For more than 50 years, the Home & Leisure Show has drawn thousands to the Danbury Fair Mall for the state’s largest, oldest and most respected Home Show. Held at the beginning of March each year, Home & Leisure attracts over 60,000 visitors to New England’s largest consumer mall. If your business provides products for the Home or Leisure time, then this show is for you.
Leadership Danbury is a special program designed to more fully develop our region’s local leadership potential. Using a proven format and learning process, the purpose and objectives of the program are:
A six session comprehensive business development workshop series specifically designed to assist new prospective small business owners, as well as established business managers, to operate their businesses for maximum profit and efficiency. (Instructors are seasoned business professionals from the Greater Danbury business community, all experts in their respective fields.) Contact the Chamber of Commerce for more information.
Business After Business events are hosted by Chamber member businesses and have been held at restaurants, car dealerships, furniture showrooms, and everywhere in between. These receptions benefit the host, by driving traffic to their place of business, and attendees who have the opportunity to build their business network and potentially, increase their client base. Business After Business events are held at least once a month and include a full promotional complement for the host. A “Super Bowl” BAB is held every February at Molly Darcy’s.
One of our most popular events, the Annual Chamber Meeting, held at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury, attracts over 200 members, local business people and area legislators. In addition to taking part in the formal election process for the Chamber’s Board of Directors, guests are treated to a keynote address from nationally recognized speakers, which have included Governors Jodi Rell and Dannel Malloy, Senators Joe Lieberman, Chris Dodd, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, State Attorney General George Jepsen and conservative commentator and TV personality Larry Kudlow.
The Housatonic Region’s largest business to business trade show, the Annual Business-to-Business Showcase is held at the Ethan Allen Hotel each November. Over 70 exhibitors showcase their products and services including Office Equipment, Business Management Services, Software Developers, Advertising Agencies, Computer Sales & Services, Financial Planners, Telecommunications, Insurance, Commercial Banking and many more. To further incent attendance, exhibitors are required to make a special offer that is only available at the Showcase. For more information and to register CLICK HERE
Whether you want to learn how to market your business, create a better business plan, tap into sources of funding, or learn how to get your business to be listed first on a Google search, the Chamber is here to guide and inform you. With the help of organizations including the Connecticut Small Business Development Center (CTSBDC), Women’s Business Council, SCORE and, the Chamber’s Member Business Experts, we offer timely and useful seminars at little to no cost to members. Seminars and workshops are (usually) held at the Chamber office either in the morning (8-9:30am) or during lunch (12-1:30pm). Check our event calendar for a current listing of events..
The Chamber is the region’s advocate for business friendly legislation and, reducing the cost of doing business in Connecticut. The Chamber’s annual Eggs & Issues Legislative Breakfast takes place at the Ethan Allen Hotel in the March/April timeframe and, Members have the opportunity to pose questions regarding issues relevant to your business. Click here for the current list of legislative bills being tracked for the Chamber.
Named after local entrepreneur Cecil J. Previdi, who grew Danbury Printing & Litho into a national printing firm, the Previdi Award is presented each December by the Chamber and Mayor’s office at the Annual Leaders Luncheon at the Crowne Plaza Danbury. Following the Mayor’s State of the City address, the award is given to an area business person who demonstrates progressive business attitudes, has been responsible for the growth of a local business, and has made a significant contribution to the area’s economy.
Previdi Award Recipients:
2016 Jim Kennedy, CEO & Founder - The Network Support Company
2015 Todd Ingersoll, Owner - Ingersoll Automotive
2014 Jeff Levine, President - Levine Automotive
2013 Paul Dinto, President & CEO - Paul Dinto Electrical Contractors
2012 Farooq Kathwari, Chairman, President, CEO - Ethan Allen Interiors
2011 James Marquis, President - Kimchuk
2010 Stew Leonard, Jr., President & CEO - Stew Leonard's
2009 Frank Kelly, President & CEO (retired) - Danbury Hospital
2008 Richard Steiner, President - Steiner, Inc.
2007 Albert Salame, Owner - Albert Salame Affiliated Companies
2006 Robert Sallick, Co-Founder/Sr. VP of Engineering - Waterworks
2005 Paul Scalzo, Founder - Scalzo Group Real Estate
2004 Jerry Leitman, Chairman & CEO - FuelCell Energy
2003 Deno Macricostas, Executive Chairman - Photronics
2002 Hank Zaccara, Owner - Chuck's Steak House
2001 Gene Banucci, Co-Founder - ATMI
2000 Ted Baruch, President & CEO - Heli-Coil
1999 Seymour Powers, Founder - Seymour Powers Company
1998 Jack Marcus, Founder - Marcus Dairy
1997 A. Searle Pinney, Attorney/State Representative - George, Hull & Pinney
1996 Joseph Engelberger, Robotics Pioneer/Founder - Unimation
1995 Bernard Baker, Founder/Chairman - FuelCell Energy
1994 Ervie (Bud) Hawley, Jr., Real Estate Developer - The Hawley Companies
1993 Anthony Rizzo, Sr., Founder - The Rizzo Companies
1992 Norbert E. Mitchell, Sr., Founder - Norbert E. Mitchell Co.
1991 Pearl Dent - Dent Electrical Supply
1990 Anthony Pellegrino, Founder - Topex, Inc.
1989 Roy Young, Chairman & CEO - Fairfield Processing
1988 Albert Cazza
Cecil Previdi was one of six employees of Danbury Printing & Litho killed in a plane crash in 1987.
The Chamber’s Annual Golf Tournament, sponsored by Union Savings Bank, is held at the beautiful Centennial Golf Club in Carmel, NY. Play is a best two ball format with a shotgun start at 12:30pm. The day includes a BBQ lunch, green fees, cart rental, gift bag, cocktail reception and a New England lobster dinner. The winning net foursome receives the Chamber’s Charles F. Frosch Cup. Click here for more information.
Food for All is a deliciously fun event held at various locations in the Greater Danbury region that offers an international assortment from some of the area’s best restaurants, caterers, and food vendors all under one roof. It’s a mouth-watering mix of networking and nibbling, which also supports the local food pantries through a collaborative food drive. Best of all, Chamber Member restaurants participate at no cost! Click here for more information.