Remarks by Outgoing President Kyle Broadhurst at the Membership Appreciation and Elections on 24th January 2018, at the Wharf Restaurant
Good evening. I’d like to call this 52nd annual general meeting to order and begin by welcoming our special guest, the Hon. Joseph Hew, Minister for Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure. Minister Hew, as a former President of the Chamber, is familiar with the importance of today’s meeting to elect new leadership in the organisation and to provide members with an overview of our activities over the past year. We also look forward to hearing Minister Hew’s remarks later in the agenda. The minutes of the 2016 Annual General Meeting have been distributed for review. If there are no changes coming from the floor, can I receive a motion to accept the minutes as drafted and a seconder to that motion. All in favour. The minutes are approved.
1
This afternoon I address you for the final time as President, with Paul Byles set to take over the duties. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve in this capacity. Working with the membership and staff, together we have achieved a great deal. After several months of development, in April, we launched the Growth Matters campaign. The 10-part video series was designed to educate residents, children and businesses about the benefits of economic growth and how it is attained. The campaign received tens of thousands of online views, garnering acclaim and accolades from international organisations such as the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and the Internet Marketing Association. The Council worked over several months to develop a three-year Advocacy Agenda & Action Plan. The Plan was released at the end of
2
2017 and aligns with several of the points in Government’s Strategic Policy Statement and two-year budget. Turning to Government relations, the Council continued to arrange quarterly meetings with Caucus, ensuring that your voices are heard by your legislators and policy makers. We hosted a series of televised constituency-based candidates’ forums leading up to the election. We have also continued to conduct focus groups, and presented the findings report of our Micro-and-Small Business sessions to the Ministry of Commerce and Cabinet. Education has also been a main priority of the Council’s work. The Council and I have worked to reintroduce the Golden Apple Awards for this year, and it is very exciting that our educators will once again be recognised for their brilliant work in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.
3
I also established an Education & Workforce Development Committee which will begin work this year on a number of different issues. We hope that we can work to develop educational services available to residents and students, and promote vocational careers that are desperately seeking Caymanian applicants. But your benefits are not just limited to having your voices heard. We are a Chamber that works for you in all regards. Last year we expanded our range of events and programmes to ensure your organisations and staff could grow and develop with us. The Professional Development & Training Centre offered a more comprehensive range of courses that over 600 persons benefitted from. The Small Business Centre continued to offer 18 free workshops addressing such topics as accounting services, social media, and marketing. 4
Promotion of the membership is also a vital component of our work, and many of you joined us for flagship events. Over 30-member businesses participated in the Careers, Education & Training Expo where you got the chance to speak to students about internships, work experience opportunities and scholarships. Over 2,300 volunteers participated in the Earth Day Beach and Roadside Cleanup. 118 teams ensured that our landscapes maintained their natural beauty, with thousands of bags of trash collected. The inaugural Chamber Open House placed a spotlight on our smaller members, giving them an opportunity to effectively showcase their businesses. We had an outstanding turnout for this event, and it is encouraging to see so many people supporting and promoting the small business sector. 5
But this year we wanted to do something more for you. The Council and I wanted to find a way to really show our appreciation for your outstanding commitment as members, and the outstanding work you do for the community. Thus the Business Excellence Awards was introduced. We wanted the community to know just how important you are to them, and we examined the work you had conducted in areas such as innovation, marketing, the environment, and more. Each submission we received was of outstanding quality, and trust me, it was not an easy task determining the Best in Show recipients. We are looking forward to the return of the event in October, and we are eager to see your brilliant achievements over the coming months. For further details about the year please pick up a copy of the Annual Report. 6
The Business Excellence Awards is not the only way in which we celebrate our members, however. Many of you make generous contributions each year. At this time, I would like to ask CEO Wil Pineau to join me to recognise this year’s Chamber Champions.
(WIL INTRODUCES CHAMBER CHAMPIONS & PRESIDENT KYLE PRESENTS THE AWARDS)
7
PRESIDENT KYLE PRESENTS AWARDS TO RETIRING COUNCILLORS
Thank you, Wayne. After serving as the Treasurer for the Chamber of Commerce for 17 years, Wayne has made the decision to step down from the duties. His commitment to the membership and the Council over the past two decades has been unparalleled, and he has played an integral role in the development of the Chamber. Whilst I’m sure Wayne will enjoy the return of his free time every month, we will all miss him dearly. Wayne, on behalf of the Council, staff and membership, I wish you all the very best for the future. Thank you for your outstanding services and commitment to the Chamber over the years. As a token of our appreciation please accept this gift in recognition of your hard work.
8
Wayne is not the only Council member leaving us this year. As the ballots indicate, there are three Councillor positions to be filled. Councillors Gregg Anderson, Cynthia Hew and James O’Brien have completed their two-year terms. Their efforts have helped the Council to develop strategies and take actions that have benefited not only the membership, but the wider community too. I hope that we can continue our collaborations with these outstanding individuals, and they will be sorely missed. Please, join me to receive a token of our appreciation. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the Chamber and supported the Council during my time as President. I have cherished every moment of the past 12 months, and I will forever have fond memories of my time here. I will continue to serve the Chamber in any capacity possible, and I wish Paul the best of luck in his new role.
9