NYC Skyline To Be Lit In Blue April 11 For Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID)

NYC SKYLINE TO BE LIT IN BLUE APRIL 11 FOR GLOBAL MEETINGS INDUSTRY DAY (GMID)

—Javits Center and Pier 17 at Seaport District Are First-Time Partners in GMID Eve Lighting—

—Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, One Bryant Park and 4 Times Square Spires to Again Illuminate GMID Eve—

—Key MICE Decision Makers to Attempt to Set Guinness World Records Titles at Tristate Meeting Planner Event on GMID Along with Planned LinkNYC Activations, Times Square Billboard Takeover—

New York City (April 5, 2018) —NYC & Company—New York City’s official destination marketing organization—is proud to support the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) during its third annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on Thursday, April 12, 2018. To raise awareness of the impact that face-to-face meetings have on both the national economy (generating $325 billion in direct sales annually) and the City, on the evening prior to GMID, April 11, the City’s skyline will shine blue, MMBC’s color. On GMID itself, NYC will host the Tristate Meeting Planner event, along with more activations, as NYC joins in national celebrations. 

NYC & Company’s preliminary findings reveal that a record 6.2 million delegates traveled here in 2017 underscoring the reputation that NYC is the greatest city in the world for both business and leisure travel,” said Fred Dixon, NYC & Company president and CEO.

To celebrate the intersectionality of the MICE industry and the broader tourism industry, the City will glow blue in unison on April 11, the eve of GMID. The Javits Center—whose glass-enclosed 15-story Crystal Palace is now available to event managers seeking a customized lighting sequence—will activate its state-of-the-art lighting system for GMID. Pier 17 (opening summer 2018) at the Seaport District will also participate for the first time. Spires in Midtown Manhattan, including the Empire State Building, One Bryant Park and 4 Times Square along with One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, will radiate the meetings industry’s impact in celebration of the MICE holiday.

“The third annual lighting of the skyline in blue on GMID Eve is a unique tribute to the power of meetings,” said Jerry Cito, senior vice president of Convention Development. “As both a founder of and current executive team member of MMBC and the SVP of Convention Development here, I couldn’t be prouder to sell NYC in this exciting time of development. With the opening of the Cornell Tech campus, the ongoing expansion of the Javits Center and numerous boutique meeting spaces emerging throughout the City, there will be added capacity for meetings delegates in 2018 and beyond. Ultimately, this will bolster spending across the five boroughs.”

As the sun rises on GMID, more than 2,100 LinkNYC screens citywide will rotate displays of NYC & Company’s “Make it NYC” meetings slogan, along with MMBC and GMID logos. In the afternoon, Vornado Realty Trust’s Times Square billboard—one of the largest in the City, located on the New York Marriott Marquis—will display the same assets.

“Global Meetings Industry Day provides an opportunity to highlight the contributions of our sector on an international platform. The economic significance study recently published by the Events Industry Council further quantifies the impact of the international meetings sector, citing that 251 million meeting participants generated $325 billion in direct spending. This translated into 2.5 million jobs being directly supported by face-to-face meetings,” said Julie Coker Graham, co-chair MMBC.

The excitement and energy across the City will continue, when the NYC & Company Convention Development team hosts the annual Tristate Meeting Planner event at the NFL Experience Times Square (showcasing the New Midtown). More than 250 planners from across the region will gather and attempt to set a Guinness World Records title, to showcase the power of face-to-face meetings. At the event, industry insights will be shared, a destination product and venue update will be provided and attendees will be able to mingle and network with dozens of NYC & Company members.

"We’re thrilled to participate in this celebration of Global Meetings Industry Day in one of our flagship locations, New York City. We have a long history of crafting unique record-breaking and team-building activities for events of all sizes across the globe, so we understand the tremendous impact of in-person meetings,” said Sonja Valenta, director of marketing Guinness World Records. “What better way to create a memorable experience and foster relationships at an event than by helping to provide the unified goal of making history and setting a Guinness World Records title.”

To follow and join the nationwide conversation about the importance of face-to-face meetings, supporters can use the hashtags #GMID18 and #MakeItNYC on LinkedIN, Twitter and Instagram.

According to preliminary research by NYC & Company, the five boroughs of New York City welcomed 6.2 million meetings delegates in 2017. NYC & Company’s “Make it NYC” meetings and conventions marketing campaign is led by the tagline “Meet Where You Want to Be” and is accompanied by iconic imagery that showcases the vibrancy of the destination. Make it NYC originally launched in 2013, followed by a refresh in 2015, and continues to highlight the benefits and excitement of hosting a meeting or event in the City, with the campaign name serving as a planner call to action. For additional information, media can visit nycgo.com/makeitnyc.
 

About NYC & Company: 
NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information on meeting in New York City, visit nycgo.com/makeitnyc.

About Meetings Mean Business: 
The U.S. Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition was created in 2009 to showcase the incredible value that business meetings, travel and events bring to the US economy. Its members span all facets of the face-to-face meeting and events industry, which have come together behind a common goal: providing the resources, tools and information to show the real impact the industry has on businesses, economies and communities. For more information, visit MeetingsMeanBusiness.com. 
 

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Contact: Rachel Peace / 212-484-5412