From Panels to Pizza Slices, Your Insider Guide to NYC for Advertising Week

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Advertising Week is back in New York next week, bringing together marketers, brands, agencies, and tech platforms from around the world. The official programming will be packed with panels, workshops, and networking events – but let’s be real, half the fun is what happens outside the main stage.

If you’re heading to the city for Advertising Week, you’ll want to make the most of it. Between the sessions, happy hours, and meetups, there’s plenty to do. And because Alison.ai is all about helping marketers get smarter, faster, and more creative, we thought we’d put together a quick guide to help you make the most of your time in New York.

Start with the classics: Times Square & Broadway

Since Advertising Week takes over Midtown, you’ll likely find yourself near Times Square. Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, it’s chaotic. But for anyone in advertising, standing in the middle of the world’s most iconic media hub is a reminder of why we do what we do. The screens are bigger, the messages bolder, and the creativity impossible to ignore.

If you’ve got a free evening, catch a Broadway show. Or, if tickets are hard to come by, head to Stardust Diner, where the waitstaff doubles as Broadway hopefuls and belts out show tunes while you eat. Dinner and a performance in one – no Playbill required.

Coffee meetings that actually feel New York

If you’re setting up a breakfast meeting, make it count with spots that have real character:

• Birch Coffee: Known for its strong brews and cozy library-like vibe upstairs, it’s perfect if you want a spot to talk strategy over cappuccinos.
  
• Capital One Café: Yes, it’s technically a bank, but the café space is modern, spacious, and surprisingly ideal for quick meetups with access to free wi-fi, lots of outlets, and workspaces. Cardholders even get 50% off handcrafted beverages.
  
• Drama Book Shop: Owned in part by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this shop has a small café tucked inside. It’s a hidden gem where you can sip coffee while browsing scripts and theatre books – perfect if you want your meeting to feel uniquely New York and get your creative juices flowing.
  

These spots give you the caffeine you need and an atmosphere that encourages productive conversation.

And for a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, head to Levain Bakery. Their cookies are legendary – NY Magazine calls them “as much a New York culinary icon as a Katz’s hot dog or Di Fara slice.” Our favorite? The dark chocolate chocolate chip. Trust us: it’s worth the wait in line.

Take your networking beyond the panels

The best connections happen outside official sessions. Check out brand-hosted luncheons like Brave Brands or Nielsen’s roundtable, happy hours like Meta and Viral Nation’s The Social Sip, and VIP dinners like Amazon Ads’ Business Accelerator. You can also join some of this year’s more unique events – raise the stakes at AdTech Poker Night or go for a run! We’re sure you can also find a rooftop event or an afterparty (or two).

Pro tip: Don’t try to go to everything. Pick a few events that feel right for your goals and give yourself space to actually connect.

Food worth planning for

New York City is a food hub, and Advertising Week can be so much more than conference food. A few spots we’d personally recommend:

• Una Pizza Napoletana: This is the holy grail of pizza. Make a reservation if you can, or line up by 4:30pm and hope for the best. They only make enough pies for the reservations plus what they allot for walk-ins, and it’s strictly one pizza per person. Worth it.
  
• Katz’s Deli: Famous for a reason. Pastrami on rye, piled high.
  
• Joe’s Pizza: The perfect New York slice, especially late at night.
  
• Eataly Flatiron: A one-stop shop for Italian everything, from pasta to gelato.
  

And don’t forget the bagels. New York bagels aren’t optional.

Inspiration outside the conference

Sometimes the best way to recharge your creative brain is to step away from advertising altogether. A few ideas:

• The Whitney Museum for bold, modern art that can spark unexpected ideas.
  
• The High Line for a walk with views, greenery, and plenty of people-watching.
  
• Chelsea Market for a quick bite and some of the city’s best food stalls.
  
• Comedy Cellar for a night of laughs, sometimes with surprise drop-ins from the biggest names in comedy.
  

And if you want fresh air:

• Battery Park is a calm, scenic escape on the southern tip of Manhattan.
  
• The Staten Island Ferry is completely free and offers some of the best views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline. No tickets, no crowds. Just hop on!
  

Recharge before the next big session

Advertising Week can be a marathon. To keep your energy up, carve out time to recharge. Central Park is a quick subway ride (or even a long walk) from Midtown and perfect for a breather. Or if you’re feeling ambitious, take an early morning run across the Brooklyn Bridge – you’ll get both exercise and a postcard-worthy view.

At Alison.ai, we know weeks like this are about more than listening to panels. It’s about finding fresh ways to think about the work we put into the world, whether you’re soaking in inspiration from a Broadway ballad at Stardust Diner or sparking a new idea over cocktails at a rooftop bar with new connections.

Final word: Pace yourself (and have fun)

Advertising Week in New York can be a whirlwind. There’s no way to see and do it all, and that’s the beauty of it. Go to the sessions that excite you, make time for the dinners and drinks that lead to real conversations, and leave space for the serendipity that New York always delivers.

So pack your schedule, but leave some room to get lost in the city. After all, the best ideas often come from taking in the world around you – and there’s no better place for that than New York.