Mon 03 / 07 / 17
Cue the music – Our AGM with a musical twist
Amy Lishman, Membership Manager, went along to the Chamber AGM and networking supper with Stick it On, 19 June 2017.
Brighton Chamber’s AGM is always a bit different and this years was no exception. Assembled in the bright and beautiful Harbour Hotel, members and the Chamber team gathered on Monday 19 June to look back at the Chamber achievements of 2016, look ahead to 2017 and 2018 and vote on several appointments to the Board. All while enjoying some good food, great conversation and lively music (more on that later!)
The night kicked off with our fabulous MC for the evening, Kathy Caton, Founder of Brighton Gin reflecting on how she never thought she’d join a Chamber of Commerce, Brighton’s fiercely independent and unique nature means that businesses can flourish if you put in some hard graft, and how Brighton Chamber encapsulates the spirit and energy of the city.
Getting down to business
Chamber President Julie Roff from ABC Translations had the pleasure of presenting the Chamber’s achievements in 2016. There are obviously too many to talk about in a short blog, so here are my highlights.
Did you know that the Chamber ran over 100 events in 2016, with over 4300 attendees? That’s phenomenal. From our Bite-sized Learning to our ‘High Rise debate on High Growth’ at the i360, when we say that there is something for everyone at the Chamber we mean it. 250 new members joined the Chamber last year and the team uploaded 300 members’ blogs to the Chamber’s website, showcasing the quality and breadth of business know how and talent on offer in Brighton. The Chamber continued to work in partnership with organisations across Brighton, including collaborating with Brighton Digital Festival for the first time.
Chris Ford, Brigton & Hove Bus Company, updated the AGM attendees on the all-important numbers for 2016 and 2017. The Chamber achieved all objectives in 2016 including increasing income from events and sponsorship, allowing the Chamber to continue to add and offer exceptional value for members.
To bring us into the future, Kate Peach, Vice President presented the Chamber’s vision for 2017. The Chamber has an ambitious plan to grow membership to 750 members by 2018. New events are on the cards for the coming year, so watch this space for an event with the Department for Trade and Investment and make sure you grab a ticket to the best event in the Brighton business calendar, Brighton Summit ‘Embracing the Unknown’ on 13 October.
The AGM Bit
Now for the official AGM part. The accounts were approved with thanks to Hilton, Sharp and Clarke for their pro-bono accountancy services to the Chamber. The new Articles of Association were voted on and incorporated with thanks to ASB Law for their work in revising these. Julie Roff was elected as Chamber President, Franki Martelly, Kate Peach and Jill Woolf were elected as Vice-Presidents and Andy Winter, Martin Harris and Frances Duncan were re-elected as Board Members.
The Brighton Chamber Board 2017/2018. Photo by Light Trick Photography
Cue the music
After dinner, the music from Stick it On. If you haven’t heard of Stick it On, it’s a chance be a superstar DJ for 15 minutes- choose 4 songs, get behind the decks and channel your inner Fatboy Slim.
Music can tell you a lot about people and we certainly found out that Chamber members have seriously good taste in music. Pete Jenkins of GAMIFICATION+ and Jill Woolf from Chimera Communications have a bright future as a superstar DJ duo and Daniel McNaught from Invona has the best DJ name of all time (in my opinion) - DJ MC Naughty. There were some inspired song choices, Insomnia by Faithless being my favourite. We danced like we were clubbing on Brighton seafront at 2am (without the late night and impending hangover).
It was a great night celebrating yet another successful year for Brighton Chamber. I wonder what’s in store for 2018?
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If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk