Chamber Growth Club July 2023

Dear Ambassadors and Growth Club Members,

Networking

Our objective this year is to provide opportunities for you to meet other business people who can help you grow your business.

Join Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86810994342

This will be the same link for the next 12 meetings.

Our online strategy

This year we will be returning to the Zoom format for our meetings, which means we no longer have to charge for your attendence. We will be using breakout rooms to replace the table functionality, which means we have the flexibility to provide sector or skills specific meetings.

The format of the meeting will be:

• 08.30 to 8.45 Introductions
• 8.45 to 9.15 Presentation 15mins pres 15 mins questions
• 9.15 to 9.45 Breakout rooms – Some theemed – some for networking

This will give you 1/2 hour to present, chat etc with people you have invited, or just want to talk to. Also those who want to leave at 9.15 can.

Our face to face plan

We will be working with Tewinbury Farm and Panshanger Golf Club as a location for meeting up. They have both the space for social distancing, and the ambition to do more in the community. Vaughan Williams the owner has invited me onto their committee and We are looking forward to working together.

Ongoing Activity

In terms of our engagement strategy, I have appointed an Agency for CareAbout to engage with businesses outside of our immediate catchment area which extends our reach across Beds Bucks and Herts. We have adopted Hubspot for our Social and CRM Engagement tool, and are in the process of develping the content for video training into these companies. We have been busy over the Christmas break.

• Press Activity – Our monthly “Express Yourself” campaign is building our brand nicely.
• Our Sponsorship opportunities are providing press exposure for our Ambassadors and local businesses
• Our Schools engagement Programm Be Heard, Be Valued, Belong is gaining traction and will be launched in the first 1/4
• Intergenerational learning, the changing face of skills acquisition, and this involves a far closer relationship directly between business and the community. This is already happenning in the US and is changing the face of recruitment.
• We are working on a closer relationship with Cranfield and Brunel, both of which have been help up by Covid. This really needs face to facve meetings. Watch this space.
• What else? All suggestions greatfully received.