STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Thousands of Staten Island’s most prominent businessmen and women descended on the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield, on Tuesday for the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) Business Conference.
The annual conference, now in its 21st year, offered a variety of seminars, networking sessions, a 125-booth vendor room and several ticketed keynote addresses throughout the day. The conference also offered various education sessions for local high school and college students.
“The SIEDC Business Conference is a unique event that brings together professionals from family-owned small businesses to national corporations,” said Barrington Burke-Green of the Visiting Nurse Association of Staten Island, SIEDC Business Conference ambassador.
“This is Staten Island’s premier event where professionals join together to learn from each other, all in one place,” he continued.
KEYNOTE EVENTS
During the keynote breakfast, the SIEDC laid out plans for the proposed aerial gondola that would connect Port Richmond to Bayonne, N.J., in an effort to offer Staten Islanders a new, time-saving commuting option.
The proposed 2.5-mile aerial gondola would span from Richmond Avenue and Forest Avenue in Port Richmond to the Eighth Street Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Station in Bayonne.
During the keynote lunch, the SIEDC hosted a panel discussion titled, “Staten Island… What’s Missing?” — centered around the future development of the borough.
Topics ranged from green building design, to open space development, to housing and transit-oriented development, to activating urban areas.
PRESS CONFERENCES
Each year, the SIEDC Business Conference hosts a number of press conferences, giving local business the opportunity to share their exciting new plans with the community.
SIEDC announced during the event that they will be continuing their Women Entrepreneurs of Staten Island incubator program for the third year, in addition to launching the Veteran and Immigrant Owned Businesses incubator.
These incubator programs provide complimentary support and assistance for targeted businesses via networking opportunities, educational seminars, social media promotion, and more.
The SIEDC also announced the launch of the Staten Island Restaurant Guide in 2020, a tool that will quickly become a treasured asset for any local food lover.
To advertise or have your restaurant featured in the guide, contact Jaclyn Taschetti at 718-477-1400 ext. 813.
Representatives from the Empire Outlets announced that FlyingTee — an interactive entertainment brand — will open its first New York City-based TEE SUITE at the city’s first outlet shopping center.
The 22,000-square-foot TEE SUITE promises to provide a unique, interactive experience in a lounge setting while allowing guests of all ages and skill levels to enjoy an easy-to-play version of golf and games indoors.
SIEDC announced during the event that they will be continuing their Women Entrepreneurs of Staten Island incubator program for the third year, in addition to launching the Veteran and Immigrant Owned Businesses incubator.
These incubator programs provide complimentary support and assistance for targeted businesses via networking opportunities, educational seminars, social media promotion, and more.
The SIEDC also announced the launch of the Staten Island Restaurant Guide in 2020, a tool that will quickly become a treasured asset for any local food lover.
To advertise or have your restaurant featured in the guide, contact Jaclyn Taschetti at 718-477-1400 ext. 813.
Representatives from the Empire Outlets announced that FlyingTee — an interactive entertainment brand — will open its first New York City-based TEE SUITE at the city’s first outlet shopping center.
The 22,000-square-foot TEE SUITE promises to provide a unique, interactive experience in a lounge setting while allowing guests of all ages and skill levels to enjoy an easy-to-play version of golf and games indoors.
The TEE SUITE, powered by FLITE, provides tracking for serious golfers and the ability to virtually play championship courses, including Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, Calif., and Saint Andrews in Westchester, N.Y.
Gotham Trinity Productions, a Staten Island-based film and media production company, announced “The Story of the 1997 Football Pirates,” which will serve as the first installment of a borough-based documentary series titled “This Is: Staten Island.”
The series will highlight some of the borough’s lesser-known history, providing an in-depth look at the people, places and events that make up Staten Island.
Gotham Trinity is seeking help from the local community, asking former players, coaches, friends, family members, and even students of other schools, to share their experiences regarding the 1997 high school football season.
Interested community members are asked to take a horizontal video of themselves discussing the topic and post it on social media using the hashtag #thisisstatenisland. Submissions can also be emailed to mystory@thisisstatenisland.com.
Representatives from Broadway Stages announced that while construction is still underway at the former Arthur Kill Correctional Facility site, extensive production is already being done on the campus.
The location has already been home to 41 productions, including “Orange is the New Black,” “Blacklist” and “The Code,” a new CBS drama that premiered earlier this month.
SEMINARS
The following seminars took place throughout the day, offering visitors a unique range of information to aid their businesses.
- The Consumer Path to Purchase, hosted by Staten Island Advance
- Leadership Skills “Born to be Great”, hosted by I AM Empowering
- Financial Literacy, hosted by Investors Bank
- Networking Done Right, hosted by SIEDC
- Women at the Top Symposium, featuring UFT Borough Representative Analia Gerard
- Protecting your Business from the Unthinkable: Cyber-Security Breaches, hosted by Tekie Geek
- Healthy Housing RFP Information Session, with Ambassador Eugene Flotteron
- Local Needs Assessment Public Visioning, with Ambassador Eugene Flotteron
- Barriers and Solutions: Matching Job Seekers to the Industrial Business Sector, hosted by SIEDC.
- Three Vital Elements to Master Social Media for your Business, hosted by Small Business Development Center
- Leadership Seminar: The A.R.T. of Connecting, hosted by Lion’s Pride.
- EPLI and Cyber Liability Insurance, hosted by RPM Insurance Agency & TeamLogic IT
- Breaking into the TV & Film Industry, hosted by Creative Council & Gotham Trinity
- Disability Ally Initiative, hosted by PCCS
- 5G Power Skills Certification Workshop, hosted by Wagner College & Life Long Learning
- Faith Based Organization Fellowship, hosted by SIEDC
SPONSORS
Investors Bank was the presenting sponsor of this year’s SIEDC Business Conference, while the host sponsor was Staten Island University Hospital/ Northwell Health.
Corporate sponsors included: Capital One, Chase, Con Edison, Conduent, National Grid, Northfield Bank, Dave & Buster’s, New York Building Congress, Pratt Industries, Richmond County Savings Bank, Sandy Hook Pilots Association, Councilman Joseph Borelli, Councilwoman Debi Rose, Williams Eye Works, Matrix, Visiting Nurse Association of Staten Island, Kimco, The Angiuli Group and Island Auto Group.
Support for the conference youth education initiative came from ADCO Electric, AT&T, Borough President James S. Oddo, Councilman Steven Matteo, Puddin’ Kids First, United Activities Unlimited and Integration Charter Schools.
The Staten Island Advance was the media partner of the SIEDC Business Conference.
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