You asked…We Listened!

As I mentioned in my last column, we have been reaching out to our members across South Niagara to evaluate programming and determine what the current needs are. Based on what we have heard back so far we have a few changes that we will be implementing in the fall. While networking opportunities are still very important to many members, we have learned that members are not interested in attending events where they are constantly networking with the same group of people. One of our more vocal members stated “I’m not interested in just being a part of a social club. I want to invest my time and my employees time into developing business connections that will be meaningful.” Our larger South Niagara BA5’s are receiving rave reviews because of those increased networking opportunities. While we will continue to provide this program, come September we will also be introducing our Membership Morning Meetings which will augment our BA5 schedule every other month across South Niagara. Similar to our BA5 format, the morning meeting will be hosted by one of our members. Start time will be 8:00 a.m. with a half hour of networking over coffee and muffins. At 8:30 a.m. we will take the floor and call our meeting to order. We will provide an update on the items we are working on and provide attendees with an opportunity to introduce themselves. We will then turn it over to our host who will provide an overview of their company, and for those who wish to participate, a tour of their facility. It’s a wrap by 9:30 a.m.. Again, in addition to learning about fellow Chamber Members, it will be a great way to get connected. The time change is also responsive to those members who have indicated that after work events are difficult for them to participate in. This is the value of taking the time to participate in our membership survey! You told us, we listened and the changes have been made. It’s not too late to provide your input!