Senator Obama is expected in New York on Friday night for his first large-scale fund-raising event since announcing his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

More than 1,600 people are expected to hand over at least $100 apiece to attend a reception for the Illinois senator. Those who give $1,000 or more are invited to a gala, where they will get a more intimate audience with Mr. Obama.

Organizers claim they had to move the low-dollar event from a 58th Street nightclub, the Grand, to the nearby Grand Hyatt when the ticket sales outstripped the club’s 800-person limit. “They’re running up against the fire marshals,” one of Mr. Obama’s key fund-raisers said.

Still, the Obama camp made some efforts yesterday to diminish expectations for the overall take. One close adviser emphasized that Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, are in Senator Clinton’s territory, calling the fund-raising “an away game for the Obamas.” The New York tally is not expected to come close to the $1.6 million Mr. Obama raised last month at a Hollywood-heavy event hosted by the trio that heads DreamWorks SKG, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. “If it is half the success of the Los Angeles event … that’s a home run,” the adviser said.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Obama declined to discuss details of his fund-raising, and others involved spoke on the condition they not be named. The Illinois senator is scheduled to fly to Iowa on Saturday morning for more campaigning.

Mr. Obama was in the city earlier this week for smaller fund-raising events hosted by the CEO of Warner Music, Edgar Bronfman Jr., and another music industry executive, Antonio “L.A.” Reid. Those sessions drew an eclectic crowd, according to one attendee. “Where else in the history of presidential campaigns have you had Patricia Duff in the same room as Beyoncé, or Jay-Z in the same room as Jonathan Soros?” the Obama ally asked.

While Mr. Obama’s team claims to be tapping many donors who have not previously been significant players in Democratic politics, the Illinois senator has not had much success winning public converts among established New York area fund-raisers. The only notable veteran from that group to throw in with Mr. Obama is an investment banker who oversees the holdings of New Jersey’s state government, Orin Kramer. Mr. Obama has also won the backing of several Treasury Department aides under President Clinton, including Michael Froman and Joshua Steiner.

One fund-raiser who was an object of entreaties from Mr. Obama and other candidates, Hassan Nemazee, is choosing to stand by Mrs. Clinton. “I’ve met with all of them,” he told The New York Sun yesterday. “I came to the conclusion that Hillary, in my judgment, is prepared to be president of the United States on Day 1. She does not need a tutorial to get there. She is going to be the most formidable candidate we can put up on the Democratic side to beat the Republicans.”

When he was a top fund-raiser for the 2004 Democratic nominee, Senator Kerry of Massachusetts, Mr. Nemazee sued Iranian dissidents he said were slandering him by tying him to the Islamic regime in Iran. The dissidents settled and agreed to withdraw all such claims.
Separately, a Republican hopeful, Senator McCain of Arizona, passed through the city last night, addressing supporters and raising some cash at the Millennium Hotel on 44th Street.