NYC & COMPANY JOINS MEETINGS INDUSTRY SUPPORTERS TO KICK OFF GLOBAL MEETINGS INDUSTRY DAY IN NEW YORK CITY

NYC & COMPANY JOINS MEETINGS INDUSTRY SUPPORTERS TO KICK OFF GLOBAL MEETINGS INDUSTRY DAY IN NEW YORK CITY

— First Annual Global Meetings Industry Day to Promote Importance of Face-To-Face Meetings —

— Week-Long Celebrations Highlighted by Lighting of Empire State Building and Messaging Across the City’s Digital Billboards —

New York City (April 13, 2016) — NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization, joins its membership and meetings industry supporters this week in celebrating the first annual Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) tomorrow, April 14. The event marks the expansion of last year’s North American Meetings Industry Day, which is organized by the U.S. Travel Association’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition to promote the importance of face-to-face meetings. To commemorate the event, businesses from around the City will come together to give thanks to the millions of meetings and conventions delegates that support New York City’s meetings and events industry. A new promotional video highlighting why meetings delegates and exhibitors choose to do business in NYC can be found on NYC & Company’s official YouTube page, youtube.com/nycvisit.

“As a leading global meetings destination for international and domestic businesses, NYC & Company is pleased to take part in the first annual Global Meetings Industry Day in support of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition,” said Fred Dixon, NYC & Company’s president and CEO. “We thank the over 6 million meetings and conventions delegates who choose to meet face-to-face and ‘Make it NYC’ each year.”

NYC & Company emphasizes the widespread impact that Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) have on New York City’s economy and local businesses across the five boroughs. Working seamlessly with meetings professionals, NYC & Company’s Convention Development team secures MICE business to New York City and offers an endless array of resources for unforgettable and productive meetings.

“New York City offers unrivaled meetings experiences, from world-class hotels to one-of-a-kind meeting venues,” said Jerry Cito, NYC & Company Senior Vice President of Convention Development. “As a founding industry supporter of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition, we gather this week to recognize the profound impact that face-to-face meetings have on our City and the world.”

In recognizing the power of face-to-face meetings in New York City, NYC & Company and fellow industry supporters gathered at Planet Hollywood in Times Square yesterday for a business card exchange. These events are hosted periodically throughout the year by NYC & Company to encourage collaboration between industry businesses across the five boroughs. During the event, rotating footage of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition and GMID logos were displayed outside on Planet Hollywood’s digital billboard. Additionally on Tuesday, the Empire State Building was lit up in blue, the color of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition.

Also, as part of the celebration, on April 14 the Meetings Mean Business Coalition and GMID logos will be displayed on several outdoor digital billboards in Times Square, including Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues and Vornado Realty Trust’s Times Square billboard, the largest digital billboard in the City, on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets on the façade of the New York Marriott Marquis. In addition, the message will be highly visible at Big Screen Plaza behind the Eventi Hotel on 29th Street and 6th Avenue in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.

NYC & Company members taking part in this year’s Global Meetings Industry Day by proudly displaying GMID 2016 signage include: Circle Line Cruises, Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan, Empire State Building, Eventi Hotel and Big Screen Plaza, FerryAds.com/Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal, Grand Hyatt New York, Hotel Edison, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, JW Marriott Essex House New York, Macy's Herald Square, New York Marriott Marquis, New York Marriott East Side, One World Observatory, Planet Hollywood, Renaissance New York Times Square, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, The New York Hilton Midtown, Voila Chocolat and Waldorf Astoria New York.

Additionally, NYC & Company has provided a social media toolkit to its entire member base and clients to get involved via their social media networks. To follow and join the conversation about the importance of face-to-face meetings, supporters can use the hashtags #MMBNYC, #GMID16 and #MakeItNYC on Twitter and Instagram.

For more information on planning a meeting or event in New York City, go to nycgo.com/makeitnyc. To learn more about Meetings Mean Business, visit meetingsmeanbusiness.com.

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, visit nycgo.com.

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: NYC & Company / Chris Heywood 212-484-1270
               NYC & Company / Sean Altberger 212-484-1270