Get to Know Rochester, NY - our 2026 Conference Host City!
by Alex Suchman and Trent Hergenrader
Hopefully you are already excited about the theme for this year’s NASAGA conference, “Sustaining Human Connection through Play in the Digital Age.” Now it’s time to start getting excited about the location!
The first things that come to mind when many hear Rochester, New York are usually:
that it was, and still is, the hometown of Kodak.
that University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology are nationally renowned schools.
that the winters are long, gray, and brutal.
All of these are true. But wait, there’s more!
What most people don’t know is that Rochester has an abundance of creativity, innovation, arts, and play, especially for a city of its size.
All of this will be on full display at October’s NASAGA conference, and is why we decided to host the conference at a hotel in downtown Rochester. We’ll be a short walk away from the Neighborhood of Play, home to the National Museum of Play and multiple game cafes and lounges.
If you are arriving by air or train, there's no need to rent a car. The hotel is a 10-minute cab ride from the airport (4 from the train station), and there is so much to do in the immediate vicinity. Within a 15 minute walk from the Hyatt Regency you can explore the Neighborhood of the Arts, with the Memorial Art Gallery, dozens of artist studios, boutique shops, the George Eastman House, and dozens of excellent restaurants.
Another thing that makes Rochester special are the more than a dozen universities within a 50 mile radius of Rochester, and more than double that within 100 miles, which means the city is bustling with new ideas, energy, and a robust pool of talent. The Park Avenue neighborhood has diverse restaurants and shops, and the intersection of East Ave and Alexander is the hub for weekend nightlife with many popular bars and clubs. Thanks to the Eastman School of Music, the music school for the University of Rochester, the downtown area has a musical vibe, with live music available at a variety of bars and venues every night of the week.
Other points of interest include the beautiful Mount Hope Cemetery, which is the last resting place of abolitionist Fredrick Douglass and women’s suffragist Susan B. Anthony, and Susan B. Anthony Museum and House, which is a starting point for the Heritage Trail, a self-guided walking tour that describes key points in the city’s history.
Come for NASAGA, stay to explore the charms of Rochester. We can’t wait to see you in October.