Signature Events
& Sponsorship
Since 1920, the Manhattan Chamber has been the borough's business convener. Our events put your brand in the room with decision-makers, elected officials, and the businesses that power a $1 trillion economy.
Still ahead in 2026
Last-call sponsorships available“Let’s Talk About Money”
Fordham Gabelli School of Business · 350+ business owners
Chairman’s Breakfast: Unleashing Manhattan’s Four SMB Economies
Board & Chairman’s Circle · first Manhattan 2040 report
Chairman’s Breakfast: The Economic Outlook for 2027
TD Bank, One Vanderbilt · Board & Chairman’s Circle
Rock The Holidays: Big Bash for Small Biz
Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square · 250+ attendees
The year ahead
A full year built around Manhattan 2040: two flagship reports, four priority sessions, and the Chamber’s signature gatherings.
Annual Meeting
State of Manhattan’s Commercial Life report · Board installation
Chairman’s Breakfasts
4 per year · Boardroom setting
Manhattan 2040 Priority Sessions
4 per year · One priority each
Lobby Day in Albany
Members meet state leaders
Civic Advisory Council
Off-the-record consensus sessions
“Shop Small Biz” Street Fairs
Upper East Side · 20,000+ each
Business Leadership Council
Planning meetings + policymaker sessions
Manhattan Summit
State of Manhattan’s Neighborhood Economies report
Summer Soirée
One Vanderbilt · 250 VIPs
Networking Around Town
8–12 events · New venue each time
Small Business Summit
“Topic TBD” · 300+ owners
Holiday Party
Big Bash for Small Biz · 250+
Specific 2027 dates will be announced in the events calendar as they are confirmed.
Manhattan’s economy is booming, but its gains aren’t reaching enough of the workers, neighborhoods, and small businesses that keep it running.
Jessica Walker, President & CEO, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Manhattan 2040 is the Chamber’s idea factory and scorekeeper for the borough’s next fifteen years. It tracks where Manhattan’s economy is heading, names the handful of priorities that will bend that trajectory, and puts business leaders in the room with the policymakers who can act on them.
The initiative is guided by a Civic Advisory Council of senior civic, business, and community leaders, and advanced through the Business Leadership Council, where executives meet directly with policymakers. It publishes two flagship reports each year: State of Manhattan’s Commercial Life every January and State of Manhattan’s Neighborhood Economies every June at the Manhattan Summit. The first Manhattan 2040 report, Unleashing Four Economies, arrives this fall.
Three futures for Manhattan
Growth that reaches people: new industries, more housing, thriving neighborhoods, and a strong small-business base.
Strong fundamentals, narrow gains: prosperity clustered in a few sectors and places while the rest of the borough stalls.
Drift: lost competitiveness, shrinking opportunity, and a slow erosion of the commercial life that defines the borough.
Six strategic imperatives
Sustaining Partner
The Chamber’s highest level of partnership. Sustaining Partners stand behind the Manhattan 2040 agenda and get first look at the data that shapes it.
- Named as a partner in every official Manhattan 2040 report
- First access to dashboard data and findings before public release
- Two partner-only meetings a year to review the agenda and preview data
- Seat on the MCC Board of Directors
- Includes full Chairman’s Circle membership and all its benefits
Chairman’s Circle
The Chamber’s premier membership tier, and the door into Manhattan 2040’s executive and policymaker meetings.
- Seat on the Business Leadership Council: closed-door meetings with policymakers
- Invitations to all four Chairman’s Breakfasts
- Access to the four Manhattan 2040 Priority Sessions
- Seat on the MCC Board of Directors
- Annual strategy check-in with Chamber leadership
Founding Partners: Amazon, Citizens Bank, Con Edison, Fontas Advisors, Lyft, Philip Morris International, and United Airlines. Founding partnerships closed at the September 2026 launch; Sustaining partnerships are open year-round.
Annual Meeting: State of Manhattan’s Commercial Life
The Chamber’s year opens with the release of State of Manhattan’s Commercial Life, the first of Manhattan 2040’s two flagship annual reports. The program unveils the Civic Advisory Council’s priority list for the City, the findings of the Chamber’s first business-sentiment survey, and installs the 2027 Board of Directors.
- Release of the State of Manhattan’s Commercial Life report
- Manhattan Commercial Life Award for a policymaker or civic leader
- Chairman’s Award, the Chamber’s highest distinction, conferred at the Board’s discretion
Sponsorship tiers
15 tickets · Welcome remarks · Logo on the report cover and all release materials
10 tickets · Stage recognition · Co-branded social
2 tickets · Logo on digital reel · Event page listing
Chairman’s Breakfast Series
Gatherings of 50–80 C-suite executives, Board members, and Manhattan 2040 advisors for intimate, data-driven discussions. Each breakfast takes on one of the questions leaders are actually grappling with—the future of work, AI, commercial real estate, the 2027 economic outlook—and helps decision-makers separate passing trends from real shifts.
- Firsthand reads on Manhattan’s economy from Chamber data and guest economists
- Executive-level networking with the Civic Advisory Council and Founding Partners
- Recent and upcoming: a Nasdaq economist’s outlook for 2026; Unleashing Manhattan’s Four SMB Economies (Nov 19); The Economic Outlook for 2027 (Dec 2)
Sponsorship tiers
All 4 breakfasts · Welcome remarks · Thought-leader positioning
Single breakfast · Host introduction · Executive attendees
Logo recognition · Marketing materials · VIP networking
Manhattan 2040 Priority Sessions
Each session takes one priority from the Civic Advisory Council’s list—for example, Making Manhattan the Capital of Applied AI—and brings together members, industry experts, and researchers to put intelligence and proposals on the table. Working sessions end as networking, so the people who should know each other do.
- One priority per session, drawn from the Council’s consensus list
- Open to Industry Insider, Chairman’s Circle, and Manhattan 2040 Partner members
- Findings feed directly into Manhattan 2040 recommendations and Business Leadership Council meetings
Session sponsorship
All 4 sessions · Framing remarks · Recognition in session readouts
Single session on the priority closest to your business · Expert seat at the table
Manhattan Summit: State of Manhattan’s Neighborhood Economies
Manhattan 2040’s second flagship report looks at the borough neighborhood by neighborhood: which commercial corridors are growing, which are stalling, and what is driving the difference. The Summit brings together the business improvement districts, community leaders, and officials who shape those corridors.
- Release of the State of Manhattan’s Neighborhood Economies report
- Neighborhood awards drawn from the report’s data
- Panels and working conversations with BID and community leadership
Sponsorship tiers
Welcome remarks · Logo on the report and all release materials · Prime placement
Stage recognition · Panel opportunity · Co-branded social
Logo on digital reel · Event page listing
Summer Soirée
An exclusive evening set against the Manhattan skyline, bringing together elected officials, business leaders, and the Chamber’s partners for the most relaxed networking of the year.
- Live jazz, premium food and cocktails
- Indoor/outdoor terrace experience
- Recognition of the year’s Founding and Sustaining Partners
Sponsorship tiers
15 tickets · Welcome remarks · Prime logo placement
10 tickets · Stage recognition · Co-branded social
2 tickets · Logo on digital reel · Event page listing
Networking Around Town
Our most accessible recurring series: a rotating lineup of networking events at standout restaurants, bars, and event spaces across Manhattan. Every edition is a new neighborhood, a new venue, and a fresh crowd of business owners and professionals. No agenda, no keynotes—just real conversations in great spaces.
- A different Manhattan venue each event, from hidden gems to hot spots
- Two ways in: sponsor a single event, or host the crowd at your venue
- Pre- and post-event social coverage for every partner
Sponsor an event
Put your brand in front of a captive business crowd at one of Manhattan’s most talked-about venues, and say a few words to the room.
- Logo placement at the event
- Brief remarks to the crowd
- Pre- and post-event social recognition
- Series discount for multiple events
Host the crowd
Restaurants, bars, and event spaces: we bring a qualified business crowd to your door and put you on the map across Manhattan’s business community.
- Complimentary appetizers for guests
- At least one complimentary drink per person
- Cash bar for subsequent drinks (your revenue)
- Featured in all event promotion and social media
“Shop Small Biz” Street Fairs
One of NYC’s longest-running street fairs, spanning 20 blocks in support of local small businesses, particularly minority-owned and pandemic-era ventures. 10 AM–6 PM. Proceeds support the MCC Foundation’s emergency grants.
- 20 blocks of local vendors and small businesses
- Block sponsorship: host 34 vetted businesses or build a branded activation zone
- Stage and sound add-on available ($4,500)
Block sponsorship
Exclusive naming rights and branding for an entire city block
Host up to 34 vetted businesses at no cost to them (priority to minority-owned)
Transform your block with games, giveaways, or interactive entertainment
“Let’s Talk About Money”
A clear, practical financial summit for Manhattan’s Main Street businesses, timed for holiday-season preparation. Features a 17-table financial expo, expert panels, 15-minute financial health checks, and live software demos.
- 73% of attendees plan banking decisions within 90 days
- 68% need lines of credit: direct access to qualified leads
- Keynotes, panels, workshops, and rapid-fire solutions
Sponsorship tiers
Welcome remarks · Speaking slot · Exhibitor table · Prime placement
Panel or speaking opportunity · Exhibitor table · Logo placement
Stage recognition · Exhibitor table · Marketing collateral
Logo on reel · Social media · Post-event newsletter
Rock The Holidays:
Big Bash for Small Biz
The Chamber’s biggest networking night of the year: holiday cheer, awards, and the whole community in one room. Chamber members, business leaders, elected officials, and community stakeholders close out the year together.
- Proceeds support Small Business Stabilization Grants (launching 2027)
- Remarks from senior elected officials
- “Small Business Champion of the Year” honored
Sponsorship tiers
15 tickets · Welcome remarks · Prime logo placement
10 tickets · Stage recognition · Co-branded social
2 tickets · Logo on digital reel · Event page listing
Business Leadership Council
The body where Manhattan 2040’s priorities meet the people who can act on them. Chairman’s Circle members and their guests meet policymakers in intimate, off-the-record sessions, then regroup twice a year to refine the Council’s priorities for the year ahead.
- 2026 guests included NYS Director of State Operations Kathryn Garcia, Deputy Mayors Julie Su and Leila Bozorg, Council Member Julie Menin, DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine, and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg
- Two planning meetings a year, mirroring the Civic Advisory Council’s sessions
Access by membership
Business Leadership Council seats come with Chairman’s Circle membership ($5,000/yr) and are included for Manhattan 2040 Sustaining Partners ($15,000/yr).
- Direct access to elected officials and agency heads
- Shape policy before it is made
- Network with Manhattan’s top business leaders
Maximum visibility, all year long
For brands that want sustained presence across every event and touchpoint. Multi-event discounts, flexible activations, and custom packages available. Year-round partnerships can be combined with a Manhattan 2040 Sustaining Partnership.
Community Partner
Friend-level sponsorship at all events plus a custom activation opportunity.
Contact the events teamStrategic Partner
Champion-level at 3 events plus quarterly touchpoints and brand integration.
Contact the events teamPremier Partner
Title sponsorship at all events plus year-round visibility across 125,000+ businesses.
Contact the events teamLet’s partner
We’ll build a package that fits your goals, whether that is one event, the full year, or a seat at the Manhattan 2040 table.
