Venue Manager

BLLA conference heads to Convene venue. The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) will hold its 2026 Boutique Hotel Investment Conference on June 3 at 237 Park in Midtown Manhattan, marking a new partnership with Convene Hospitality Group and the 14th year of the event. Founded in 2013, the conference has served as a gathering point for owners, investors, developers and operators in the boutique hotel sector. BLLA said the collaboration with Convene reflects a broader shift as hospitality principles extend into commercial real estate and other non-traditional environments. "We have watched this sector go from underestimated to undeniable," said Frances Kiradjian, founder/CEO, BLLA. "The investors, the developers and the capital that once looked past independent hotels are now chasing them. Convene represents the next frontier of that story - hospitality thinking applied beyond the hotel walls, and we could not be more excited to tell it together on June 3rd." The one-day conference will take place at Convene's 30,000-sq.-ft. venue, which includes seven meeting rooms, in-house culinary programming and technology infrastructure for main-stage sessions and breakout discussions. Programming will focus on both financial and cultural forces shaping boutique hospitality, including evolving financing structures, sustainable growth models and changing guest expectations. Sessions will also explore experience-driven trends such as listening bar culture and sauna culture. "The most interesting deals we have seen come out of this conference were never just hotel deals," said Ariela Kiradjian, partner/COO, BLLA. "They started as a conversation between two people who had never been in the same room before. That is what we are building toward - a conference where the boundaries between hospitality, capital, real estate, and experience start to disappear." BLLA said the selection of Convene as host venue aligns with the company's focus on integrating hospitality-driven design and service into office buildings, mixed-use developments and event spaces. "Hospitality is a fundamental driver of value in commercial real estate today," said Ryan Simonetti, CEO/co-founder, Convene Hospitality Group. "We're seeing the boutique mindset traditionally reserved for hotels successfully migrate into non-traditional venues like office towers, mixed-use developments and special event venues. At CHG, we're leaning into that shift, and there's a lot we can learn from one another. I look forward to discussing how we can collectively explore new industry territory with the visionaries at BLLA." An evening event will follow the conference at NeueHouse Madison Square, part of Convene Hospitality Group's portfolio, with additional programming extending the day's discussions.

U.S. Coworking operator Convene acquires bankrupt coworking club NeueHouse brand. by Coworking Europe | Jan 6, 2026 | Business, General The US based coworking and event spaces operator Convene has acquired the private coworking and membership brand NeueHouse following bankruptcy proceedings. The transaction includes the brand's intellectual property and the ongoing operations of the NeueHouse Madison Square location in New York City. The acquisition was completed through a court-approved Asset Purchase Agreement after NeueHouse filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in September 2025. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. There are no current plans to reopen NeueHouse's former locations in Los Angeles. NeueHouse was founded in 2011. The company positioned itself as a private coworking and membership club catering primarily to professionals in creative industries such as film, fashion, design, publishing, and the arts. Membership was invitation-only, with annual fees reaching $ 3,000, depending on access level. The company opened its first workspace in New York City in 2013, located near Madison Square. The eight-story building included event spaces, an 80-seat screening room, a podcast studio, membership lounges, private office suites, and a members-only restaurant and bar. NeueHouse later expanded to Los Angeles, opening locations in Hollywood, the Bradbury Building in Downtown Los Angeles, and Venice Beach. The company raised US$25 million in venture funding in 2015 and an additional US$30 million in 2018, accompanied by a leadership change. Despite hosting cultural events, film premieres, and private gatherings, NeueHouse struggled financially. By March 2025, NeueHouse's total debt had ballooned to $83.7 million, according to internal financial documents. At this point, the company was teetering with heavy "legacy" debts and unpaid rents. Former executives cited high lease costs, unsuccessful restaurant operations, and expansion-related spending as contributing factors. In early September 2025, the company announced it would cease operations due to what it described as "legacy liabilities." Convene Hospitality Group is a global hospitality and workspace operator that designs and manages premium meeting venues, event spaces, and flexible offices. Its portfolio includes large-scale event venues, conference facilities, private office suites, and communal workspaces, with locations serving corporate, institutional, and professional clients. CHG has been operating the NeueHouse Madison Square location for several months prior to the acquisition. According to CHG CEO Ryan Simonetti, the company intends to continue operating the New York site and maintain the brand's community-oriented positioning. The acquisition allows CHG to integrate NeueHouse into its broader hospitality and flexible workspace platform. "We've long been fans of the NeueHouse brand and wanted to preserve and nurture the incredible community it has cultivated," says Ryan Simonetti.