Business hub considered for Blenheim

Business leaders in Marlborough are considering working under one roof, with some saying it will prevent ‘‘cannibalism’’ among their groups.

Four of the region’s business groups have started meeting with the Marlborough District Council each month to decide whether Blenheim needs a business hub, or if talking more regularly will do the trick.

The idea was first pitched during last year’s annual plan, when Marlborough Chamber of Commerce chief executive Hans Neilson asked the council to fund a feasibility study into a business hub for up to $10,000.

While his request was not approved, the council agreed to facilitate meet-ups with Destination Marlborough, Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, Business Trust Marlborough and the Blenheim Business Association (BBA), to pin down how to better support businesses.

Neilson said while the groups were ‘‘not at odds’’ with each other, they were on a ‘‘antiquated structure’’ that was ‘‘not really that smart’’.

At the moment, groups often competed with each other by holding events on the same day, which made the public feel overwhelmed.

‘‘The council funds other organisations like the BBA and Business Trust Marlborough so, unfortunately, there’s a lot of cannibalism that goes on, which is not healthy for us as a business community,’’ he said.

He felt a business hub with meeting rooms and ‘‘a coffee machine’’ would allow groups to be more ‘‘cohesive’’ and businesses to better flourish.

‘‘To me, success would be an understanding between organisations in this space. The best thing about this is they’re all people that are passionate. Everyone wants the best for the region,’’ Neilson said.

‘‘If businesses do better, then the whole region does better.’’

He went with Business Trust Marlborough manager Brian Dawson to Hawkes Bay in September last year to pilfer ideas from its ‘‘successful’’ business hub, which covered a region, like Marlborough’s hub would.

Dawson said the team of two looked at how the hub worked, who was involved with it, how ownership of it worked, and its stress points.

He said his group was ‘‘open minded’’ about a business hub.

‘‘We see that there are upsides, and also things to be worked through to make sure that it truly benefits all parties ... The other option is remaining as we are, a group of agencies collaborating well,’’ he said.

Dawson felt groups were already ‘‘actively listening to each other’’.

But Destination Marlborough general manager Jacqui Lloyd said she noticed there were sometimes crossovers between business groups.

‘‘It’s helpful to talk about what we do, how we do it, and opportunities to pass business organisations from one group to another,’’ she said.

The trust formed in 1997 to promote the region to visitors, but had since branched out to also provide ‘‘destination management’’, or the management of a destination’s values, people, access and marketing.

The trust would launch a new website tomorrow so visitors could learn how they could live and work in Marlborough, not just visit.

BBA chairwoman Lynette Rayner said she was ‘‘quite open minded’’ about a hub, as long as it was what the various groups deemed ‘‘the right thing’’.