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Old Favorites in New Haven

New Haven at a Glance

Location: South central Connecticut

Access: Tweed New Haven Regional Airport; Union Station New Haven; interstates 91 and 95; Hartford’s Bradley International Airport

Hotel rooms: 1,498 (6,400 in the greater area)

Contact Info:
Visit New Haven

203-777-8550

visitnewhaven.com

Yale University

Established: 1701, most recent addition 2018

Exhibit Space: Over 100,000 square feet

Other Meeting Spaces: 200 buildings across more than 20 city blocks

Meeting Hotels

Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale

Guestrooms: 306

Meeting Space: 22,000 square feet

Study at Yale

Guestrooms: 124

Meeting Space: 3,000 square feet

Blake Hotel

Guestrooms: 108

Meeting Space: 4,700 square feet

Who’s Meeting in New Haven

Association of College and University Printers

Attendees: 190

Institute of Transportation Engineers Northeast District Annual Meeting

Attendees: 2,000

Global Health and Innovation Conference

Attendees: 275

Home to Yale University and the epicenter of southern New England, New Haven, Connecticut, has a vibe that attracts both business and leisure travelers. Yale has helped facilitate an impressive urban renaissance intermingled with the city’s rich history and vibrant art scene. From celebrated institutions to up-and-coming restaurants, New Haven successfully blends urban sophistication with historic New England charm that attracts approximately a million visitors per year.

Destination Highlights

The Greater New Haven region, which encompasses 15 towns, including the city of New Haven, offers the best of chic city life and small, friendly communities. On Long Island Sound, New Haven proper lies 70 miles north of New York City and 140 miles south of Boston. Geographically, New Haven is best known for its large, deep harbor and two red “trap rock” ridges on its northern and western borders.

Perhaps the city’s most notable fixture is illustrious Yale University. Since its founding in 1701, the university has educated many of the world’s greatest minds and political figures. A highlight of any visit to New Haven, Yale offers walking tours of its impressive campus filled with buildings whose architectural styles range from Gothic Revival to Modernism.

“Attendees will find New Haven easily walkable because our downtown is nine square blocks,” said Sarah Washburn, tourism manager at Visit New Haven. “Yale University’s open campus is intertwined throughout the city.”

Hillhouse Avenue was lauded by Charles Dickens and Mark Twain as “the most beautiful street in America.” Galleries showcase painting, pottery, sculpture and jewelry created by local artists. The Madison Sculpture Mile and downloadable art tours of both the city and Yale University invite walkers to view the prolific artwork.

For evening entertainment, New Haven has theater districts, jazzy nightclubs and bars. Your group can catch a Broadway show at the historic Shubert Theatre. The Yale Repertory Theatre and the Long Wharf Theatre also produce award-winning plays featuring current stars as well as up-and-coming actors. The College Street Music Hall, a local hot spot, hosts a variety of music, comedy shows and live simulcasts.

Major Meeting Spaces

For more than 250 years, Yale University’s tree-lined campus has housed “a company of scholars and a society of friends.” The expansive campus spans more than 200 buildings across more than 20 city blocks of downtown, for a total of more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space. During the summer, Yale University can house groups of from 10 to 2,500 guests. Yale Conferences and Events offers a wide range of creative, administrative and logistical services to facilitate the execution of your group’s program, conference or event through every step of planning and implementation.

“In the last decade, Yale University has opened their doors to the meeting world, and it’s a huge draw,” said Washburn. “Their greatest capacity is during June and July, and several recently built dorms offer rooms that resemble miniapartments.”

Two blocks from Yale University, the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale overlooks New Haven Green. This New England-style property sits close to downtown museums, restaurants and shopping. The Omni features 306 elegant guest rooms and 19 meeting rooms with more than 22,000 square feet of function space, including the 9,200-square-foot Grand Ballroom. The hotel’s premier 19th-floor restaurant, John Davenport’s, offers spectacular views of New Haven.

A striking example of New Haven’s sophisticated resurgence, the Study at Yale offers 124 guest rooms and cutting-edge technology. Choices for events at this trendy boutique hotel include 3,000 square feet of meeting space and a 1,200-square-foot penthouse that lends itself to small banquets and receptions.

Distinctive Venues

For a less traditional meeting experience, a number of unique venues can be found on New Haven’s historic streets. The stately New Haven Museum offers a historic backdrop for events, from small meetings to catered receptions in several spaces, including a 1,313-square-foot auditorium. In the heart of New Haven, the majestic Shubert Theatre offers two stunning lobbies and seating for 1,587 people. Directly across the street, the College Street Music Hall offers theater seating for 2,000 and flex space for either table seating or a reception in this historic landmark.

The newly built Canal Dock Boathouse pays homage to New Haven’s rich boating history while offering panoramic harbor views in its varied event spaces. The main event hall is just over 3,600 square feet, and the Adee Room is almost 1,300 square feet. Both rooms offer direct access to a large outdoor balcony with expansive views of New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound; outside catering is available. In addition, the facility offers opportunities to learn to kayak and row.

New Haven has fostered a dynamic food-truck scene. Trucks can be hired to serve your meeting and select venues citywide. Catering services are wide-ranging and include barbecue, pizza, laid-back luncheon buffets and gourmet dinners.

After the Meeting

Attendees often take advantage of Yale’s free educational museums. At Yale University Art Gallery, more than 500,000 works from some of history’s most well-known artists are exhibited on a rotating basis. The Yale Center’s British Art collection is the most comprehensive collection of its kind outside the United Kingdom.

New Haven boasts several unusual tours. Quite popular are the Taste of New Haven walking tours and the Elm City Party Bike tour. Both feature New Haven eateries and hot spots for an entertaining and interactive diversion.

Nightlife begins with a taste of the city’s remarkable restaurant scene. From clam shacks and fresh-seafood eateries along the shore to fine-dining establishments that fill downtown, New Haven’s restaurants number surprisingly high for a city of its size. For casual dining, the city’s Little Italy boasts renowned New Haven-style “apizza,” a Neapolitan-influenced pizza with a thin, crisp crust and a chewy inside. The Overshores Brewery Company, Connecticut’s only Belgian-style brewery, serves a noteworthy selection of craft beer and offers free tours.

Just outside New Haven proper, attendees can enjoy the Connecticut shoreline. Seasonal activities, wide beaches and lovely vineyards make fine spots for events or day trips. In summer months, the ever-popular Thimble Island Cruises accommodates 48 passengers on a 45-minute tour of the Thimble Islands while Captain Bob recounts the area’s pirate legends. Two-hour charters with outside catering can be arranged.