SUNYCUAD in New York City!

First-class event in a culturally diverse setting

New York City is hot and will be even hotter when SUNYCUAD professionals arrive June 11-13. For the first time in the organization’s history, the educational conference will be held in the Big Apple.

This year’s conference will be hosted by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), with the programming taking place primarily on the college’s campus, which has a wide range of conference rooms, seminar spaces and auditoriums. Accommodations will be at three hotels, all within a few blocks of the FIT campus and conveniently located near Penn Station.

This year’s conference registration price will include programming, meals, the awards dinner, reception, and hotel accommodations. For those who want to take advantage of the special conference hotel rates, they can stay through the weekend to enjoy the city.

The conference promises to deliver a first-class educational event in a culturally diverse city. The talent in New York City (and beyond) has provided a rich resource of speakers and experts on a wide range of topics. In addition, a number of sessions will include site visits.

“We’re really excited about the program opportunities that the New York City location provides,” says conference co-chair Darryl Geddes from SUNY Upstate Medical.

Public relations professionals will travel to the New York Times’ new headquarters to meet with the paper’s education editor. Development professionals will learn from a panel of program officers at the Foundation Center. And an on-site visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art will allow participants to see first-hand how the museum has built a creative and sustainable digital content repository.

“We’re still planning more off-site track sessions. Getting people out into the city will add a lot to the conference experience,” Geddes added.

Participants will also be able to enjoy the city on their own Thursday night. “We want to make sure we have a wide variety of cultural activities with a range of price options to choose from,” noted conference co-chair Carol Leven from FIT.

Organized activities for a pay-your-own-way night out include dinner and a Broadway show, a Chinatown banquet, and a jazz tour of Harlem.

“And for those who just want to explore on their own, Chelsea is such a convenient neighborhood because it has great access to shopping and dining. Or you can just take a walk to the Empire State Building. What could be more ‘New York’ than that?” Leven said.

Other conference confirmed programming includes a plenary with Lloyd Constantine from the New York State Commission on Higher Education, who will be speaking about Governor Eliot Spitzer’s vision for SUNY. The conference reception will take place at the renowned Museum at FIT, with guided tours hosted by the museum’s curator. And the annual awards dinner will take place aboard a boat that cruises New York Harbor.

Watch your mail in late March for registration materials. Also visit www.sunycuad.org, which will be updated soon with this year’s information.