Chamber Networking Event A Success

The Pearl River Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual Joint Chamber Meet & Greet event on Wednesday. It drew members of the Nanuet, New City, Nyack, Suffern, Haverstraw and Montvale, NJ chambers. 

Pearl River Chamber President Matt Reid said about 100 people attended the networking event, a larger number than in 2012 and a sign that people felt it was productive for them. He credited former chamber president Kevin Hardy with coming up with the idea last year.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “It’s very similar to last year.”

Reid said there was definitely a mix of people from different business backgrounds.  People with established businesses such as real estate firms, sandwich cafes, home healthcare providers, banks and attorneys spoke with new entrepreneurs starting up a tech business, opening a bakery and launching a non profit organization to feed the hungry in Africa. 

New City Chamber of Commerce Vice President Gillian Ballard observed there was a lot of interaction. 

“It’s an opportunity for us to view how the networking co-exists between the businesspeople in the county,” she said, noting that everyone was mingling and walking around talking to other people.

Reid said the event at Emmett’s Castle in Pearl River attracted businesspeople from a large part of Rockland County and beyond and added new members to the chamber’s roster.

“We have some more outside the chamber participation,” he said. “We’ve had new businesses who came in and signed up as chamber members today. I think basically (It’s) a very good mix of business and non chamber members that came and showed interest.”