The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce recently hosted its Annual Meeting and Winter Gala at El Caribe Country Club in Brooklyn.
More than 550 people were in attendance at the event which featured numerous speakers including Hope Knight, Commissioner and CEO of the New York State Development Corporation; Ingrid Lewis Martin, Chief Advisor to the Mayor; and Margaret Anadu, Senior Partner at The Vistria Group.
Also speaking at the event was Chamber President and CEO Randy Peers. Peers presented the Chamber's annual President's Report, which included talking about the Chamber's latest project, the Brooklyn Made holiday pop-up.
The pop-up is located in Industry City, and it offers locally-made merchandise from over 45 vendors until the end of the year. Peers said that the project could potentially move to year-round in the future.
Peers also talked about the Chamber's focus for the upcoming year, as well as a variety of new projects in the works.
"We are focused on a recovery and a return to normalcy in the coming year," Peers said.
"Several factors are still impacting the success of businesses in the borough, including rent arrears, a soft labor market, supply chain issues and crime and public safety. In 2023, we are restarting the Real Estate and Development Committees, bringing back the Building Brooklyn Awards, launching the Brooklyn Entrepreneurs Academy for BIPOC businesses and leading foreign trade missions.”
Misha Migda, the President of the Ukrainian American Chamber of Commerce, made an appearance at the gala. Migda presented Peers with a special recognition for his relief efforts work in Ukraine, which included supporting small business owners in the country.
The Chamber also announced that it would be partnering with BIDs throughout the Brooklyn borough to strengthen neighborhood development. Additionally, the Chamber says it celebrated the relaunch of the Brooklyn Tourism Council and the creation of the Energy Committee.
Prior to the gala event program, the Chamber also hosted a trade expo. The expo featured a variety of different vendors, which included Fiserv/Clover, Meta/Facebook, Medrite, Brooklyn Cyclones and much more.
Elected officials also attended the Chamber event, including State Senator Andrew Gounardes; councilmembers Farah Louis, Mercedes Narcisse and Ari Kagan; assemblymembers Jo Anne Simon, Monique Chandler Waterman, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn; and others.
