New York City is a place where who you know and who you do business with really makes a difference in your success. This is why small business networking events are so important for professionals in all stages of their careers and across all industries. Fortunately, there is no shortage of professional networking events taking place in NYC throughout the year. These are excellent opportunities to get to know leaders in your field, size up the competition, attract new clients, and form partnerships that take your business to the next level.
As a provider of NYC office space, meeting rooms, and virtual offices, NYC Office Suites keeps a close eye on networking groups NYC to help you work better in every way possible. Here are our top picks for networking events in NYC to attend in 2018, as well as a couple great events worth traveling for.
Global Networking for Women in Business – May 15, 2018
Women-centric networking events are on the rise in New York City, and there are so many exciting opportunities right now for women to carve out a niche in the business world. One opportunity that’s coming up soon is the Mind Her Biz Global Networking for Women in Business event on May 15 at WeWork FiDi. Mind Her Biz is a global networking platform with a presence in New York, Chicago, Ho Chi Minh City, and Mumbai/Delhi. This event takes place from 6-8pm at 85 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan and is hosted by Mind Her Biz’s founder, Pavvana Varun Parwani. Women in business, working women, social entrepreneurs, and aspiring entrepreneurs should consider attending this event to engage in networking, collaborate with others, and share ideas. The event will kick off with a meet and greet and then move on to share a little information about the host, presentations from special guests, and informal networking. The event is free to attend if you RSVP early or $15 if you register a few days before the event.
National Secondary Market Conference & Expo 2018 – May 20-23, 2018
If you work in the financial industry, one of the top networking events NYC to attend this year is Mortgage Bankers Association’s National Secondary Market Conference & Expo. This event is taking place from May 20-23 at the New York Marriott Marquis. Over the course of four days, you’ll get to participate in networking, relationship-building, and deal-making with industry experts, government agency leaders, and key decision-makers. You will also get to learn about regulatory developments, new strategies, and trends in the general sessions, breakout sessions, and networking events. This is a must-attend event for secondary mortgage market executives and anyone who works with mortgages in the city. Pricing ranges from $600 to $3,375.
Business Networking for Success Meetup – May 23, 2018
You can find some of the very best networking groups NYC on meetup.com, including Business Networking for Success from the NYC Business Networking Group. This group is the winner of the Top 100 Small Business Influencers Award in Leadership, and it has hosted over 350 networking events since 2007. There’s an event taking place on Wednesday, May 23 from 6-8:30pm at the gastropub, 5th&Mad, which is located at 7 East 36th Street in New York. This is an opportunity to meet other professionals, executives, business owners, entrepreneurs, investors, and lenders who work in a variety of industries. There will be vendors onsite to help you grow your business, and the event hosts will make introductions to help you start conversations and get one step closer to new business relationships. The cost to attend is $15 in advance or $25 at the door.
Asian Real Estate Professional Association Summer 2018 Networking Event – June 13, 2018
The list of upcoming business networking events NYC also includes AREPA’s Summer 2018 Networking Event from 6-9pm on Wednesday, June 13. This is a much-anticipated event for real estate professionals in the city who want to connect with other diverse professionals and further their careers. Like some other business networking events in NYC, this one takes place at the Cloud Social Rooftop Bar on the top of the New York Manhattan Hotel at 6 West 32nd Street. Tickets will sell out and capacity is limited, so make sure to buy your ticket in advance. General admission tickets are $20, and tickets sold at the door will be $25.
New York Entrepreneurs, Startup & Business Network’s Professional Networking Soiree – September 17, 2018
Later this year, one of the small business networking events to look forward to is being hosted by the New York Entrepreneurs, Startup & Business Coalition on September 17. This is the largest networking event for entrepreneurs, startups, and business professionals and an ideal event for artists and freelancers too. The event runs from 6:30-9:30pm at Gansevoort Rooftop Meatpacking, which is located at 18 9th Avenue. The host will provide name tags, but make sure to bring enough business cards and dress in business casual attire. You must RSVP, but this event is free to attend.
NY Tech Alliance Meetup and Afterparty – Monthly
Did you know that many of the very best networking events NYC aren’t just one-time occasions, but actually occur on a regular basis throughout the year? For example, NY Tech Alliance hosts a famous and long-running monthly event that involves live demos from New York tech companies and an afterparty with unlimited networking opportunities. These events take place each month at the SVA Theatre at 333 West 23rd Street and cost $10 per ticket. Once you get involved with this group, you’ll also learn about lots of other interesting events that it hosts, such as the New York Venture Summit, the summer mixer, and investor coffee mornings.
BNI B.I.G. Breakfast Professional Networking Meetings – Weekly
Another recommended recurring event is the BNI B.I.G. Breakfast, which takes place at the Bridgeview Diner in Brooklyn. This event gathers together Brooklyn business owners and professionals for a weekly meeting, referrals, and breakfast. Come here to network with business leaders in a wide variety of industries, including attorneys, real estate agents, financial planners, insurance brokers, healthcare professionals, and more. BNI has over 223,000 members in over 7,500 chapters and more than 69 countries, so this is a great business networking and referral organization to know in NYC. The cost to attend the weekly breakfast meeting is $20.
Ride Conference – Atlanta – September 28-29, 2018
Although there are a seemingly endless number of small business networking events to attend close to home, you may want to travel to other cities to expand your network and grow your customer base. For example, this September, you may want to travel to Atlanta to attend the 2nd Rolling Out Digital Entertainment Conference to network with industry professionals involved in delivering technology to multicultural millennials and innovative change agents. There will be at least six keynotes and 12 workshops here in addition to the valuable networking opportunities. The two-day event takes place at the Loudermilk Center on the Georgia State University campus in the heart of downtown Atlanta.
Forbes Under 30 Summit – Boston – September 30-October 3, 2018
Another one of these small business networking events that’s worth traveling for is the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston. Taking place September 30 through October 3 at City Hall Plaza in Boston, this event is expected to draw in over 6,000 attendees and feature multiple content tracks, not to mention a music festival and food festival too! This will be a huge gathering of game-changers and entrepreneurs with opportunities for one-on-one meetings with big-time investors, startup competitions, a day of service, celebrity entertainment, and so many chances to network.
We hope this list helps you find your very own professional networking community and also to see you at some of this year’s exciting events! If you need to rent office space or meeting room space while attending any of these networking events in NYC, call NYC Office Suites at (800) 346-3968 or contact us online today!