It’s that time of the year again – thousands of climate and nature professionals are traveling to Manhattan for Climate Week NYC, a week of non-stop action dedicated to tackling climate change. If it’s your first time attending Climate Week, we’ve pulled together some tips for getting everything you can out of your trip to New York.
It’s that time of the year again – thousands of climate and nature professionals are traveling to Manhattan for Climate Week NYC, a week of non-stop action dedicated to tackling climate change.
If it’s your first time attending Climate Week, we’ve pulled together some tips for getting everything you can out of your trip to New York.
You never know who you’re going to run into at an event or even on the streets of Manhattan. Every year I run into former colleagues, college friends, and the occasional celebrity (being at the same events as Jane Fonda and Leonardo DiCaprio are some of my fondest NYCW memories). Take advantage of the week and prepare to network for days on end. Don’t forget to pack your business cards and lean into LinkedIn’s QR code feature for ease of sharing contact info.
Before you head out, practice a few different versions of your elevator pitch based on who you’re likely (and want) to meet. Adapt it to the audience: What do they care about? How can you help them? What makes them tick? Being confident and comfortable in talking about your work is key to making the most of NYCW. (Not sure how to tell your organisation’s story? Not to fear – Blakeney can help, just drop us a line.)
Although many events sell out ahead of time, try to keep your schedule as flexible as you can. You can expect to learn about events the day-of, and last-minute invitations to closed door sessions and private dinners are common. You’ll most likely need to shuffle your schedule around a bit, so be nimble and adaptable.
It’s also helpful to keep blocks of free time throughout the week for scheduling coffees with people you meet, sending out follow-up notes to new connections, and peruse LinkedIn for updates and events.
Don’t forget to come up for air from networking and carve out time to learn from your peers. We all benefit from stepping outside of expertise to learn about new topics. If you specialise in water security, attend a session on carbon markets; if you’re a communications expert, head to a panel on climate science.
Tackling climate change requires collaboration and innovative thinking. By meeting with and learning from experts in other areas, we’ll see our work through a different lens and can try new approaches to overcome challenges and scale solutions.
Not sure where to start? There are hundreds of fascinating events listed on the official Climate Week NYC calendar – register for a few to expand your knowledge.
If you’ve never been, Manhattan is biiiig. With so many events to attend and people to meet, you’ll likely spend the whole day out and about – a 7am start and midnight finish is quite common. With such long days and events being held miles apart, make sure you’re taking care of yourself throughout the week, whether that’s building in time to exercise or blocking an hour to sit down for dinner. And don’t forget to enjoy it! It’s a tiring week, but a special event to be part of.
Most importantly, make sure your footwear is up to the challenge of running up and down Manhattan. I made the mistake of wearing brand-new flats to my first Climate Week and only lasted a few hours before I had to run (limp) to Duane Reade to stock up on band-aids.
Connect with the people you’ve met on LinkedIn and follow up on your conversations once you’ve settled back into your desk.
Take a moment to reflect on everything you experienced during the week and share it with your network. I always look forward to reading recap blogs and LinkedIn posts – it’s a chance to learn about announcements, organisations, and events I may have missed during the week. It’s also inspiring – working on climate change can feel draining, but it’s powerful to see everything that was achieved in just a single week.
While I won’t be in New York this year, I’ll be cheering everyone on from across the pond. We’re approaching critical milestones that will determine our ability to build a net-zero, nature-positive future and Climate Week NYC holds the power to drive collaboration and accelerate climate action.
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