[ Venue notes ]
Convene 360 Madison Avenue
A purpose-built meeting venue on three floors of a 2002 glass tower at Madison and 45th, a seven-minute walk from Grand Central. 17 spaces, up to about 950 people, renovated in 2025.
Last checked November 12, 2026; each fact shows its source and the date it was checked. Official site: convene.com/locations/new-york-city/360-madison-avenue/. XPOSRE hasn't photographed an event here yet; this page is research, not a portfolio.
[ The building ]Three floors, one staircase
Convene runs floors 4 to 6. Floors 4 and 5 mirror each other and are joined by an open staircase, so a general session upstairs and lunch downstairs feel like one event. Each floor has its own welcome desk and gallery, and floors 4 and 5 each have an 11-foot LED wall.
[ The rooms ]The rooms, drawn to one scale
Convene publishes floor areas and capacities but no room dimensions or ceiling heights. We've charted the areas and left the shapes alone.
| Room | Floor | Sq ft | Theater | Banquet | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallery, floor 4 | 4 | 5,571 | — | — | Not stated |
| Gallery, floor 5 | 5 | 4,666 | — | — | Not stated |
| Morgan Forum | 4 | 3,962 | 331 | 160 | Not stated |
| French Forum | 5 | 3,869 | 318 | 140 | Not stated |
| Helmsley Hub | 6 | 3,025 | 213 | 130 | Not stated |
| Villard Studio | 4 | 967 | 73 | — | Not stated |
| Emery Studio | 5 | 770 | 65 | — | Not stated |
| Doyle Studio | 5 | 706 | 57 | — | Not stated |
| Campaign Boardroom | 6 | 398 | — | — | Not stated |
Source: Convene one-sheet (Oct 2025), November 12, 2026. "Not stated" means the venue doesn't say.
[ Before you book it ]Abercrombie & Fitch was here
Long before it was a meeting venue, this corner was where New York went to buy a shotgun or learn to cast a fly.
- 1913Grand Central changes the neighborhood
Grand Central Terminal opens, and offices and hotels rise over the buried tracks. Within a few years, this stretch of Madison is a business district. Skyscraper Museum, The Invention of Park Avenue, November 12, 2026
- c. 1917Abercrombie & Fitch moves in
A&F's 12-story flagship opens on the northwest corner of Madison and 45th. The Museum of the City of New York holds a photograph of it from about 1917. Museum of the City of New York, November 12, 2026
- 1927A landmark next door
The Fred F. French Building rises next door on Fifth Avenue. It becomes a city landmark in 1986, and 360 Madison's massing was designed to answer it. NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, LP-1415, November 12, 2026
- 2002Two buildings, one skin
The tower is finished by joining an old steel-framed building to a new concrete tower inside one glass curtain wall. Aluminum lines on the façade trace the old building's cornices. COOKFOX Architects, November 12, 2026
- 2025The Mad Men redesign
Convene reopens floors 4 and 5 after a redesign built around 1960s Madison Avenue advertising. Convene design spotlight, November 12, 2026
[ Venue facts ]Convene 360 Madison at a glance
| Fact | Detail | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 360 Madison Avenue at East 45th Street; Convene occupies floors 4, 5 and 6 | Convene location page, November 12, 2026 |
| Capacity | 17 spaces; single-floor buyouts of 331 (floor 4), 318 (floor 5) and 213 (floor 6); about 950 for the whole venue | Convene location page, November 12, 2026 |
| Walking times (Convene's) | Grand Central 7 min, Bryant Park 7 min, Times Square 9 min, Penn Station 23 min | Convene location page, November 12, 2026 |
| Venue history | Opened in March 2020 as etc.venues; Convene bought etc.venues in 2023, added the 6th floor in 2024 and renovated and rebranded floors 4 and 5 in spring 2025 | Commercial Observer, 8 Apr 2024, November 12, 2026 |
| Design | A 2025 redesign inspired by 1960s Madison Avenue advertising: royal-blue gloss doors into the main rooms, a red-gloss ceiling "eclipse" over the 4th-floor gallery, brass dome lights | Convene design spotlight, Aug 2025, November 12, 2026 |
[ Photography and production ]What to plan for
Convene publishes its rules, which is rare. The parts that matter to a photo or video crew:
| Topic | What we found | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|
| Your own videographer | Convene's policy: no fees for client-provided videographers, and two audio feeds and two power drops at no extra cost; more than that is charged | Convene outside AV services policy (Apr 2026), November 12, 2026 |
| Outside AV companies | Convene's AV team is the default. Outside AV needs written approval and carries a surcharge that includes a Convene technician; plans, lighting and power diagrams are due 14 business days ahead | Convene outside AV services policy (Apr 2026), November 12, 2026 |
| Outside vendors, photographers included | Every outside vendor needs Convene's written approval, an indemnification agreement and proof of insurance. The client carries general liability of 1 million dollars naming Convene and the building landlord | Convene US event terms and conditions (Jul 2026), November 12, 2026 |
| Convene's own cameras | Under its terms, Convene may photograph or film events and set-ups for its own marketing, including AI uses. Confidential events should raise this when contracting | Convene US event terms and conditions (Jul 2026), November 12, 2026 |
| Day and evening | Convene's daytime portion is 8 am to 6 pm; evening events are priced separately | Convene US event terms and conditions (Jul 2026), November 12, 2026 |
| Room sizes | No ceiling heights or room dimensions are published; ask Convene for scaled plans before designing a set or a headshot station | Convene 360 Madison one-sheet and floor plans (PDF, Oct 2025), November 12, 2026 |
[ Shot list ]Frames this building gives you
Ideas for a shot list, worked out from the building's layout. They're suggestions to check on a walkthrough, not photos we've taken here.
- The staircase
The open stair between floors 4 and 5 is where a two-floor event shows its flow: people moving from session to lunch. Shoot it at the change-over, not when it's empty.
- Blue doors
Each main room opens through royal-blue gloss doors. An arrival or a session's first minute framed in them reads as this venue, not any meeting room.
- Under the red ceiling
The 4th-floor gallery has a red-gloss ceiling feature and brass dome lights over the reception area. A slightly high angle catches the crowd and the ceiling together.
- The LED wall
Floors 4 and 5 each have an 11-foot LED wall. Get the event's branding on it early and the speaker shots carry the brand without a backdrop.
[ Around the building ]What's around, for planners
Convene has no guest rooms, so every multi-day program needs a hotel block nearby. The good news: Grand Central is next door and several big hotels are within ten minutes.
Getting there
- New 45th St & Madison entrance across Madison, computed
Opened by the MTA in May 2026: elevator, escalators and stairs down to Grand Central Madison (LIRR), Metro-North and the 4, 5, 6, 7 and S. Long Island attendees now surface across the street. MTA press release, 22 May 2026, November 12, 2026
- Grand Central Terminal 7 min (Convene)
Metro-North and the 4, 5, 6, 7 and S; exit on 42nd and walk up Madison. Convene location page, November 12, 2026
- 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Ctr about 6–7 min, computed
B, D, F and M; walk east on 45th across Fifth. Convene location page, November 12, 2026
- From Penn Station 16 min (Convene)
1, 2 or 3 to Times Square, then the shuttle to Grand Central; 23 minutes on foot. Convene location page, November 12, 2026
Overflow and VIP hotels
- Lotte New York Palace about 5–6 min, computed
455 Madison Avenue at 50th, across from St. Patrick's; 909 rooms and the historic Villard Mansion rooms. Big enough for the main block. Lotte New York Palace, November 12, 2026
- Waldorf Astoria New York about 7–8 min, computed
301 Park Avenue; reopened in 2025 with 375 of Manhattan's largest rooms. Speakers and VIPs. Hilton release, 15 Jul 2025, November 12, 2026
- InterContinental New York Barclay about 7–8 min, computed
111 East 48th, open since 1926, with a Grand Ballroom, a three-minute walk from Grand Central (IHG's description). IHG, November 12, 2026
- New York Marriott Marquis 9 min (Convene's Times Square time)
Straight west on 45th; 1,971 rooms for a large block. Our Marriott Marquis venue notes, November 12, 2026
Off-site dinner or reception
- SUMMIT One Vanderbilt events about 3–4 min, computed
Private events on the 72nd floor of One Vanderbilt, catered by Daniel Boulud's team. The skyline reception. SUMMIT Events, November 12, 2026
- Cipriani 42nd Street about 8–10 min, computed
The former Bowery Savings Bank of 1921; a 12,000 sq ft hall for up to 800 seated. The conference gala. Cipriani 42nd Street, November 12, 2026
- Grand Central Oyster Bar 7 min (Convene)
Under the terminal's vaulted tiles since 1913; the main dining room takes up to 250 seated or 300 standing. Oyster Bar private dining, November 12, 2026
- Bryant Park Grill 7 min (Convene)
Behind the Public Library in Bryant Park, with a roof and a garden tent heated in winter. Bryant Park Grill, November 12, 2026
The group photo outside
- Vanderbilt Plaza about 3–4 min, computed
The car-free block of Vanderbilt Avenue between Grand Central and One Vanderbilt. The easiest outdoor shot nearby. Permit: A city DOT plaza, so the MOME rule applies: a handheld camera or a camera on a tripod needs no city film permit, as long as you don't take exclusive use of the space. Keep it quick and rope nothing off. (MOME) MOME, November 12, 2026
- Grand Central's Main Concourse 7 min (Convene)
The famous backdrop, indoors. Permit: Commercial photography needs an MTA permit even with one handheld camera; the short-form permit carries a non-refundable filing fee (450 dollars when we checked) and takes about 10 days. (MTA) MTA filming and photography, November 12, 2026
- Bryant Park 7 min (Convene)
Lawn, terraces and the library's back terrace. Permit: "A Bryant Park permit is required for shooting throughout the park," stairs and surrounding sidewalks included, and most shoots pay a site fee. The library steps and lions also need the library's permission. (Bryant Park) Bryant Park Corporation, November 12, 2026
Local knowledge: Booking a September program here? Check the UN General Assembly dates first. NYC DOT declares Gridlock Alert Days for UN week and warns of extensive street closures across Manhattan; plan on attendees arriving by subway or rail. NYC DOT, 10 Sep 2026, November 12, 2026
Distances are walking estimates. Where the venue publishes its own times we use them; otherwise we count Manhattan blocks from the addresses. Places listed are suggestions, not partners; nothing here is paid placement. Permit rules change and depend on what you plan to do: confirm with the property or agency before scheduling a shoot.
[ Official plans ]Floor plans from the source
The venue's own drawings are the ones to plan from. We link to them rather than copy them:
- Convene 360 Madison one-sheet with floor plans and capacities (PDF, Oct 2025) (checked November 12, 2026)
- Convene outside AV services policy (checked November 12, 2026)
[ Related ]Planning an event here
More on events in New York City. Other venue notes: Javits Center · Marriott Marquis · Hilton Midtown · Sheraton Times Square · Pier Sixty. Services: Conference Photography · Corporate Event Photography · Trade Show & Exhibit Photography · Conference & Corporate Headshots · Onsite Photo Printing · Event Videography.
Tell us about your event
The date, venue and hours are enough to start. We reply with a quote and any questions we have.
Request a quote