Narooma Chamber says world is its oyster
2016 has been a busy year for the Narooma Chamber of Commerce. We started last October with a fresh new committee and immediately took on the task of building a business case for the Narooma Visitors Information Centre (VIC). A task force was established and they worked tirelessly to create a new vision for the VIC based on the membership’s desire that it remain a community-based organisation. Ultimately our tender to Eurobodalla Shire Council was unsuccessful.
Our second major initiative, to partner the Oyster Festival with the Narooma Blues Festival got off to a good start. Initial discussions and plans drew positive community support, so it was a disappointment to the chamber when the Blues Festival was cancelled. We took the opportunity to postpone the Oyster Festival for 2016 and undertake a long overdue review of the its vision and planning.
Whilst our two major public initiatives didn’t come to fruition, we have been working hard behind the scenes, streamlining chamber processes and communications. Our Narooma.org website continues to grow and show excellent results. Our social media presence is improving steadily and we’re growing our membership base.
2016 also saw the inaugural Eurobodalla Business Awards, which involved all local chambers working together with the council and the NSW Business Chamber to run a shire-wide awards program. This successful event has paved the way for 2017 and beyond, which is an excellent outcome.
Working with Club Narooma, the chamber helped coordinate the “Dying to Know” day run by Shanna Provost. This excellent information day providing a range of information about dying - a subject that we all tend to shy away from.
So what’s next? The chamber committee of seven members is back on board for 2017 with the addition of two new members to help with the workload. Our focus is to get the Oyster Festival off to a sustainable new platform and to action a range of activities from our soon-to-be finalised strategic plan. We look forward to your support in the coming year.
Niels Bendixsen
President, Narooma & District Chamber of Commerce & Tourism
