From CICC

Almost a dozen small businesses were showcased at the inaugural Chamber Open House on Thursday, September 7.

A selection of members from a variety of industries arrived at the Chamber offices in Governors Square to showcase their products and services, and to network with fellow businesses and members of both the Chamber and wider community.

“This is the first time we’ve held an event like this, and it’s encouraging to see so many people come out to support the small business community,” said CEO, Wil Pineau. “There has been a lot of buzz in the conference room this evening and it’s clear to see that new business opportunities and relationships have been made.”

Businesses who were in attendance included:

• Cayman Islands Brewery

• Cayman Spirits Company

• General Maintenance & Repairs

• High Profile Salon

• Island Taste

• Monograms & More

• Treats Restaurant

• The LED Specialists

• Wine & Glass

Within a small community like the Cayman Islands, it’s usual for the business sector to be comprised of mostly small businesses. But these businesses can struggle to drum up new business and establish a name for themselves, and this is why we introduced the Chamber Open House.

Guests were greeted with complimentary drinks from Caybrew and Cayman Spirits Company, and were provided with a card with the logos of each business present. To enter the prize draw, guests were required to visit each member and learn more about their business. Once they had visited a member, the business would punch their logo on the card. Once all businesses had punched, the guest was then entered into the draw.

The prize on offer was a gift basket worth over $900, full of Chamber and member items, including:

• 6 wine glasses & decanter;

• A selection of gift certificates and coupons;

• 2 bottles of Governor’s Reserve Rum and a bottle of Gun Bay Vodka; and

• 5 Chamber training cards, each with a value of $175.00.

Annette Staumach was the lucky winner, and she graciously made her way to the front to collect her prize from President Kyle Broadhurst.

Speaking after the event, several patrons took to Twitter and social media to express their thanks and enjoyment.

“Loved your first ‘Open House’ tonight. Please thank all those who made it possible,” tweeted luxury travel blog writer, Simon Frew.

Entrepreneur and Past President David Kirkaldy expressed a similar opinion, tweeting “Thanks for organising the Small Business Open House. Good event format.”

Whilst the Chamber Open House was very much an experiment on developing a new networking event, the positive reaction has shown it could be a permanent fixture on the calendar.

“It’s brilliant to see such enthusiastic responses,” said Mr. Pineau. “Due to the success of the event we’ll definitely have to consider holding it again in the future.

We would like to thank all exhibitors for making the first-ever Chamber Open House so memorable, and we’d like to thank everyone who attended for showing their support to the small business community.

Photos from the event can be found on our Facebook page.

IMAGE: Annette Staumach collecting her basket of goods from President Kyle Broadhurst.