Presidents Welcome 2023

It’s around this time of the year we comment on how quickly the year has flown by, can you believe March is all but done and Easter is upon us?

It’s been an incredibly busy start to the year for our Chamber and we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure we provide our members with great value in the events we undertake and the advocacy work we do on your behalf.

The year got off to a flying start with more than 250 people attending our breakfast at the Maroochy RSL with former Wallabies Captain and business identity John Eales. John’s an incredibly gifted and engaging speaker and his message about resilience and adapting to change were incredibly pertinent as we move into the new year.

We also hosted former AFL premiership player and Lifeline Ambassador Tom Boyd at an after work event on the rooftop at the new A1 building within the new A1 building at the new Maroochydore City Centre. Tom’s message about resilience, positivity and self-care also resonated with our members and guests as we all look to embark on what may be a turbulent year ahead. I would particularly like to thank Lachlan Ballinger for his incredible work in securing Tom’s visit to the Sunshine Coast for our event.

We’ve also held several hugely popular coffee and connect events at Kon Tiki thanks to Harvest Coffee and another at Out and About Care. Both events were sold out and we encourage you to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Advocacy on behalf of our members is also a priority and as we move towards the 2032 Olympics our chamber will continue to work with all three levels of government to ensure we secure funding for the best mass transit system to serve the current and future needs of our growing region.  Maroochydore is a vital piece of this puzzle and it cannot be done without all relevant parties working together. We are committed to having a strong voice at this table.

Despite the turbulent economic and politics winds in the air, it’s been a very positive start to the year for our chamber, both membership and sponsorship are at an all time high and we cannot thank both our members and sponsors enough for their incredible support.

Finally, the incredible position our chamber currently finds itself in today is a direct result of our hardworking executive committee and the support of Min Swan and her team at White House International. Our executive team has remained consistent over the past few years and the transformation of our chamber would not be possible without their expertise, dedication and commitment.

I look forward to seeing you at our next Chamber event.

Brendan Bathersby