Industry City: Brooklyn’s Creative Powerhouse

Set across a sprawling waterfront campus in Sunset Park, this former industrial complex has been reimagined into one of New York’s most dynamic hubs for creativity, business, and events.

For planners navigating the demands of modern MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), Industry City represents something increasingly valuable: scale without sterility, flexibility without compromise, and experiences that feel genuinely immersive.

Industry City for MICE events

Unlike traditional venues confined to a ballroom or single building, Industry City is a 35-acre campus spanning multiple warehouses and courtyards.

Originally built in the early 20th century as a shipping and manufacturing hub, the complex has been transformed into a multi-use destination housing offices, creative studios, retail, dining, and event spaces.

The sheer scale of this venue is what sets it apart.

Instead of designing an event within four walls, planners can build experiences across:

  • multiple buildings
  • open-air courtyards
  • private streets
  • industrial loft-style interiors

Industry City’s portfolio of event spaces

Industry City offers a wide range of event environments, from polished indoor venues to raw industrial spaces and outdoor settings.

Key spaces include:

  • The Factory Floor-style halls
  • The Box Factory
  • Camp David (a conference and coworking hub)
  • The Gallery
  • Open courtyards and seasonal activations like ice rinks and band shells

With individual spaces reaching up to 20,000 square feet, the campus can accommodate everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale productions.

Industry City can support multiple event formats simultaneously, allowing for plenary sessions, breakouts, and networking zones. The spaces are adaptable for exhibitions, product showcases, and experiential builds

For conferences in particular, the ability to spread across zones creates a far more engaging attendee journey than traditional setups.

Experience-led events

The global MICE industry is shifting toward immersive, experience-driven formats, with a focus on engagement, flexibility, and ROI.

Industry City aligns perfectly with this shift.

Rather than imposing a rigid structure, the venue encourages planners to create the following:

  • branded environments
  • interactive installations
  • multi-sensory experiences
  • fluid networking moments

Its industrial aesthetic, exposed brick, high ceilings, and raw materials, acts as a blank canvas for storytelling. This makes the venue feel like ‘corporate’ and more of a creative environment.

A ready-made ecosystem of food, culture, and creativity

One of Industry City’s most compelling advantages is that it’s not just an event venue – it’s a living ecosystem.

The campus is home to:

  • over 650 businesses across creative, tech, and manufacturing industries
  • artisan workshops and maker spaces
  • a growing food and beverage scene, including large-scale culinary operations
  • retail, galleries, and cultural programming

This is a powerful space for MICE events as they offer built-in experiences without needing external vendors. What’s available is authentic local engagement for international attendees and creative opportunities for team-building, tours, and workshops.

For incentive programs or offsites, this creates a sense of discovery. Guests can explore, interact, and engage beyond the core agenda.

Indoor–outdoor flexibility

Outdoor space is one of the most sought-after features in post-2020 event design – and Industry City delivers it in abundance.

Its courtyards and open-air zones allow for large receptions and networking events; food festivals and market-style activations; as well as wellness sessions and team-building activities.

Outdoor space is priceless for NYC MICE events, providing enhanced attendee wellbeing and comfort; a relaxed, informal environment; and being able to support hybrid indoor-outdoor programming.

Few venues in New York offer this level of outdoor integration at scale.

Ideal for multi-day incentive events

Industry City truly excels when used for complex, multi-layered programs, including:

1. Conferences & Summits

2. Trade Shows & Exhibitions

3. Incentive Programs

4. Brand Activations & Product Launches

5. Company Offsites & Festivals

Planners can create campus-wide takeovers, transforming the entire space into a branded environment.

Close to Manhattan

Located in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, Industry City offers:

  • easy subway access to Manhattan
  • proximity to major transport links
  • a waterfront setting with skyline views

But more importantly, it offers something Manhattan often cannot: space and freedom.

The location of this venue means there’s fewer restrictions on production and design, more competitive pricing per square foot, and the ability to scale events without compromise.

For planners trying to work events outside of the limitations of traditional venues, this is a game-changer.

Modern work culture

Today’s companies are more diverse, creative, and experience-focused than ever before.

Industry City is home to startups, global brands, makers, and innovators, all operating within a single campus.

This creates an environment that feels collaborative, forward-thinking, and culturally relevant.

Industry City for MICE events

Like any large, flexible venue, Industry City comes with considerations. What’s important is:

  • It’s a “blank canvas”: requiring production, design, and coordination
  • Navigation: the size of the campus means clear wayfinding is essential
  • Logistics: multi-space events require strong planning and staffing

However, for experienced planners or agencies, these are opportunities and not limitations.

For MICE planners looking to move beyond the conventional, Industry City represents the future – because in 2026, the most successful events don’t just happen in a space.

They take over it.

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The above information is for general guidance.

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