Armidale & District Chamber of Commerce Inc.
Trading as Armidale Business Chamber
Incorporation NO. Y1565124
2016Annual General Meeting
Wednesday 9th March 2016
President’s Report
The 2015 year has seen the Armidale Business Chamber consolidate and grow its membership base to over 220 companies which represents more than 70% of Armidale’s Business.
The Chamber has continued to facilitate connections between Chamber members, sponsors, UNE, Armidale Dumaresq Council and the wider business community, by developing platforms for engagement with our regular Business after Hours, NEEW’s Breakfasts and ad hoc meetings. Speakers for these events have includedHollie Kramer, former CEO of Best & Lest, John Walker AM Head of Macquarie Bank South Korea, Robbie SeftonPrincipal of Sefton & Associates, voted one of Australia’s 100 women of Influence in 2015, The Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP, NSW Treasurerand Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb who allocated precious time to meet 20 of our members over a relaxed Chamber breakfast. The Chamber has also been well supported and recognised by our incumbent national and state political representatives, the Hon Barnaby Joyce and Adam Marshall MP.
Our message to inspire, energise, resource and reward continues to resonate across our regions business community, with numerous positive compliments about our ever growing leadership role within the business community,being delivered back to and recorded at management meetings in 2015.
The Chamber’s leadership initiativesare summarised as following.
In partnership with the UNE Business School, the Armidale Business Chamber launched the region’s first ever Skills Survey, which aimed to identify both local business capabilities and strengths, and the skills that New England businesses need, to develop to take our economy to the next level.
With 100 respondents completing the survey, draft preliminary findings identified Marketing and DigitalMarketing as the top two skills needed by business to develop strategies, to not only survive but prosper in the digital economy. As a first step, Chamber took the initiative to engage Greg Alder from New IQ to deliver a 7 series innovation workshop series – where business will be empowered with the knowledge, tools, tips and support to create a culture of innovation to convert ideas into innovations with commercial value.
The Chamber also took the initiative to invite the Armidale Dumaresq Council to be our Innovation Partner in delivering this workshop series and we are delighted to have their support in this regard.
With 150 nominations and 95 entries in 14 categories, the judging panel had a very hard task in identifying the finalists in the 2015 Business Awards
The key finding when comparing 2014 entrants to 2015 entrants was businesses realising the need to create new strategies and new business models in order to grow business capacity, diversity and uniqueness in the region.
The Welcome to Armidale program has continued to provide welcoming events and our Chamber end of month drinks has proved extremely successful as an opportunity for members, councillors and incumbent politicians to enjoy each other’s company and conversations.
In 2015 the Management Committee has worked very hard to secure new and reaffirm existing sponsorship relationships which has resulted in the Chamber achieving a soundfinancial position.
A very special mention of thanks must be made to the University of New England and in particular the UNE Business School for their ongoing collegial support and generous Gold sponsorship of the Chamber.
Nucleo was secured as our naming Gold sponsor for the Chamber’s Award evening in return for creating and delivering a new Chamber website and a digital marketing workshop series.
The Greater confirmed their second year partnership with the NEEW program with sponsorship totalling $7,700.
Sponsorship totalling $21,500was achieved for the Business Awards.
It is my view based on the feedback from both existing and new members and from community, university and political leaders that the Armidale Business Chamber has achieved a discernible level of authenticity, respect and mature recognition within our local business houses, local participating corporates and wider community.
I would like to thank Nathan Gilbody for his outstanding work as Treasurer. Nathan is handing the Treasurer’s role to a fellow Robert’s & Morrow colleague Samantha Bath but will stay connected to the management committee in an advisory role. Welcome Samantha.
I would also like to thank Keiran Breckenridge for his contribution to the Chamber, as Secretary and as a Management Committee member to late 2015.
I would like to sincerely thank our returning board members for their hard work and dedication in 2015 and for their continuing support of the Chamber for the 2016 year.
A very special thanks goes to Tracy Pendergast for her dedication, hard work and professionalism. The Chamber is in very good hands with Tracy’s outstanding performance and energy in her role as Executive Officer.
Finally,I am delighted that the majority of our Management Committee 2015 is continuing their Committee membership in 2016. This group bringsa strong mix of skills to the projects we will undertake in 2016, and the continuity of their contribution brings added strength to our capacity as a Management Committee Team.
‘Inspiring, energising and resourcing
Armidale’sbusiness community’