TechCrunch & PortSide growing Red Hook relationship with Brooklyn Cruise Terminal & Atlantic Basin tenants
/First, there are opportunities for Red Hook at TechCrunch, May 9-11, 2016!
Second, info on how to get involved below!
Background: PortSide NewYork knows that the Red Hook community has wanted to see benefits to having the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal (BCT) in the neighborhood. Our being on site in Atlantic Basin on Pier 11 since May 2015 is helping us help grow such relationships.
We brought up this goal with the special events manager of BCT Jason Scharf when the Ringling Brothers circus RVs were parked next to the MARY A. WHALEN a few weeks back, and we got to work making connections. We introduced the circus staff to local suppliers and helped them get a discount at Kevin's Restaurant.
Soon after that, Scharf brought over Ned Desmond, COO of Tech Crunch. We told him how entrepreneurially great Red Hook is, that Red Hook wanted to be involved with events at BCT, and that Red Hook businesses were great at pop-ups and would likely be interested in vending at Tech Crunch's Disrupt NY. We provided contact info for neighborhood players in the biz and non-profit sectors, told them about the Brooklyn Spirit Trail which includes several Red Hook businesses, and offered our famous historic ship, the MARY A. WHALEN, as a venue and proposed partnership ideas with PortSide. We also said ferries to Atlantic Basin could dock at our ship if Pier 11 is full.
Our ship on Pier 11 is next to the cruise terminal on Pier 12 and figures prominently in the TechCrunch video about why Red Hook is such a cool place for Disrupt NY. (A little cheer for us... Red Hook has lured TechCrunch out of Manhattan! Go Red Hook, go Brooklyn, go PortSide NewYork!)
We are pleased to report that TechCrunch is put out a promo blogpost saying "Red Hook has a lot to offer" and TechCrunch is, in their own words, " "launching a program called “Discover Red Hook”, which offers local businesses the opportunity to exhibit free-of-charge at Disrupt. We hope that means this Disrupt will be graced by many interesting and tasty offerings from Red Hook’s small businesses."
Sign up to be a Red Hook vendor or exhibitor at TechCrunch Disrupt NY at this link
PortSide has also been connecting the owners and crew of other boats docked on Pier 11 to local suppliers. Typical requests have been for restaurants and sources of hardware and marine electrical supplies. Once again, PortSide NewYork brings the community afloat and the community ashore closer together for the benefit of both!
All this networking fulfills our mission to grow connections between the waterfront and inland community (businesses, residents and non-profits) and to help revitalize Red Hook.