Brooklyn's Progress
October/November 2005

Story By Harold Egeln

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the New Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island Chambers of Commerce, hosted a Members-only event at the Bronx Zoo’s Pepsi Pavilion on Sept. 21, bringing together over 300 hundred Members from the five chambers to network and enjoy the Bronx-style barbecue feast.  An extra treat were guided tours of the Congo and Butterfly exhibits, among the newest additions at the Bronx Zoo.

"This is my first Chamber event and it's a lot of fun," said Norman Spitzer, a new Brooklyn Chamber Member.  Mr. Spitzer is President of Envelope Express, a longtime printing business with its plant at 126 Central Avenue in Bushwick."

Lucky Prizewinners
The networking event included door prizes, adding to the fun. Brooklyn Chamber Members beat the odds to win three of the prizes during the evening’s program.  Vincent DeRogatis, Axel Protection Systems, was the winner of the Brooklyn Chamber’s gift bag with donated items from Brooklyn Academy of Music (two tickets to Next Wave Festival), Bogota Bistro ($25 gift certificate), 718 Brooklyn (two Brooklyn-centric tee shirts), Brooklyn Brewery (pre-release copy of founders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter’s book, “Beer School”), all festively presented in a Brooklyn Chamber golf bag, courtesy of Independence Community Bank, along with a case of Brooklyn Brewery lager.

Brooklyn Chamber Members Neil Levin, Webline Designs and Leigh Beckett, DevelopingStrategy, were also winners, with Mr. Beckett the lucky recipient of a round-trip ticket to any U.S. destination, courtesy of the New Bronx Chamber via American Airlines.  Neil Levin won wine from a new Hunts Point company, also courtesy of the New Bronx Chamber.

Event Sponsors
Sponsors at the event were Atlantis Health Plan along with American Airlines, Citibank, Con Edison, Health Plus, Verizon Communications and Radisson Hotel-New Rochelle.

The American Red Cross had an exhibit table at the event and collected donations to support relief efforts for survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

Now that all five chambers each have hosted a 5-Chamber event, the rotation will begin again in 2006 with the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the inaugural event in June 2003.

BAH Set for Oct. 25
The Brooklyn Chamber's next Business After Hours networking event, open to Brooklyn Chamber Members and non-members alike, will be hosted by the Brighton Beach Business Improvement District and Affinity Health Plan on Oct. 25.

To find out how to host or sponsor a Business After Hours event or door prize, please contact Keith Carr at 718-875-1000 ext. 105, or at kcarr@brooklynchamber.com.