If I were to attend an industry conference in New York and my employer is Florida based. Do I pay state taxes in New York ? Do they consider a industry conference a taxable event since it is a business trip in New York ?

If you are in the state of New York for only a short time (up to a month), no state taxes would be due. Time spent in another state in excess of a month usually requires that some state tax in the visited state may be due.