What is the Greater Washington Board of Trade?
Founded in 1899, in response to a Washington Post editorial calling for the establishment of a much-needed board of trade, the Greater Washington Board of Trade has deep roots in the area and an incredible track record of civic engagement.
Today, it is an organization comprised of leading businesses and organizations representing northern Virginia, Washington, DC and suburban Maryland. With nearly every type of industry included among its ranks, the group brings together an incredible diversity of talent and thought leadership. Its mission is to “work collaboratively to advance policies, practices and actions that benefit its members and improve the business environment across the region.”
What is the Mid-Winter Dinner?
It’s always one of the premier business events of the year, with a strong mix of C-suite executives from companies across a variety of industries, along with nonprofit leaders and representatives from major institutions. This year was particularly special, as it signified both the Board of Trade’s 130th anniversary and the 100th year of hosting the Mid-Winter Dinner.
How does the event unfold?
With nearly 300 in attendance, the black tie event was hosted at the Washington National Cathedral, a beautiful and iconic building. All the pews are removed to create a truly unique venue for the gathering.
The Mid-Winter Dinner is intended to be a networking event, and everyone in attendance is very welcoming and interested in meeting and engaging with new people. After an initial cocktail reception, there is a formal dinner. However, with countless people to meet and spirited conversation throughout the night, we hardly sat down for a bite to eat.
We were accompanied by our two guests: Mark Drury, Vice President of Business Development at Shapiro & Duncan, and Patrick Murphy, Private Wealth Advisor at Goldman Sachs.
How is Graham Company involved with the organization?
When we established our DC office in 2016, we wanted to focus on being deeply involved in the local community. That’s something that has been at the core of our business philosophy in Philadelphia, and we feel it’s important to continue this tradition as we expand to new cities.
The Greater Washington Board of Trade was a natural fit for us, as we always want to immerse ourselves with local leaders committed to making the region more vibrant and economically successful. Last year, four individuals from the company attended the Mid-Winter dinner – this year we had eight and that’s something we’d like to grow each year. We’re also excited to continue attending many of the other engaging events the Board of Trade hosts throughout the year.
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