As part of Phase 4 of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s New York Forward plan, meeting venues in New York City are now able to host in-person gatherings of up to 50 people at under 33 percent of the venue’s capacity. Planners can add to these numbers by bringing additional attendees in virtually; that’s why a number of New York venues are embracing the hybrid meetings concept.

“Our world-class venues have adapted to meet the current moment with innovative new hybrid models that will help us to safely welcome meeting delegates and event attendees back to the five boroughs,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company and co-chair of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition. 

Venues with hybrid meeting capabilities range from small studios and executive conference centers to Broadway theaters and the Javits Center. These spaces have each implemented the latest in cleaning procedures and social distancing protocols, and added or upgraded their technology to allow for virtual meetings.

“We are able to bring the only-in-NYC meeting and event experience directly to delegates, no matter where they are in the world,” said Jerry Cito, executive vice president of convention development at NYC & Company.

The largest of the venues is the Javits Center, which has reopened for events following the implementation of extensive health and safety protocols and procedures. In addition, the center recently unveiled a 30,000-square-foot broadcast studio that can host up to 300 attendees with social distancing measures in place. Construction on the convention center’s 1.2 million-square-foot expansion also continues, with a scheduled opening in spring of 2021.

Below are additional venues with the infrastructure in place to host hybrid events:

• AMA New York Executive Conference Center in Midtown Manhattan has a virtual meetings package that mixes on-site meeting facilities for up to 200 people with the ability to produce and livestream events to more than 300 global attendees.
   

• Partnering with technology provider Glisser, etc.venues hass hybrid event packages that include venue facilities at its 360 Madison location and virtually.
   

• At Gotham Hall in Herald Square and Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan, choose from hybrid offerings for on-site live events to prerecorded video streams and studio productions with remote presentations.
   

• In addition to event spaces, Manhattan Center has livestreaming across digital platforms, web hosting and recording studios.
   

• Broadway’s Shubert Virtual Studios brings physical stage studios together with streaming services to combine live events with digital audiences.
   

• Soho’s Spring Studios, which recently hosted a mix of live and virtual fashion shows for New York Fashion Week, has a new content production studio called Studio X that is available for livestreamed events.
   

• Virtual and hybrid capabilities at Studio 525 in Chelsea include live or prerecorded presentations from full broadcast studios, virtual breakout sessions and an in-house podcast studio.
   

• The Times Center has a new production service that provides planners with remote event offerings as well as options to host virtual events from the venue’s soundstage and livestream an event to attendees online. 

In addition, NYC & Company recently launched Virtual NYC Site Tours for meeting and event planners, providing up-to-date listings of businesses offering virtual site inspection tools during the COVID-19 crisis.

Find more resources for planning events in New York City HERE.