This event is held every two years in different regions across the world for chamber leaders and business professionals to develop networks, share ideas, understand new areas of innovation and exchange insights.
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) World Chambers Federation is a significant body of 12,000 business chambers representing six million businesses across 130 countries.
With Sydney hosting the prestigious ICC event, the lead up to the event itself will create significant opportunities for Australian businesses to develop relationships in far reaching markets.
The World Chambers Congress puts the spotlight on Sydney as an already exciting place to do business.
There are currently considerable infrastructure and commercial projects underway right across the region, and many unique opportunities exist for businesses to tap and develop growing markets, both domestically and on the international level.
Some of these projects were discussed at the recent Know My Business sponsored Greater Western Sydney Regional Roundtable, attended by business, government and community bodies.
The three local business chamber Presidents representing Sydney Hills, Penrith Valley and Cumberland, spoke on the value of being part of the chamber network to help identify and support commercial opportunities.
Within Sydney there are 60 business chambers that are part of the NSW Business Chamber Alliance.
Under this arrangement, businesses signing up as local business chamber members can opt in as members into the NSW Business Chamber.
Across the regions represented by local chambers there are microcosms of industries that reflect the broader industries that are part of the Sydney metropolitan area.
Membership in these chambers will grow as more businesses become aware of the opportunities, and each chamber will have membership levels that are more representative of local business.
To cater for this upturn, Know My Business has gathered market intelligence to identify targeted opportunities for businesses seeking membership or sponsorship arrangements.
It’s involvement with business chambers helps to introduce opportunities to businesses that are ready to grow.
The next two years will lead to many opportunities and transform the business environment in Sydney.
As a business, the timing to join networks as members or sponsors, as part of an engagement strategy, is now.
Know My Business took the initiative this year to become Platinum Support Partners of the Sydney Hills Business Chamber and have now extended that with memberships of eight other business chambers across Sydney.
The collaboration and fit within the business chamber network works well for Know My Business, as well as helping the business chambers to grow.
“Having recently joined the Chamber and become a Platinum Support Partner, Managing Director Hardeep Girn has not only directly contributed to the growth of our Chamber but his professional approach has been warmly received by many of our members who have engaged Know My Business to facilitate business to business connections. The Sydney Hills Business Chamber and Know My Business share the philosophy that, commerce develops between businesses that know, like and trust each other”.
Anthony Moss, Chairman
Sydney Hills Business Chamber
Internationally there are inflows of market opportunities that have identified Australia as a successful business market and gateway into Asia.
An initiative launched in March 2015, by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (SDREDC) has created a prize for US based companies tapping into the Go Global San Diego program and with intentions to enter new overseas markets.
During the program, the SDREDC will visit Sydney to establish relationships ahead of announcing winners at the end of 2015.
Know My Business, as a member of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, has formed close ties with businesses and organisations based in California and in October a business delegation will visit the US.
The aim will be to introduce Australian businesses to business opportunities in San Diego. A business delegation from San Diego will then visit Sydney in December to meet with local business prospects, alliance partners and suppliers across business chambers.
Also underway into overseas markets is a Sydney Hills Business Chamber initiative to develop closer links with Asia. An Australian delegation of businesses will soon be visiting the Hebei Province of China seeking commercial opportunities.
This follows a visit from a Chinese delegation from the same region November last year.
“After 10 years of negotiations, the China Free Trade Agreement for Australia was signed late last year and with it comes many opportunity for local businesses. We’ll be taking 10 local delegates to Shanghai and the Province of Hebei -Hebei's GDP alone is almost 500 billion AUD and they have a population of 72 million. We have some of the world’s most innovative businesses right here in the Hills – it’s time we shared them with the world.”
Tony Eades, Immediate Past Chairman,
Sydney Hills Business Chamber
These initiatives as well as those originating from overseas markets, puts the spotlight on business chambers within Australia to identify, communicate and grow business opportunities for their members and sponsors.
The collective of businesses across all industries in the business chamber network becomes a large resource and force in itself.
Over the next two years there will be a huge amount of activity that strengthens the value proposition of each business chamber and turns Sydney into a truly exceptional business environment.
