To make the most of the meeting space at its Third Avenue headquarters, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, College Retirement Equities Fund leased the 43,000-square-foot facility to Sentry Centers and, in November, the hospitality company started offering the venue for corporate event and conference rental. Occupying three floors in a building near Grand Central Terminal, Sentry Center Midtown East has a large ballroom and eight meeting rooms on the 17th and 18th floors, a rooftop terrace, and four executive dining and function spaces on the 27th floor.
Of the various rooms, the Wharton Ballroom is the largest, with 4,000 square feet of flexible space that can accommodate as many as 400 for receptions or seat 200 for banquets. As this area is equipped with its own audiovisual production office it can also be used for presentations, large-scale video conferences, or screenings. The biggest draw for private receptions and dinners, however, is the 5,000-square-foot rooftop terrace. The open-air site can be tented and has room for 450-person receptions or 300-seat banquets.
Also suitable for groups is the executive level's main boardroom, which offers a 48-foot-long conference table that can comfortably seat 40 people. Technical gear in this room includes motorized presentation screens, embedded microphones for optimum acoustics, devices for audio and video conferencing, and electrical and Internet outlets at each chair. Other spaces on this floor are set up as dining suites, with the smallest room accommodating four guests.
The venue has on-site sound and audiovisual technicians as well as catering staff; outside caterers are permitted. There's also wireless Internet access throughout, provided via a private encrypted server for maximum security. Sentry Centers also has a partnership with Alex Hotel, a 203-room property across Third Avenue, through which it offers packages for overnight accommodations.
