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November 15, 2019

Chamber biz expo returns to Elm City

PHOTO | New Haven Biz New Haven Mayor Toni Harp and Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce President Garrett Sheehan spread the word about next week's Big Connect expo.
By Michael C. Bingham

After a decade of wandering in the wilderness, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce’s signature business event is returning to its rightful home.

On Thursday (Nov. 21) the business exposition, branded as the Big Connect, will take place — this year at the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale in downtown. The event, which in past years has drawn as many as 1,500 attendees, will occupy the hotel’s second-floor Grand Ballroom as well as nearby meeting spaces for breakout sessions.

The event features a full day (7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) of educational seminars and keynote speakers who will focus on strategic networking, business-development topics, the latest digital and social trends, tips and tactics for building business partnerships, and more than 60 exhibitors. All businesses across the region are invited to attend for free, Chamber officials say, especially businesses in downtown New Haven.

Featured speakers include U.S. Olympian women’s soccer star Kristine Lilly; serial entrepreneur David Salinas, founder of Digital Surgeons and (more recently) District New Haven; and economic-development guru, entrepreneur and author (How To Find Money, Delight Customers and Grow Your Business) Anthony Price.

Also, the GNHCC’s Women in Networking Council will present a “Women’s Power Panel” moderated by WTNH-TV anchor Stephanie Simoni.

The program begins with the third annual “Nonprofit Stars Align” awards breakfast, honoring nonprofit organizations that made a difference in 2019. Midday features the “Big Taste,” a culinary adventure featuring a cornucopia of comestibles from some of New Haven’s most distinguished eateries (admission $20). It ends with the “Big Bash” networking extravaganza from 4 to 6 p.m.

In addition, more than 70 exhibitors from throughout the GNHCC’s 15-town service area are registered to showcase their products and services.

For the previous decade the annual event had been held at the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford. Before that it was hosted the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in downtown New Haven, which was razed in 2007.

Information about the Big Connect is available at GNHCCExpo.com.

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