Discover Albany

The #DiscoverAlbany Sales and Services Team is hitting the ground running in 2025, full speed ahead, with many events to promote our great destination! 🏃 • January 7 – Discover Albany will meet with the Capital Complex Committee to make sure the entities are up to date on the programs and the opportunities to promote meetings, conventions, and tourism in Albany County. • January 12-15 – Debby will be off to Convening Leaders in Houston, TX. This event hosted by the Professional Convention Management Association PCMA will feature thought leaders from across the country and the latest educational opportunities for meeting professionals. Debby will be hosting a Mixology Class with some of our clients on a free evening! https://lnkd.in/e7eyC2hs  • January 17 – Debby will be attending the Capital Region Chamber's State of The Town event with Colonie Town Supervisor Peter Crummey. Colonie has over 4,000 hotel rooms in our County. This is an important networking event every year. https://lnkd.in/ePudgnSf  • January 23 – Jay will be attending MPI New Jersey Chapter's Monthly meeting in Edison, NJ to promote this year’s Albany FAM Tour! https://lnkd.in/ewg4JaNQ  • January 26-28 – Jay will be traveling to Atlantic City to attend the Independent Planners Education Conference. This appointment-based tradeshow is a first for Discover Albany and we are seeking those hard to find clients who are looking for a great meeting destination. https://lnkd.in/eHaBjik7  • January 28 – Amy will attend the Women’s Business Council luncheon: “Leading Beyond Your Title” https://lnkd.in/eV3ZrRUp  • January 30-31 – Amy will be traveling to attend a client’s conference in Hartford, CT. She will be there to gain valuable insight into the event and how their 2027 event in Albany can exceed expectations! • February 10-11 – Jay and Amy are attending the MPI New England Chapter's Education Day in Rhode Island! • February 24-25 – Jay will be attending the MPI New Jersey Chapter's MEETS Conference. This has been a new source for qualified meeting planners seeking Albany as a destination! https://lnkd.in/eNH_3jA7  • February 25 is also our first of six Hotel Sales meetings! It will be hosted at the Homewood Suites/Tru by Hilton Crossgates Mall!

Last week, #DiscoverAlbany Director of Community Engagement, Maeve McEneny Johnson and Sales Manager, Amy Sonder, embraced the holiday spirit at the Capital Region Chamber's Holiday Reception at the Crowne Plaza Albany - The Desmond Hotel! This annual event unites Capital Region professionals to celebrate the year’s successes and forge new connections for 2025.

#DiscoverAlbany Director of Sales, Jay Cloutier, Destination Services Manager, Debby Goedeke, and Sales Manager, Amy Sonder attended Empire State Society of Association Executives, Inc.'s Annual Holiday Celebration last week at Crowne Plaza Albany - The Desmond Hotel! 🎄 Over 100 Hospitality and Association Professionals enjoyed an evening of collegiality and fun! ✨ #ESSAEHolidays

#DiscoverAlbany Director of Sales, Jay Cloutier, and Sales Manager, Amy Sonder, celebrated the joint efforts of four of our partner hotels—Hilton Albany, Hampton Inn & Suites Albany-Downtown, Fairfield Inn & Suites Albany Downtown, and Hyatt Albany—for creating an unforgettable experience for our new clients, coming to Albany in the summer of 2025! ✨ These hotels have provided exceptional hospitality, top-notch services, and unforgettable moments for our clients’ visits to the city. Their hard work made such an impression that our clients decided to extend their upcoming conference to enjoy even more of what Albany has to offer! 🎉 We celebrated with Bitchin’ Donuts and Nine Pin Cider!

Yesterday, the #DiscoverAlbany Sales & Services Team hosted a festive wreath making workshop at the Albany Capital Center to show our appreciation for our valued clients! ✨ #grateful

Our organization benefits so much from the professional development offered by Destinations International! We are grateful to be recognized for our engagement with the organization- it really is a privilege to learn and grow alongside our peers in the ever-changing landscape of the Tourism industry.

Congratulations to Discover Albany on their exemplary engagement with DI! 🌟 Despite their smaller budget size, Discover Albany has gone above and beyond in taking advantage of all of the resources that DI has to offer. From maintaining DMAP, volunteering on committees and attending in-person events to completing our Professional in Destination Management (PDM) and Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) programs, this destination truly embodies what it means to be an active DI member. Discover Albany is a champion for small destinations and has even referred new members to our organization.

#DiscoverAlbany Destination Services Manager, Debby Goedeke, and Sales Manager, Amy Sonder, had a fantastic time at MPI Upstate New York Chapter Fall Focus 2024 in Rochester last week! This two-day event was packed with educational sessions on resilience in event management, risk management, AI, and conscious inclusion, plus great networking opportunities. Thanks to Visit Rochester for an unforgettable experience! #MPIFallFocus

#DiscoverAlbany Director of Sales, Jay Cloutier, recently attended Northstar Meetings Group's Destination East in Niagara Falls, where he connected with 19 event planners to explore exciting opportunities for bringing new meetings and conventions to Albany! #NMGEvents

Discover Albany was proud to attend the Albany Business Review Women in Leadership Luncheon yesterday, where Jill Delaney, our President & CEO, was recognized as a Woman Who Means Business. Her leadership has made a lasting impact on tourism in the Capital Region, and we are thrilled to see her hard work acknowledged! A big congratulations to all the incredible honorees, including Margaret Carciobolo, Kathryn Muncil, and Shannon Licygiewicz, CEM. It was a wonderful event celebrating the leadership, vision, and the women shaping our community's future.