Signature Events
The Manhattan Chamber is a top convener of New York City's business community. Our programs are attended by leaders from a broad and diverse representation of the businesses, industries, and people driving our economy. We design our events to cover the most relevant topics facing New York and to allow our members to make important and lasting connections for their organizations and their own professional development.
To learn more about specific events or explore sponsorship opportunities, please contact our events team.
Annual Membership Meeting + Holiday Reception
Each December, the Chamber’s annual meeting brings together a large cross-section of Chamber members and non-members -- business leaders, government officials, and community stakeholders -- at one of our biggest networking events of the year. It offers a preview into the Chamber's happenings for the year ahead and features remarks from high-level public officials. Past speakers include Governor Kathy Hochul, Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and former Mayor Bill de Blasio, just to name a few. At the event, the Chamber also confers its distinguished “Chairman’s Award.” Recent honorees include actor/entertainer Nick Cannon, former Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, and local thought leaders Dan Doctoroff and Richard Buery.
Chairman's Breakfasts
These high-level events feature conversations with prominent policymakers, business leaders and iconic New Yorkers. They are hosted by Board Chairman Don Winter and Immediate Past Board Chairman Michael Kempner. Recent speakers have included: former New York Times Chairman and Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., US Congress Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former NY Giants legend Tiki Barber, former NBA star Dwyane Wade, former US Attorney General Eric Holder, National Urban League CEO Marc Morial, former US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and former Senior White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett. These events are only open to Chairman's Circle members and their guests.
"Best in the Business" Awards Gala
These coveted awards highlight the “above and beyond” achievements of businesses and executives with a significant presence in New York City, the Business Capital of the World, underscoring their dominant position in today’s global marketplace.
Award categories include:
- New Yorker of the Year
- Development Project of the Year
- Company to Watch
- Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility
- Small Business, Large Impact
This annual gala brings together New York City's most influential business and civic leaders to celebrate the contributions and milestones of the honorees. Learn more here.
Supplier Diversity Expo + Conference
The event is targeted to diverse suppliers (i.e., disabled, minority-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned, and LGBT-owned businesses) and buying decision-makers from government agencies, businesses (primarily Fortune 500 companies, major corporations & prime vendors) and nonprofit organizations.
The goals of this half-day event are two-fold:
- To provide meaningful knowledge to diverse businesses about business resources, upcoming procurement opportunities and best practices for securing contracts.
- To connect diverse suppliers with buyers from both the public and private sectors who are looking for firms that can assist them with meeting their supplier diversity goals.
"Shop Small Biz" Street Fairs
The Chamber runs two of the oldest and longest street fairs in New York City. Both of the fairs run for 20 blocks on the Upper East Side from 66th Street to 86th Street. These events provide a platform to help local businesses sell their products and promote their services. Large companies may "buy a block" to host an activation or donate booths to small businesses. Proceeds from the fairs support the work of our Fund which provides emergency grants to small businesses in need.
Business Summits
From time to time, the Chamber convenes major summits that focus on topics of concern to the broad business community. The program is always solutions-oriented, exploring challenges and identifying opportunities.
In May 2022, a Chamber summit on "The State of NYC Business" explored our local economic landscape to identify why some businesses thrived during the pandemic as others took a major hit or closed entirely.
In January 2023, the Chamber hosted an "Anti-Crime Summit,"
In February 2024, the Chamber hosted a summit entitled "The Future of NYC's Storefronts,"