Project Summary

Main objectives  of meeting:

This meeting was about shaking things up and the next is to solidify who we are and what we want going forward.

Bring the Chamber into the 21st Century

How are we going to change it and what does that look like?

Firstly, it’s worth noting that the Working Group did all agree that Bromyard is unique and a lot of it’s traditions and history should be encouraged and the Working Group want to lean in to it’s olde-world charm, not destroy it. We just want to change how the Chamber currently supports local businesses and tourism.

How do we support our town?

• Promote events
• Promote Tourism (Economical development of the High Street)
• Marketing -> Feed more to Destination Bromyard
• Create a calendar of upcoming events
• Networking events (utilise H&W Chamber?)
• Be an independent  pressure/push group on the Town Council
• Actively seek funding and opportunities
• Being an associate of the H&W Chamber of Commerce - what does that mean for us?

The name

It is clear that the name (Bromyard & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry) as it stands is outdated, unclear and unwelcoming. The working group wanted to thank BITA, who were kind enough to send over name change suggestions which the officers examined attentively.

The group discussed how the name, although dated as it is, actually holds a lot of symbolism and presence within business and it may be that the structure as a whole is the problem, not the name (Please refer to Hereford & Worcester as a prime example). The group did, however, agree that the full name does not reflect the direction we envisage the Chamber heading. For this reason, the group discussed changing the name to Bromyard Chamber, then having a strong tagline that illustrates who we support, for example “Empowering growth of tourism, business & trade”

Branding

The working group discussed that, as we agreed the name needs to change slightly, the branding definitely needs modernising. The key areas we felt needed work are as follows:

• Logo
• Marketing
• Social Media

Logo - With regards to the logo, we discussed  that the current one is unwelcoming and is symbolising the Council arms, which we wanted to be clear that we are not the council. We discussed using the images that were cultivated by Nifty Comms & Lucy G in some way as these are fresh and appealing.

Marketing - We agree that the banner needs to come down as you enter the town, but appreciate the prime location this is to promote ourselves and other businesses
(can we utilise this somehow).

Although the current website is well made, with the new branding we felt it would be a good idea to build a new website that would be coherent with this branding and potentially Destination Bromyard also. Charlie (Chair) has offered to build this.

The working group discussed the potential of a Magazine which would showcase key dates throughout the year.

Social Media - We discussed having a social media presence and agree it would be vital to modernise the Chamber and help promote what we do and other businesses. It would be a great way to cross promote.

Website

Just touching on the website again, the Working Group felt it would be a good idea to have some sort of area where businesses could upload anything they feel could be shared to Destination Bromyard’s followers which was of value, such as: how-to’s / blogs, news/ event dates etc . This would be a great way for businesses that aren't familiar with social media to use it, but also smaller pages with smaller followers could utilise Destination Bromyard to be more visible.

Next steps:

• New domain (based on the name is decided)
• Compile new  images (utilise the images from the rebrand)
• New email address
• Build website

Upcoming events & news:

News - We applied for the BID grant which was to be applied for and used by the end of the financial year. The working Group applied for the grant and won. Due to the short window of time to purchase and use the money, the group decided to spend it on marketing materials for Bromyard’s tourism, such as branded travel cups and bags. The group are in discussions on how to distribute the merchandise in order to support local business.

Going forward Charlie has received the assurance from Marches LIP that they will keep us informed about funding/grants and will also help us with the, often complicated, wording needed for application.

Upcoming events - The Armed Forces week  is held by Bromyard every 5 years and this year is our year. (June 24th > June 29th).  There will be a mixture of events throughout the week, such as a show at the Conquest, dignitaries visiting the town such as the 1st Rifles, military vehicle expedition, parades, music in the green and a church service. The working group wanted to take this opportunity to somehow promote local business during this week. There were discussions of suggesting to businesses to dress up their windows in red,white and blue to match the flags that will be going up in town. Perhaps themed products and services to coincide with the goings on in town.

Becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee or CIC

The Working Group discussed these two options and decided to push forward with a[pplying to become a Company Limited by Guarantee as quickly as possible to offset liability as soon as possible, however at a later date revisit becoming a CIC.

Jayne you may want to explain each option here.

Constitution

The Working Group believes that this needs changing and updating to be clearer. This will be updated once we agree on the new name and have our foundations settled.

Do we need officers or a membership?

Although we agree that the Chamber needs to be more welcoming and approachable, we do feel that certain roles need to be maintained. We do feel, however, that each year voting new officers should be simple, allowing the group to always be in the best interests of Bromyard businesses. We also believe that a membership is crucial in order to have the funds to help local businesses - going forward these funds will be utilised better.

Being an associate of the H&W Chamber of Commerce - what does that mean for us?

The Working Group would like to contact H&W C of C and find out exactly what it means to be an associate of their group. We feel it would be a great asset to use if we could join their networking events for example, or their talks.  

Next steps:

Create proposal based on the minutes of this meeting

Send proposal ahead of next meeting date to members

Agree on name and branding going forward so we can move on to building website and designing marketing materials

Jayne - create proposal

Heather - Speak to new venue regarding meeting place

Jessie - Start speaking to businesses about feeding value to Destination Bromyard

Charlie - Contact H&W chamber and ask questions above. Speak to businesses about Armed Forces week

Ian - apply for Company Limited by Guarantee

Date of next meeting:

Working group - 29th April

Chamber Meeting with Members: 8th May