ALBANY, NY -The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACCVB) hosted more than 140 business, community, and civic leaders at the Albany Hospitality Summit today at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. The purpose of the summit was to prepare local businesses and organizations to take advantage of new opportunities being presented by the building of the Albany Capital Center and the development of a dynamic complex of meetings and event venues in downtown Albany.
Attendees were provided an update on construction progress, marketing and sales efforts for the Albany Capital Center, as well as presentations by various community leaders on topics that included a project update of the Albany Capital Center, a business and community analysis, a look at Albany's tourism economy, and audiences being targeted for use of the facility, among many others.
"This summit was a kick-off to preparing our hospitality and business community for an influx of visitors once we open the doors to the Albany Capital Center in early 2017," states Michele Vennard, President/CEO of the ACCVB. "Attendees will now have the opportunity to provide input into what additional trainings and seminars we will bring to Albany to continue building our hospitality culture."
Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the Empire State Plaza to view renovation projects and future plans, as well as take part in a "Walkway Tour" of the Albany Capital Center site.
Hi-resolution photos from today's event are available for download here. Follow the conversation on Twitter here. A recording of the presentations from today's Albany Hospitality Summit, courtesy of CMI Communications, as well as more photos from the event, will be available in the near future at www.albany.org/summit.
The Albany Capital Center is scheduled to open in early 2017. More information about the Albany Capital Center and Complex may be found at www.albanycapitalcenter.com.
About the ACCVB:
The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. was established in 1976 to promote the civic and commercial progress of the community through increased development of conventions and tourism. ACCVB currently represents more than 300 member businesses and assists each year in hundreds of regional meetings. ACCVB also operates the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, Henry Hudson Planetarium, and the Albany International Airport Information Center. For more information, call 518-434-1217 or 800-258-3582 or visit www.albany.org.