Thank you to ALL THE MEMBERS who came out on Friday March 24th! It was a wonderful evening, the food was outstanding, our guest speaker Ian Faris gave us lots of information and the door prizes were fabulous.
President's Message
What an amazing organization I have the privilege of leading. The Madoc & District chamber of Commerce is in its 44th year of serving its membership and it is my pleasure to continue to serve as President for the coming year. This year the Chamber is again looking forward to working with all the local organizations in advancing the fundamental objectives that best serve the economic longevity and community strength of Central Hastings. Even though the work of a Chamber is never done, one can be assured that the Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce stands on a strong and growing foundation within our communities.
To say that the past year has been a challenge would be an understatement. Trying to find a balance between health and the economy has not been an easy task. However, much of the strength and stability of the Chamber not only in the past year but during the past 3 years has been essential in succeeding through theses times and it has been a direct result of the devoted efforts of myself, all the board members, along with our Administrator. The Board established a goal of expanding the presence of the Chamber in the surrounding communities and all of the board has taken up the project in stride. Meeting our goals each year shows the dedication we all have to grow our Chamber for the next generation.
At this time, I would like to share some numbers with you about our membership goals.
September of 2020 is when myself and new board took over and we had 29 members as of December 31, 2020. The goal for 2021 was to increase the membership to 80, as of December 31, 2021 we had 85 members. The goal for 2022 was to increase to 120, which we met on December 31, 2022. For 2023, our goal is to reach 150, as of March 24, 2023 we have 131 members.
Highlights of 2022
Community Voice: average view of weekly member spot light is 2700 within the first 3 hours and then after 2 or 3 days of being posted, the average views are nearing 5200.
Networking Events: Started them in May, they started off slow but the end of December they had picked up and now we are seeing more members coming out and doing business.
Golf Tournament we shared with BIT was a success.
Business Excellence Awards! HOME RUN!!! With all the sponsors coming from our membership this event was a HUGE success and to this day still being talked about. Save the Date Friday Oct 13th is our 2nd Annual Business Awards. Watch for details that will be rolled out soon.
Santa Claus Parade, Another HOME RUN!! Float participates from Madoc, Belleville, Springbrook, Marmora and Tweed. Audience was the biggest the town had seen in years. This summer, we are going to hold a fundraiser for the parade, as new decorations are need for the float. We will be sending out details by end of May.
2023 Events
Two new Chamber Events, Connect 4 Success +Job Fair and The Outdoor Show.
Nominations will be opening up in late May for the Business Excellence Awards and we added in 4 new categories.
Canada Day festivities are underway, as many location organizations are working together to make it bigger this year.
Lots of opportunity this year to network and grow your business.
In closing, let me take this moment to express my gratitude to the board for their loyalty and commitment they have given to the Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce. Your hard work and dedication is truly appreciated in helping move the Chamber forward. I personally thank each and everyone for a job well done and I look forward to working with the new board of directors.
And, to our most loyal and faithful members, we would be nothing without you! I thank each and everyone of you for the generous support and unflinching loyalty you have shown to this organization over the past forty-four years.
Thank you for your continued interest and support of the Madoc & District Chamber of Commerce. And please always feel free to contact myself or the Chamber as we always like to hear from you.
Thank you to all the Sponsors. Township of Madoc, Woodland North 62 Lavender Farm, Homestead Farm Products, Edward Jones, Potter Settlement Winery, Hunter Ford, Fish & Co., Jennifer Reid of Quinte Remax, SDP COMMUNICATIONS.
Also, I would like to give a special Thank You to Jennifer Reid, Kathy Harrison and Scott Foster for all the hard work they have done to put the AGM together.
Until Next year, have a successful 2023!
Shari
