5 Observation decks coast-to-coast offer sky-high meeting possibilities

A well-designed networking event brings people together, elevates the conversation and leaves everyone with a perspective they didn’t have before. We scoped out five sky-high new and classic venues in the round with Instagram-worthy credentials to delight attendees. Whether you are going up for the opening reception or closing party, these backdrops serve as icebreakers with views inside and outside.

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View Boston

Rendering of Inside of view Boston with people walking in front of signScheduled to open June 15, View Boston is perched on the 50th floor of the Prudential Center, the city’s second tallest building at 750-feet. The 360-degree observation deck doubles as a living information kiosk. Selfie spots and QR codes peppered through the three-story attraction offer information about the best restaurants in the city, local attractions and landmarks. It is an ideal place to orient visitors to the geography of the area. As part of The Finale experience, visitors can generate a personalized list of suggested things to do, creating the ultimate Bostonian itinerary. F&B options include an indoor/outdoor cocktail lounge where guests can enjoy seasonally inspired local bites and craft cocktails while indulging among the clouds, and an indoor bistro for a relaxed atmosphere, and local cuisine curated by executive chef MJ Avalos.

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Vue Orleans

Two people interacting which exhibit wall at Vue OrleansThis observation deck/museum/event venue located on top of the new Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans occupies what was the New Orleans World Trade Center where Canal Street and the Mississippi River meet. At ground level, an interactive experience celebrating the “confluence of cultures” in New Orleans greets visitors with multimedia stories, holograms and activations designed by Cortina Group (the company behind National Geographic Museum’s Beyond King Tut exhibit) and local experts based on the area’s history, music and people. A short, narrated elevator ride to the 33rd floor offers more perspective with a film about the struggle for equal rights in New Orleans through history, a break down of the journey the water in the mighty Mississippi takes to reach this critical point and those sweeping views in all directions. Even more breathtaking for guests who choose to go up one more floor to the rooftop, is open-air spotting of favorite spots, including Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Four Seasons is the dedicated caterer for the space and photo services are available.

Read More: Why Meetings Matter in The Big Easy.

Space Needle

View of sunset over Seattle from Space Needle LoungeThe landmark remnant of the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, Washington, was a futuristic symbol of hope when it when it was built. A renovation in 2018 endowed it with floor-to-ceiling glass to open up the views in all directions, allowing visitors to the 500-foot-tall capsule to feel that they are floating above the earth. Tilted glass benches allow visitors to lean out over the city with feet dangling for their daredevil selfie. Loupe Lounge is a glass-bottomed revolving cocktail bar. The attraction now sports LEED Gold status and new seismic steel leg supports.

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Edge

Arial view of 30 Hudson Yards with dusk scene of New York City in backgroundNew York City’s 30 Hudson Yards is home to the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. Visitors are encouraged to take their cocktail out on the lip suspended 100 stories in the sky to lean out over the angled glass walls for a better look at the skyline. The building is home to Equinox Hotel New York and daring restaurants such as Estiatorio Milos by Mediterranean-inspired Chef Costas Spiliadis. Peak restaurant, bar and event space for 300 people on the 101st floor shares the views with the addition of fine dining by Executive Chef Chris Cryer. For the more adventurous, City Climb is an open-air building ascent no one will forget.

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CN Tower

four people in orange jumpsouts tethered by straps with Toronto in background.One of the iconic team-building experiences in the world is Edgewalk in Toronto, Canada, a full-circle, hands-free trust lean 116 stories in the air. SkyPod observation platform is the highest in the western hemisphere, so lofty, visitors can feel the tower sway in the wind. 360 Restaurant is home to the world’s highest wine cellar and makes a full rotation every 72 minutes while diners choose from award-winning, sustainable entrees from local suppliers. The restaurant, three meeting rooms and Maple Leaf Cinema can be rented out with full AV support.

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