For a city with an area just shy of 24 square miles, New York not only packs in millions of residents (about 8 million, in fact) but also thousands of unforgettable venues and activities for group events. We spoke with Vince Steffan, president of The Steffan Group, a New York destination management and special events company, about some ideas that top his list.

1. Go backstage before the Broadway smash The Lion King and see how the makeup artists transform members of the cast. Or, have a cast party with dessert after the show with actors from shows such as Hairspray, Spamalot, The Producers, and The Drowsy Chaperone.

2. Forget The Food Network — go inside the kitchen of one of New York's celebrity chefs. See her cook, share a meal … and some recipes.

3. Ring the bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. If your company is listed on the NYSE, a top executive of your group can ring the bell (actually, it's a button) while a small group looks on, and then up to 30 people can tour a historic underground bank vault and have a power breakfast nearby like other Wall Street titans. The bell ringer gets bull and bear cufflinks, while the rest of the group gets a commemorative plaque.

4. Have a private party at Belvedere Castle in Central Park. The second-highest elevation in the park provides views of the park and the city. The castle's tower is truly a belvedere — an architectural term for lookouts and observatories. Visitors can look down at the Delacorte Theater where Shakespeare productions play in the summer. Below, with a boulder-strewn shoreline, is Turtle Pond.

5. Take the group to the designer showrooms of Calvin Klein, Mary McFaddan, or Carolina Herrera for a little personalized shopping.

6. Have high tea at Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official home.

7. Breakfast with author Frank McCourt of Angela's Ashes fame (or another celebrity New York author).

8. Take your group “golfing” at Chelsea Piers, a five-level driving range. Pros teach all day, and after a tough day on the “links,” the Chelsea Brewing Co. — with indoor and outdoor seating — is just a putt away.

9. Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center is spectacular — the geographic dead center of Manhattan on the 70th floor. Dinner can be arranged here or at any of the restaurants in Rockefeller Center after a cocktail party there.

10. Have a pastrami on rye at the oldest deli in New York. Located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Katz's, which opened in 1888, is known for its corned beef, brisket, and hot dogs. Who could forget Meg Ryan in her famous scene here in When Harry Met Sally.

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