There's so much more to the Empire State than just New York City. Travel one hour north and you'll find the Windrose on Hudson, a 62-acre resort that originally operated as a farm and then served as a leadership training facility for General Electric. Today, the property offers 248 guest rooms and 52,000 square feet of meeting space, along with hiking and biking trails. Other farms and historic venues dot the region, allowing planners to design unique event experiences that infuse nature and a sense of place into the agenda.
On July 29-31, Northstar Meetings Group hosted its 2026 Destination East event at the Windrose on Hudson. The three-day gathering drew more than 100 events industry professionals. Attendees enjoyed networking opportunities and one-on-one meetings, where planners and suppliers from destinations and venues across the Eastern United States discussed future business opportunities. Also on the agenda were local activities, such as a cruise down the Hudson River, a visit to Lyndhurst Mansion and a historical tour of Philipsburg Manor.
During the educational sessions, keynote speakers shared lessons on sustainability and negotiating. Jack Algiere of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture discussed the history of regenerative farming in New York's Hudson Valley and encouraged planners to design more sustainable and creative meeting menus. The next day, Tim McGuinness of the Sterling Advisory Group led a session on contract negotiations for senior leaders.
The generous partners who helped make this event possible included the Windrose on Hudson, Visit Westchester County, Benchmark Resorts & Hotels, Saddlebrook Resort, Naples Grande Beach Resort, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board, Opal Collection, Kanopi, Explore York, Leros Transportation, Feeding Westchester, Madison Avenue Inc., and PC Nametag.
See photo highlights from the event below, taken by Matt Klinger of Mad Pix Pro. To join us at another Northstar gathering, view our events calendar.
