Goodbye Turning Stone - Hello Downtown Syracuse and The Oncenter
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By Jerry DeLuca
NYSAFC Executive Director
With the 112th Annual Conference & FIRE 2018 Expo, NYSAFC concluded 10 very successful years of exhibits, education, and training at the Turning Stone Resort. The association is now focused on the move of the annual conference and expo to The Oncenter in downtown Syracuse for 2019-2021.
While we became very comfortable at Turning Stone, the resort chose not to provide NYSAFC with the opportunity to hold the conference and expo on a weekend. The board of directors felt that the change of days would make staying at Turning Stone and maintaining a successful event very difficult, if not impossible.
After a RFP process and months of reviewing and touring various facilities across New York state, the board determined that the city of Syracuse, Onondaga County, and The Oncenter presented the association with the best possibility of success. The Oncenter will give NYSAFC the ability to host more education programs due to increased classroom space, as well as provide indoor exhibit space for apparatus displays. The change in venue to Syracuse will also allow NYSAFC to offer more Hands-On Training opportunities at the nearby Syracuse Fire Department Training Center.
The move to Syracuse also allows NYSAFC to get out of the hotel reservation business. All attendees now have the ability to make their own room reservations with nine hotels in the downtown area. The city also has a great variety of restaurants and vibrant nightlife near the venue, for those who wish to participate.
Finally, the move will allow NYSAFC to provide opportunities for social and networking events for attendees, such as a block party.
The association is working closely with Visit Syracuse and the city and county to ensure the availability of all necessary amenities, including adequate parking, appropriate security, and facilities for members and exhibitors.
The NYSAFC board of directors and staff are all excited about the move and the potential to grow and improve the event and increase the quality of the product we deliver to you.
You can register for the event online here. Upon completion of your online event registration, you will be able reserve hotel rooms online. PDF registration forms are also available for attendees and exhibitors. Please email NYSAFC with any questions or concerns.
Look for photos from this year’s conference and expo later this summer on NYSAFC’s Flickr photostream. Interested in following up with a vendor that you met at Turning Stone? Our FIRE 2018 Program Guide digital edition is available here for your reference.
