Tackling tough times together Nobody can pretend, of course, that 2024 wasn’t without its challenges – a late-in-the-day, business-unfriendly budget amongst them. But what resounds strongly in the Chamber’s metrics in 2024 is
a palpable sense, amongst businesses, of the importance of being part of something bigger when you’re battling downside. So, in addition to a healthy infl ux of new members during the year,
we also achieved an incredible member retention fi gure – one of the highest, in fact, in the national network of Chambers as a whole. Attendance at all Chamber events was also well up on the
previous year, and one of the most exciting developments was that our member-to-member referrals – where members engage in business with each other – hit over 500 in the year. What this shows is that the Chamber isn’t just a place where
there is safety and solidarity in numbers, it’s a place of vibrancy and interaction, too – a catalyst for businesses to thrive and grow, as well as an environment that champions and protects their interests.
What can you expect from the Chamber in 2025? Looking forward to next year, we’re already pretty eager and ener- gised, with positive prospects and tentative green lights on the horizon for both the Chamber and the wider business and county community. T e Universal Studios proposal to turn the old Stewartby brick-
works into a fi lm theme park, and the London Luton Airport expan- sion plans, for example, are both close to the fi nal decision stage (at the time of writing), and it could be that 2025 is the year when both come to fruition. From our point of view, 2025 will also be the year of launches
and rollouts, as we drive several projects forward to improve the member experience and increase our sector-specifi c engagement.
Amongst these will be a next-generation Chamber network aimed specifically at young professionals,
the expansion of
our artificial intelligence (AI) platform to unearth deeper prospects and synergies between our members, and, around April, time, the go-live of our manufacturing and engineering sector group. Clearly, the next SME Awards are also front of mind, as we
continue to raise the bar on getting our outstanding local businesses and innovators known in the county and its communities. T e launch event is on January 15. Don’t miss it! On the social value front, we’ll be focusing more on improving
and evidencing our own and our members’ sustainability and looking to expand our Strategic Partners in membership – we have an exciting new partnership to announce at the end of January, so keep a close eye on our announcements. And our key metrics for 2025? Continuing to grow our peer
networks, supporting businesses to engage with new opportunities – not just locally, but also nationally and internationally – building more extensive connections, and raising both our and our members’ profi les still higher. All in a year’s work for the team here! We look forward to working with you in 2025.
For more information on becoming a Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce member, call the friendly team on 01582 522448, or visit
www.chamber-business.com
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