By Kelly Curtin, Executive Vice President, Membership & Destination Services, NYC Tourism Foundation

We are thrilled to hold The New York City Tourism Foundation Gala event once again at The Plaza with CPS Events. Since its inception 2001, we have held this event 20 times, most frequently at The Plaza. The setting, especially in the holiday season, is second to none, as are the expert team and the culinary creations. We feel extremely at home there and are so grateful to be back again this year

Among the honorees, we’re especially excited to celebrate Liz Neumark and Great Performances. Liz’s creation of Great Performances–one of the most iconic New York City caterers serving our City’s most loved cultural intuitions–is huge in itself. When coupled with her incredible dedication to our communities, sustainability, and the next generation of hospitality leaders, Liz is the perfect honoree for our Foundation. 

Our Foundation is dedicated to supporting our City’s vibrant and diverse cultural scene, particularly in the boroughs. These small organizations are what make New York City New York City. They provide reasons for visitors and residents to explore these neighborhoods which in turn support jobs and local economies.

We can only be successful and continue our support of New York City through your support. Here is a link to this year’s Gala invitation and highlighted below are key details on the event:

Honorees:          Greater New York Hospital Association

                             Liz Neumark & Great Performances Catering

                             United Airlines

                             Lifetime Achievement Award – Jonelle Procope, President and CEO, Emerita of the Apollo Theater

About the New York City Tourism Foundation:

Formerly known as tghe NYC & Company Foundation, we recently changed the name to the New York City Tourism Foundation to complement our company rebranding to New York City Tourism + Conventions this past March. Our Foundation is a 501(c)3, established in 1999 to support the vibrant arts and cultural community across all five boroughs. One of the main programs of our Foundation is the Borough Grant Program. Since 1999, we have given more than $4.5M to nearly 300 small arts and culturals organizations across the city for cultural tourism development, audience education and outreach projects. In addition, the Foundation provides scholarships to support the education and development of the next generation of nonprofit cultural professionals.

The annual Gala in December which began in 2001, is THE primary source of funding for the Foundation. During the recent pandemic, we were not able to hold a Gala in 2020 or 2021, however, we continued to give out grants as the culturals needed help more than ever. Last year, we raised more than $800,000 at the event which helped rebuild our resources to be able to continue the Borough Grant Program. Sample Borough Grant recipients include: Museum at Eldridge Street, Leslie Lohman Museum, Hudson Warehouse, Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Make Music New York, Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival, Harlem School of the Arts, Manhattan School of Music, Festival of Cinema, Alice Austin House and the St. George Theatre. These are just a few of the organizations who have received grants throughout the years. More information on the Foundation can be found here.