A year in review: 2019 Influence. Profile. Knowledge.

This is the last Voice of Business page for 2019 and the end of the year is a good time as any for reflection.  Over the year our ultimate goal is to serve our members by developing and implementing programs, making connections and growing a supportive business community to meet our vision statement of strengthening business.   

Influence. Profile. Knowledge.
The Power Hour receiving a national award
New ways to showcase our members (ChamberAM,  LoveLocalPtbo Campaign, and I’m Here Campaign)

Influence. Profile. Knowledge.
Everyone and every organization has a value proposition.  At the Peterborough Chamber we completed a lot of work to streamline ours, which is to give your business influence, profile, and knowledge.

Influence means we are committed to helping create the conditions for growth and to improving the competitiveness of the Peterborough business community through our lobby efforts at every level of government.

One example of influence from 2019 is a successful policy resolution we worked on with Chamber member Park Place Financial asking for the same tax rate for the sale of a business to a family member as for the sale of a business to a third party.

Profile speaks to how we can help you build your brand and find new partnerships and
collaborations through our online directory, social media channels, marketing and advertising, sponsorship and events.

Knowledge is how we can help improve your business fundamentals, attract employees, and adapt to new technologies through reliable and relevant information, quality training and targeted programs.   

These three words are reinforced through our website, branding, banners, and membership guide.   

The Power Hour
The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce won the annual Canadian Chamber of Commerce Competition at their Annual General Meeting in Saint John, New Brunswick on Saturday, September 21, 2019.

Each year the competition is focused on a different aspect of the Chamber operation, this year the competition was titled “Influence in Action - Advocacy through Events”, with an emphasis on events that create profile for the fundamental advocacy work of the Chamber Network. The Peterborough Chamber’s annual Power Hour event was chosen as the 1st Place Winner by some 300 delegates from across Canada.  The Power Hour is an annual event bringing together the business community and our elected officials. 
Attendees hear from our elected officials at all four levels of government - the MP for
Peterborough-Kawartha, the MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha, the Warden for the County of Peterborough, and the Mayor for the City of Peterborough.  Also invited as guests are the elected councils for the City and County of Peterborough, First Nations Chiefs and the City and County CAOs.

The event features a Q&A session, moderated by Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Policy Analyst, Sandra Dueck, with questions provided by the audience. The questions and the discussion further inform the advocacy direction for the Chamber moving forward.

The Peterborough Chamber has been named as one of three finalists on four occasions in this competition, for membership initiatives, our use of video, the creation of the Kawartha Choice brand, and the Power Hour. Kawartha Choice received the National Award as the best Community Initiative in 2005.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the staff and volunteers of the Chamber”, said President and CEO, Stuart Harrison, “to have the opportunity to not only showcase our Chamber at the national level, but to be judged the best, is truly an honour.”


Showcasing our Members
Our members do it all … and we want to showcase the many ways they do business, and community. There are a couple of ways we formalize this idea:

1. #LoveLocalPtbo Campaign
2. I’m Here Campaign
3. ChamberAM

The purpose of the yearly #LoveLocalPtbo campaign is simple - we want to celebrate and support businesses and organizations operating in Peterborough. Our local
businesses create jobs, support local charities, and contribute to the unique nature of our community.  In Peterborough, the business community represents about 30% of the tax bill.  This is tens of millions of dollars that goes directly back into our community!

In the I’m Here Campaign we are celebrating all the businesses within the Chamber of Commerce family.  When looking for shops and services, people ask us for a Chamber member.  It's where we go, you should too.  This campaign highlights our members through pictures and uses our social media network to get the word out about a business.

After 25 years, the Chamber revamped its breakfast networking event from the
Breakfast Club to ChamberAM.  The ChamberAM networking event offers members and
attendees an exciting talk on a topic intrinsic to business. 

Speakers are also recorded and interviewed and that interview is then passed on and shared through our social media networks.  All of this to showcase as many members as possible and reach as many members as possible.

If you read last week’s column you’ll know I ended by saying that the policy issues we deal with and write about is one way we support our mission.  Providing opportunities for our members to share their knowledge and increase their profile is another way we strengthen business and strengthen community.