Mactaquac chamber had busy year
Published Monday November 9th, 2009
MACTAQUAC - One year ago, Melanie Sloat accepted the gavel from Peter Morrison, former president of the Mactaquac Country Chamber of Commerce.
"I can honestly say it has been a quick year and I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the chamber," said Sloat.
Goals were set to establish a committee to work at increasing membership, to get more members to take on a more active role in the chamber, to seek sponsorship and review to see if there are opportunities to create new events or expand current ones.
"I am proud that we have accomplished these goals and we will continue to work with these goals in the coming year," Sloat said.
The chamber promotes and supports 77 members, a four per cent increase over 2008, with 62 renewing members and 15 new members.
A new DVD was unveiled during the welcome reception at the annual meeting recently.
It contains information about the chamber and features company logos of participating members.
A banner was unveiled in the spring at the annual awards banquet and is taken to many events throughout the area.
The website, www.mactaquaccountry.ca,/chamber, features member information and is as current as the information provided by the members, said Sloat.
The organization releases a monthly newsletter on the website, including chamber events, milestones or items of interest to other network members.
The Mactaquac Country Chamber of Commerce includes businesses in communities around the headpond from Nackawic, Millville and Harvey, to Keswick, Dumfries and Prince William.
"We launched our after-hours networking events and hosted an information session in June in partnership with many groups to bring to the membership the province's new marketing strategy.''
The strategy is called Inner Journeys Experience Collection, which focuses on themes such as comfort and contemplation, child's play, challenge, culture and customs, cuisine and celebration, said Sloat.
Mactaquac Country has launched a social media networking campaign which includes Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, POI Friends and Flickr.
A new feature on the website is a job bank that gives businesses an opportunity to list jobs available in their companies.
Guest speaker for the annual meeting was Erin McGrath-Gaudet, policy analyst with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
She focused on leading the CFIB legislative activity in P.E.I. and the agri-business file for the Atlantic region.
There are 4,500 CFIB members in New Brunswick and 150,000 members across Canada.
The federation operates with a one-member, one-vote policy.
"In New Brunswick, about 55 per cent of businesses have from one to four employees.
"A company this small does not have much power alone but, collectively, they have a voice that is heard," said McGrath-Gaudet.
She said she has witnessed the challenges facing small business owners and the importance of entrepreneurship to the local economy and communities in which these small businesses are located.
"It is these small companies which have pulled the economy through this recession."
Board members for the chamber include Sloat as president, Alex Hoffman as acting treasurer, Dora Boudreau as secretary and Peter Morrison as past president.
Current directors for the chamber include Bill Blaney, Hugh Boudreau, Mary Chase, Fraser Ingraham,
Marc Jesmer, John Maunder, Jamie Young.
Disabled
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
