Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York is one of the bigger cities in the state. It is well known for its commerce and sports center. The Blue Cross Arena is built on a very historic piece of land. In 1880 the land was used for a tobacco factory. By 1924 the land had been sold to George Eastman, who began designing plans for an 8,000 seat auditorium and opera hall. However, the plans never came to fruition, as the tobacco factory was still not demolished by 1945 when plans were being founded for a Civic Center Arena. In 1951 the factory was finally removed and in its place a war memorial was constructed. It took until 1996 for ground breaking to occur for an arena. By 1998 the arena was mostly constructed and Blue Cross announced the name. The war memorial is still in place, but now there is the event center around it. SMG World was the developer of the project and they have a significant part in keeping the center open.

At the Blue Cross Arena there are suites available for businesses and other groups. The suites are capable of holding 20 people and it is necessary to buy at least 12 tickets to use the suite. The rental costs of the suites vary depending on the availability and event. There is a party suite onsite for concerts and family shows. The party suite can handle a max of 40 people.

The arena is set up to allow for meeting and banquets. The Lower Atrium can handle 120 seated guests or 465 standing guests. Room rental is $400 a day and $500 after 5pm. The Riverside Arena Club overlooks the Genesee River. The room can accommodate 220 seated guests or 352 standing guests. The room can also be divided into two rooms. The LeCesse Room, Rochester Room, and Memorial Room are all able to hold up to 150 seated guests or 358 standing guests. The rooms can also be made into smaller meeting spaces. For parking there are 1,200 spaces in a two mile radius. The Blue Cross Arena is ten minutes from the Rochester International Airport.

Events which have been hosted at the arena include Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, and Jamie Foxx. Bausch and Lomb, General Railway signal, and Rochester Products have all used the center. Bruce Springsteen, Lil Wayne, and Hannah Montana were other events held at the Blue Cross location. For sports the arena is mostly filled with hockey events. The Buffalo Sabres defended the Stanley Cup at the arena. Also in 2007 the NCAA Men's Division Ice Hockey East Regional was held at the Blue Cross Arena. NHL games are also quite popular.

While there are concessions onsite at the arena, around the area are several restaurants. For example Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Lorraine's Food Factory, and Nathaniel's Pub are close by. Any person or group needing accommodations can find the Radisson Hotel, Rochester Plaza, Hyatt Regency, or Marriott will be in the vicinity of the Blue Cross Arena.