our members to make it successful.
We anticipate sending our first newsletter on Wednesday, October 13th. Please send all information you would like included in this newsletter, as well as questions or comments , to Heather McElhiney. All items should be sent to at heather@discoversaratoga.org and must arrive to the Bureau no later than end of day Friday, 10/8/2010 to be included in the first newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!!
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ESSAE held their annual Wellness and Wisdom Day at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid in September. Marie Moynihan and Kathy Denkenberger represented the Bureau at this year’s event where they enjoyed mixing and mingling with large number of clients and many hospitality industry professionals. A tour of the Lake Placid Convention Center, a boat tour as well as a golf outing and networking reception were among the activities to choose from. Marie also traveled to New York City for sales calls and the MPIGNY New Member Reception and Educational Program in September. This was a fabulous opportunity to continue to grow Saratoga’s presence among the Greater New York meeting professionals. The event was well attended and many contacts were made through the networking program. Marie and Todd also supported NYSHFA’s efforts in fundraising by participating in their annual golf outing at the Van Patten Golf Club. As always, the bureau sales team will continue to plan calls and attend industry events both locally and outside of the Capital Region in the weeks to come!
Convention Services
September brought us full force into our busy Convention Season. Our Bi-Annual Convention Calendar was sent out to the membership on September 7, 2010. Please take a few moments to look at all of the groups that are listed and don’t forget to check out the helpful hints in the beginning of the booklet. As always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
The following groups have held their meetings in our beautiful city this past month. We thank them for their business and are working with them for a potential return.
Society of Human Resource Management Assn - 400 attendees
NYS Energy Research Development Authority – 60 attendees
New York Association of Convenience Stores – 100 attendees
NYS Assn of Town Superintendents of Highways – 500 attendees
USS Ethan Allen SSBN/SSN 608 – 65 attendees
Saratoga Rowing Association – Tail of the Fish – 1000 attendees
NYS Council of School Superintendents – 700 attendees
Empire State College – 340 attendees
We continue to meet with clients that are going to hold their conventions in Saratoga to discuss our services with them and all that we can offer for them to enhance their meeting experience.
We will be honoring our 2010 Hometown Ambassadors at our Annual Thanksgiving Reception on November 10, 2010. This is an exciting time for the Bureau to recognize those individuals who have worked with us and their association to hold their meeting/convention in their hometown – Saratoga. Please join us in recognizing them for their participation and volunteerism!
 Saratoga Springs
City Center Update
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Final touches to snow melt infrastructure prior to pouring of concrete
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Jonesville Store just off Exit 10 of the Northway for having their property placed on the State Register of Historic Places, and is also being considered for placement on the National Register.
The National Register lists properties that are significant in history, architecture, engineering, landscape design, archeology and culture within local, state or national contexts. A decision will be made within the upcoming months. Good luck! You can check out the property yourself and enjoy wonderful food, a cold drink and some cool live music! Click here for their October music schedule!
Congratulations to Jason Bretz from the Hilton Garden Inn - Saratoga Springs on his promotion to General Manager!
Best of Luck to Maestro’s Restaurant on their move and expansion next spring. We are sure the move is going to be a successful one!
Congratulations to Saratoga Economic Development Corporation for receiving an Excellence in Economic Development Award for their Saratoga County: Life with Balance in the category of General Purpose Promotion for communities with populations of 200,000 - 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council!
Gideon Putnam Resort's 75th Anniversary
From L to R: Tim Smith, GM of Gideon Putnam Resort; Joanne Yepsen, Saratoga Springs Supervisor; Scott Johnson, Saratoga Springs Mayor; Tom Wysocki, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Gideon Putnam; Harold Hagemann Jr., Concessions Management Bureau, NYS, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Click Here to Read press release
Saratoga Springs Firefighters announce their “Cares Enough to Wear Pink” breast cancer awareness campaign
Click here to read full article!
Salute a Colombo!
Opera at Saratoga, the Friends of Lake George Opera and the American Italian Heritage Museum will host "Salute a Colombo", a festive fundraiser for the Opera and the Museum on October 8th, 7PM-11PM. These organizations are partnering together to celebrate Columbus Day and Italian Heritage Month by hosting a sumptuous and festive dinner prepared by the chefs of Franklin Terrace. There will also be a special performance by Opera guest artists. It promises to a fantastic evening filled with wine, food and song!
Please click here for additional information and reservation information.
Its Oktoberfest time at Lake Ridge!
Every year Lake Ridge gets fired up for the fall season and Oktoberfest. Great lunch and dinner specials, German beers and wines all featured for the month of October.
They also now booking holiday parties so if you have a date and time in mind please give them a call so they can hold a spot for you. Visit www.lake-ridge.com
Pit Bull Kissing Booth
On October 23 at Sloppy Kisses (493 Broadway - Downtown Saratoga) from 11 AM- 2 PM
Help celebrate National Pit Bull Awareness Day to raise awareness of the true nature of the Pit Bull Breeds! Out of the Pits, a local Pit Bull rescue group, will be at Sloppy Kisses in Downtown Saratoga with their Kissing Booth and Therapy Dog kissers, showing you just how friendly, people loving and outgoing this breed truly is. There will also be Pit Bull related merchandise for sale. Visit www.sloppykissesofsaratoga.com
Derby Tours FREE Walking Tours Halloween weekend
Leaving from Crafters Gallery on Friday, October 29th at 4:30pm and again on Saturday, October 30th leaving Crafters Gallery at 2:30pm. Come out and learn some of the interesting history Saratoga has to offer on a walking tour that will take you back in time. Thanks to Hollis Palmer for your time and donating your service!
Scenic/Historic Tours – Take the trolley to...the Sites of Saratoga.” Every Saturday & Sunday – 11:00 am; Until Columbus Day. Enjoy a scenic/historic, 90 min. tour of Saratoga Springs, featuring Charlie Kuenzel/Dave Patterson & other ‘expert’ guides. It’s everything you’ve always wanted to know about Saratoga! Leaving from Hampton Inn.
$20 Adults/ $18Sen. &Mil/ $15 Students/ Under 12 - FREE.
Every Friday – “Take the Trolley to…. An Evening of Wine and Song.” Continued through Columbus Day. Visit The Saratoga Winery and sample 5 of their fine wines or enjoy one sample glass, while listening to live music. $18 p/person – includes r/t trolley from Hampton Inn to Saratoga Winery. Orapello’s wood-fired gourmet pizzas also available – delicious!! 6:00-8:30 pm.
Ghost Tours on October 29, 30 & 31st !
Gearing up for Halloween? Why not try something new this year by taking a guided trolley tour brought to you by Horsin’ Around Trolley Tours and Saratoga Walking Tours!
Tour Times: All tours leave from the front of the Hampton Inn & Suites
Friday 7:30PM with hosts Dave and Charlie
Saturday 4:00, 7:00, and 9:00PM (all these tours are with Dave Pitkin, noted author of many ghost books.)
Sunday 2:00PM with hosts Dave and Charlie
Ticket Prices: Friday and Sunday $18/ adult, $5 for children under 12. Saturday is $22 Adults, and $5 for children. Ghost books by Dave Pitkin will be for sale and a signing will occur after all tours.
Save the Date!
floydwarriors.com hosts Saratoga Healthy Living Expo 2010 on November 14th from 11-4pm!
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