New Venue for Kinus Hashluchim Gala Banquet
After an extensive search for a suitable location for the Gala Banquet of Kinus HaShluchim 5774, the organizers of the Kinus unveil their choice. The Banquet, one of the largest events of its kind in New York City, is a celebration of the worldwide Shluchim and the Chabad Lubavitch movement.
In 2010, Pier 12 Brooklyn Cruise Terminal was a good fit to house the Banquet. Large enough to host the thousands of Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim and supporters and an easy drive from Crown Heights. As the ranks of Shluchim and their guests grow steadily, an even bigger venue was sought for this year.
The Vaad Hakinus announces that this year’s Banquet will take place at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. The 110,000 square foot warehouse adjacent to Crown Heights to be transformed into a magnificent banquet hall for the grand Gala Banquet.
Hurricane Sandy hit the New York metro area just days before last year’s Kinus was to begin. The widespread flooding and power outages quickly rendered Pier 12 unusable. The Kinus team worked around the clock to secure a spot for the Banquet in beleaguered New York City. The New York Hilton was ultimately chosen. Over 5000 Shluchim, lay-leaders, and supporters packed into four different event rooms, majority of the participants watching the proceedings via simultaneous broadcast. This year, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal is spacious and will accommodate everyone under one roof, a key element in the camaraderie and energy of the highly anticipated culmination to the Kinus HaShluchim.
Rabbi Mendel Kotlarsky, a key Kinus coordinator, explains that this new location will not only be larger it also has better accessibility. The entrance to Pier 12 and the hall were some distance away, causing a longer transition as the crowd arrived and went through the required security checkpoints and registration. Now, the banquet hall will be just beyond the entrance, so that the 5,000+ expected guests can enjoy a nearly seamless onset to the evening. Additionally, there will be ample parking spaces for those who choose to arrive by car.
The Gala Banquet will be held on Sunday, November 3, 2013.
Kinus registration opens today.
