Brooklyn Trade Show attracts thousands

Brooklyn Trade Show attracts thousands|Brooklyn Trade Show attracts thousands
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At least 2,500 New Yorkers, business owners, service providers, those looking for jobs or those who want to expand their businesses, visited Trade Brooklyn–Brooklyn’s business- to-business trade show, earlier this month.

The show attracted professionals from all facets of a business or industry. For example, in the health field, health plan representatives, healthcare software providers, doctors looking to open a practice in Brooklyn and an acupuncturist attended the show.

The New York Marriot at Brooklyn Bridge provided a comfortable, larger space to accommodate the daylong event, held in previous years at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Visitors at the vendor hall and participants in the seminars came from a wide spectrum of the working world.

Launching the day of exhibitions and seminars, a networking ‘crack-of-dawn’ breakfast, moderated by Juliet Papa of 1010 WINS, featured an experience-rich panel from the private, non-profit to the educational sectors.

Among the panelists, Al Laboz, chairman of the Fulton Mall Association was there to represent the redevelopment of the Fulton Street area, the revitalization of the Fulton Mall including the Brooklyn Municipal Building.

Michah Kotch spoke of the exciting Innovation and Entrepreneurship program at NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering that he directs, a tech incubator program with the goal to help developing young companies that will call NYC home.

For those unaware, panelists described Brooklyn Tech Triangle: DUMBO, Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Navy Yard, (plus some geographic spillover) home to more than 500 innovation companies, 11 universities, and thousands of talented and creative professionals.

While a plethora of banking, marketing, computer and technology industries participated –150 vendors in Trade Brooklyn, this year, businesses as different as candy manufacturing, liquor distilling, real estate development and car sales displayed their work. Some businesses are based in or looking to put roots down in Brooklyn. Some were seeking investors. Related government agencies, trade associations and non-profits had tables with information, too.

A series of social media boot camps were among the workshops and seminars that also kept attendees focused on business during the day.

One of the exciting panels with high-powered media women from different generations was Women in Media and Marketing moderated by Highbrid Media.

The women media powerbrokers addressed their journeys and challenges for the generation of young women looking to follow in their footsteps.

Lisa Marie “Phoenix” Jackson, a professional of these times, speaking with her computer at her fingertips, has developed a knack for building online relationships. In addition to her digital project management consultancy in fashion, education and entertainment, she teaches at Boston College.

Kay Lucas has more than 20 years of a distinguished career in marketing many major brands and now, as CEO and managing director of Media Sense, she designs and executes integrated marketing for Fortune 1000 companies. These two, along with Ana Calderon Eugene, Liz Solomon and Amanda Spangler, shared their wealth of experience.

At the New York Marriot, the Brooklyn vibe was definitely in the house. There were energy, openness, focus, and great networking opportunities offered by Trade Brooklyn for the borough where business prospects are looking up.

Brooklyn Leaders Forum: Power & Influence: Woman in Media & Marketing. From left, Kay Lucas, Amanda Spangler, Lisa Marie “Phoenix” Jackson, Ana Calerson Eugene and Liz Solomon at the New York Marriot.
Photo by Tequila Minsky