Giving Thanks: MCC Ambassadors and Volunteers

One of the key components to MCC being a successful organization is our many volunteers. Although our members are busy business owners and professionals, they find the time to originate events, help with marketing and outreach and spread the word about MCC.

MCC is proud to host an Ambassador Program. Led by MCC Board Member Gil Effron, he leads a group of committed MCC volunteers who attend MCC functions, act as a representative of MCC and help us drive membership to the organization. They also meet with MCC staff quarterly to give feedback and strategize. Co-Chair of the Ambassador Program is Kimberly Page of Kimpton Hotels. Kimberly not only hosts MCC Member Appreciation Breakfasts, she came out to the floor of the NY Business Xpo at the Javits Center last week and helped us sign up new members! We thank all of our MCC Ambassadors:

MCC Ambassadors
Gil Effron, Group Coordinator
Strategies for Growth
Kimberly Page, Co-Chair
Kimpton Hotels
Julie Anderson
Market America
Katherine Belinky
Office Depot
Bill Bergman
Office Depot
Gary Blumenfeld
Smith Barney
Arlene Ciccone
Pinnacle Promotions
Amanda Edmonds
Singular Management Solutions
Ramon Gil
Fresh Concentrate LLC
Jay Hollander, ESQ
Hollander and Company LLC
Tamika Humphreys
Fiesta Auto Insurance
Bruce Hurwitz
Hurwitz Strategic Staffing, Ltd.
Holly Lundberg
Lundberg Financial Consulting
Louise Shohet
BSC Travel Affiliate Altour International

In addition, we have many MCC volunteers who chair committees, lead business referral groups and help MCC on many levels. MCC tech committee co-chairs Melanie Gass and Robert Patterson not only lead a committee, they lead MCC's successful Business Referral Group Program. As tech committee co-chairs they have organized a fun holiday event at Microsoft. Please join us for the holidays and see an Xbox demonstration at Microsoft. Here's the info:

Holiday Networking and Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinetic Demo

Tuesday, December 6, 2011
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Microsoft
1290 Avenue of Americas
New York, NY

Join us for a night of networking and fun interacting with Xbox!

Xbox 360 Kinect from Microsoft debuted last year as the hottest selling gadget in tech history and won a Guinness World record! What was once just for games is a whole new way of life with the latest updates from Xbox in honor of its 10^th anniversary. Join us for a night of networking and fun playing with Xbox!

You’ll see a demo of Xbox 360, but more importantly, bring your elevator pitch and business cards! You’ll could get a chance to tell everyone about your business when you test out Xbox.

Light appetizers and wine will be served. And an Xbox will be raffled to one lucky winner!

Click here to register!

We thank all of our MCC volunteers this holiday season!

NYC is the New Center For Tech!

As many have you been reading, NYC has been making efforts to establish NYC as a center for tech. We have surpassed Boston and are second only to Silicon Valley in tech opportunities. Recently, NYC has been reviewing proposals from universities for the establishment of a new tech campus.

Please read the following letter from NYC Council Member Jessica S. Lappin who talks about her efforts to establish the campus on Roosevelt Island (which is part of Manhattan!)

I want Roosevelt Island to become Silicon Island. So I’ve launched a new media campaign to help make that happen. And I need your help.

As you may know, Mayor Mike Bloomberg has solicited bids to build an engineering and applied sciences campus in New York City. The city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is currently reviewing seven offers. But only two of the applicants, Cornell and Stanford Universities, want to build this campus on Roosevelt Island.

The Island is accessible by train and tram, has housing, world-class parks, and other great amenities. It’s the perfect fit for any world-class university and a logical place to put this project.

Join my Facebook, Twitter and Email campaign to tell the EDC what you think – and to urge them to select a bidder that will build on the Island.  Here's how:

Facebook:    Visit http://www.facebook.com/AppSciNYC and write “Pick RI” on wall

Twitter:         Tweet @AppSciNyc and include the hastag #PickRI
Email:           To appliedsciencesrfp@nycedc.com  or AppSciNYC@nycedc.com and
                       include “Pick RI” in subject line
***NOTE (The appliedsciencesrfp@nycedc.com email address is having some technical issues at the moment, which should be resolved soon)
 

MCC Helps Member to be Profiled in the Wall Street Journal!

MCC would like to congratulate our friends at Quadlogic Controls for their recent article in the Wall Street Journal! We are pleased to help our members receive press coverage. Here's what they wrote to us:

Comment: I just want to say, THANK YOU, to the Chamber. If we had not received the notification of the Wall Street Journal, “Small Company, Big Innovation” competition, from the Chamber, we would never have know to enter. Today, because of that notification, Quadlogic, http://www.quadlogic.com/, was selected as the number one story. We are featured on the second section of the WSJ, in a full page article. Thank you again for your support of NYC small business. Here is a link to the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577013501641346794.html

Sincerely,

Phil Fram
VP Sales and Marketing
Quadlogic Controls

So how did we help Phil's company? We often hear from reporters who are looking to do stories on local businesses. When this happens we send out a "Press Opportunity" e-mail to our members with the requirements for the reporter's story. Our members then go on to answer the e-mail and submit their story to the reporter. By sending out these opportunities we have helped many of our members appear in local publications and receive valuable publicity for their company.

Phil went on to tell us: "Our web traffic quadrupled, on Monday and we received our first lead, directly attributable to the article, at 10:00 AM on Monday. WSJ has an incredible reach."

MCC works tirelessly to bring these opportunities to our members. If you are not a member join us today so we can help you and your business!

MCC Event at Google

MCC headed down to Chelsea this week to learn about how to use Google for small businesses. We learned about the importance of making the most of your online presence and how absolutely critical to business success. They covered small business topics ranging from Google AdWords, Places, Analytics and Apps.

Here is a list of the great speakers we heard:

1. This is the year of the small business - Savio Barretto, Product Marketing Manager, Small Business Marketing
2. Running your business online - Alex Abelin, Community Affairs Manager
3. Why you should care about Google Places and AdWords Express - Brynne Zuccaro, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Small Business Marketing
4. Grow your business with mobile - Nabil Haschemie, Product Marketing Manager
5. Simple ways to drive even more results - Tali Saar, Product Marketing Manager, Small Business Marketing
6. Digital Revolution - Jonathan Perelman

The speakers presented simple tools to a capacity crowd (125+ people!) that all businesses can use to market their products and reach their intended audience. After the event I updated MCC on Google places. I also use the analytic tools to view our stats on this Blog. Next up -- adding our info on Google+.

We'd love to hear from our readers if anyone attended and if you are using the tools above. Keep an eye out for more events at Google in the coming months!

New MCC Partners: Microsoft and HealthPass

MCC is pleased to announce two new partners for the coming year.







Microsoft has joined MCC as a silver partner.

About Microsoft: Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft serves millions of small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S., helping them start, grow and thrive by leveraging today’s powerful and affordable technologies. At the pillar of these technologies lies cloud computing, in which Microsoft has more than 15 years of experience and understands how to meet the demands of SMBs for simplicity and impact, with enterprise-grade capabilities, flexibility and affordability in a familiar environment. For more information on Microsoft technologies for small and mid-sized businesses, visit http://www.microsoft.com/business.






HealthPass has joined MCC as a Bronze Partner.

About HealthPass: HealthPass New York is an independent, not-for-profit, commercial health insurance exchange offering small businesses and sole proprietors in the New York metropolitan area quality, affordable, and flexible health care coverage. Since 1999, the HealthPass choice model has empowered employees to choose comprehensive health care coverage that fits their unique medical needs and budget. Employees can choose different benefit options from four leading carriers including four dental plans, and a bundled security product. HealthPass serves small businesses in 14 downstate New York counties - the five boroughs of New York City as well as Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Putnam, Ulster and Sullivan. http://www.healthpass.com/


MCC thanks Microsoft and HealthPass for supporting MCC and the NYC business community!

Celebration of NYC Success Stories

Today Con Edison hosted our Annual Business Awards Breakfast and was an amazing group of business leaders, innovators and creative thinkers that make NYC, we feel, the best place in the world to live. We were welcomed by John Miksad of Con Edison and MCC Interim Chairman Ronald I. Paltrowitz and the ceremony was emceed by Joe Kirk, EVP of Wells Fargo, presenting sponsor of the event.

City Council Speaker Chris Quinn joined us to present today. She introduced Small Business of the Year Heidelberg Restaurant and Schaller & Weber. She also introduced Mid-Sized Business of the Year, Anchin, Block & Anchin, LLP and Large Business Gilt Groupe.

Next up was Jill Kaplan, Publisher of Crain's New York (and MCC Board Member) who introduced Signature Fencing & Flooring for Global Business of the Year and Foursquare for Young Professionals.

We then had our "surprise" presenter: Steve Roth, who presented wife Daryl Roth and son Jordan Roth with Cultural Achievement of the Year. Here's a quick summary of their achievements: Daryl Roth (producer of plays such as August: Osage County, David Auburn’s Proof; Margaret Edson’s Wit and Jordan Roth (Current productions include The Book of Mormon, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Jersey Boys, Lysistrata Jones and On A Clear Day You Can See Forever).

Friend of the Chamber Tim Zagat presented Restaurateur of the Year to Fourth Wall Restaurants and Retailer of the year to Crumbs Bakery (who now have 14 stores in NYC and 80 nation-wide).

Con Edison presented Green Business of the Year to Alberto Gonzalez of GustOrganics, a 100% certified organic restaurant. Alberto brings a singular passion to the world of sustainability as well as an international sensibility to create a unique dining experience.

2010 MCC New Yorker of the Year Joan Hamburg returned this year to present the 2011 New Yorker of the Year award to Jonathan Tisch. Mr. Tisch stressed the importance of tourism and the hospitality industry to NYC as well as giving back to the community.

We were pleased at the end of the program to raffle off prizes from Southwest Airlines, Patina Restaurant Group and Plum Benefits (Broadway show tickets).

The most amazing thing is this whole event took place in just two hours. We heard many stories today -- some familiar and some not as well known about the great New Yorkers who make this city tick.

This event took a whole year to plan which means it's time to start planning for next year. Tell us about you. We want to hear your NYC success story. We may be honoring you next year!

Network on a Global Level: The 2011 International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge, Nov. 14th and 15th

MCC are strong advocates of promoting global business. We hope our members and others in the NYC business community will take the opportunity to participate in our International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge event. We have gathered women entrepreneurs from all over the world for this unique event. Come and hear about how they launched their businesses and made them successful. We hope our attendees will have the chance to make connections and perhaps do business with this year's IWEC Award Winners.

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Is Hosting the 2011 IWEC Conference in NYC, November 13th-16th, 2011. 

Connect with the 2011 IWEC Awardees, Past Awardees and Their International Guests to Establish Global Business Contacts.

Our International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge featuring 18 awardees

and 10 past awardees (including those from the NYC tri-state area) will be 

gathering in NYC for the 2011 IWEC Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony November 13th - 16th. 

These women owned businesses are looking to create connections here in the NYC area to further their business and to create partnerships with US companies. Awardees include businesses such as:

• Australia: Diane Tompson - Managing Director, The Powercom Group
• Bangladesh: Syeda Zinnat Ara Nipun  - Proprietor, N.D. Fashion
• India: Mira Kulkarni - Managing Director, Mountain Valley Springs India Pvt Ltd.
• New York Region: Sandi Webster and Peggy McHale - Principals, Consultants 2 Go, LLC
• Spain: Elizabeth Trallero - CEO, Congost Plastic, S.A
• South Africa: Valerie Mentz - CEO, Greystone Trading   

The mission of IWEC is to develop a global business network for successful women business owners, helping them gain and expand access to international markets.

Do not miss the following two events that constitute a unique opportunity to reach out to delegates around the world, local awardees, MCC members and a host of women owned businesses (500+). Network, develop international partnerships and hear the success stories of global executives!

Meet and Network With the IWEC Awardees International Women

Monday, November 14, 2011 

8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Join us in welcoming the 2011 IWEC Awardees to NYC and hear their stories and learn about their businesses. A great opportunity to connect with these international women business owners to expand your contacts and develop strategic partnerships. Continental breakfast is included.

  

Met Life
1095 Ave. of the Americas @ 42nd St.
23rd Floor
New York 10036 , NY  

For more information, click here.

MCC members: $30

MCC non-members: $40

2011 IWEC Awards Cocktail Reception & Awards Ceremony

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 

5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Join MCC in celebrating and recognizing the 2011 IWEC Awardees. 

Opening remarks by Ruth A. Davis, Former US Ambassador; Miguel Valls, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce President; Vishakha Desai, Asia Society President. The awards presentation is followed by a cocktail reception with great networking opportunties. 

Asia Society
725 Park Ave. @ 70th St.
New York 10021 , NY

For more information, click here.

MCC members: $50

MCC non-members: $60

 

The complete information on the 2011 awardees can be found here.

  

If you have any questions, please contact MCC at 212-473-7875 or send an email to events@manhattancc.org.