NJ Chamber of Commerce Annual Walk to Washington Cancelled for 2021

IMAGE: Russ DeSantis Photography and Video, LLC

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 11:40am

This morning, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce officially announced that the upcoming 2021 Walk to Washington and Congressional Dinner will be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tom Bracken
President and CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Nov. 9, 2020

"Clearly, in the current environment, it is not a good idea to host a networking event that packs together hundreds of business and government leaders on a charter train and then in a hotel for a dinner. Our intent is to resume the Walk to Washington in 2022 – conditions permitting – because it is an important event for New Jersey’s business community.”

The 2021 gathering was scheduled to take place on Feb. 18 and 19 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. As described by the Chamber, New Jersey's largest networking meeting is "a must-attend business event because of who attends and what happens." 

The much-loved political tradition has been in place since 1937 and allows political leaders from both sides of the aisle to mingle in a convivial atmosphere with business leaders and journalists. The gathering includes an Amtrak train ride dubbed "The Walk" which picks up guests from stations throughout New Jersey and transports them to Washington DC where they later attend the Chamber's Congressional Dinner. The event is expected to resume in 2022.

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Included in this announcement, the Chamber also stated that the organization will be working with the ​African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey to work together to end economic inequities in New Jersey.

John Harmon
President and Founder, African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey
Nov. 9, 2020

“New Jersey is already one of the most diverse states in the nation. The time is now to make it the most economically inclusive state in the nation. No issue is more important to New Jersey’s economic health than creating a system where economic opportunity is available for all.”

According to the Chamber, the initiative would include a series of receptions around the state to promote diversity and equal economic opportunity, culminating in a statewide dinner on Sept. 23, 2021.

The receptions and the dinner will honor people, organizations and companies that have successfully created or expanded diversity and equal economic opportunities across New Jersey.

Tom Bracken
President and CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
Nov. 9, 2020

“This will be a critical undertaking and something our two chambers envisioned when we signed our memorandum of understanding in August. We want to make our joint events a rallying call for diversity and equal opportunity. We will challenge businesses in every corner of the state to do their part to change the status quo."

The two chambers plan to work together with related activities of the New Jersey CEO Council, the New Jersey Legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity, and other businesses and chambers of commerce in the state.