How Brooklyn became the new hotspot for high-profile events

Returning this June to the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge — the upscale lodging company’s flagship at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, which opened two years ago and sports some rooms that go for nearly $2,000 a night—is the New Rules Summit, nosted by the New York Times. Last year’s inaugural conference, about “Women, Leadership and a Playbook for Change,” attracted dozens of influencers from a series of industries, including journalist and author Katie Couric, actress and activist America Ferrara, charity foundation co-chair Melinda Gates, and Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso.

Scheduled to appear at the summit this year are some of journalism’s heaviest hitters from the Times, including White House correspondent Maggie Haberman, Washington bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller, and deputy managing editor Rebecca Blumenstein.

For many of the people drawn to the events, it’s their first look at Brooklyn’s transformation, according to Hans Schaepman, the 1 Hotel’s general manager. “What stands out when 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge hosts these high-profile events is the surprise both from organizers as well as event attendees. They love how well integrated the hotel is with all of the waterfront park and and how we ‘pull the outside in,’” he told The Bridge in an email. “Many guests are surprised about the development of the Dumbo area in general.”

But Brooklyn’s cache isn’t only attracting media-industry players. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders engaged in a waterfront debate at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during the 2016 Presidential campaign. There was the Brooklyn Museum’s David Bowie dance party this past May, where 2,000 attendees paid tribute to the music icon by dressing up like the “Starman,” as the museum’s expansive, world-class exhibit on him neared closing.

A few weeks after that, the museum welcomed the fashion industry for the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards, which saw Kim Kardashian-West honored as an influencer and Oprah Winfrey present a media award to British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful. Then, days later, in a display of Brooklyn’s crossover appeal from the arts and culture into sports, Barclays Center hosted the NBA Draft for the sixth consecutive year.

Brooklyn’s boosters see a powerful mix of influences driving the trend. “As the city’s nexus for culture and diversity, commerce and innovation, Brooklyn is the natural destination for headline events that shape the future of their industries,” Hector Batista, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, told The Bridge. “There’s no better home for high-profile events than Brooklyn.”

Batista indicated that these types of events help spur economic growth in surrounding areas, often to the benefit of local businesses. And revenue begets more revenue. The borough’s infrastructural ability to contend with Manhattan—as well as other cities—has dramatically improved the past half-decade. Besides the restoration of iconic buildings, the borough has seen the addition of entirely new venues like the 68,000-sq.-ft., Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint, a more intimate version of the Javits Center.

Other venues include Williamsburg’s Brooklyn Bowl, which at ten years old seems practically ancient among these ranks, and will once again host the Relix Live Music Conference, as it did last year. Pioneer Works, the cultural center in Red Hook, is where the Ethereal Summit, covering all things blockchain tech, will land in May. BRIC, the cultural arts center in Downtown Brooklyn, is a popular draw as well, and in June will host the second edition of the From Day One conference, which is co-founded by the proprietor of The Bridge.

Besides all the welcoming new venues, it’s about what’s happening inside them that’s creating critical mass. As Sid Holt put it: “Well, it really is where the action is.”

The Bridge is dedicated to reporting on business in Brooklyn.

Michael Stahl is a freelance writer and editor. A former high school English teacher, he has written for Rolling Stone, Vice, the Village Voice, Narratively, Splitsider, Outside Magazine and other publications.