Tonight, in our 30th year of incorporation, I have the great honour to present the 2025 President’s Report on behalf of the chamber’s executive team.

At the heart of our association is a commitment to grow the Eumundi and surrounding centres of commerce together, supporting local business, and making the region a better place for everyone.

This year can be defined as a year of ‘growth, connection, and opportunity’ for our chamber. Each year we champion local business, welcome visitors, and provide value for members, delivering initiatives that promote commerce, encourage tourism, connect community and provide opportunities for growth.

By supporting meaningful projects, fostering strong partnerships, connecting with industry leaders and government partners and giving the region a powerful voice, contributes to the region’s continued growth and success, and the shaping of a bright future for our community. Thank you all for being part of this journey.

For those interested in a deeper dive into our activities and results, copies of our Financial Statements and a more detailed Annual Report are provided tonight and will be made available on our website.

We’ve had another year of strong membership retention and growth. Membership grew by 24%, reaching 85 members, 71 active and 14 courtesy, doubling our numbers since 2019. We’ve expanded our reach to connect with over 200 representatives of local businesses, community organisations, government and industry groups.

Membership diversity continues to grow, with notable increases in Health & Wellbeing, Clean Technologies, and Food & Agribusiness. While there was a slight dip in Tourism, Sport, and Recreation, we also welcomed businesses from industries not previously represented, enriching our B2B network.

In Memory

As membership ebbs and flows, we also bid our farewells. With great sadness this year, we honour the exceptional contributions of Clare Botfield from Cinnabar Soul, and Pottery for the Planet. Clare's passing in 2024 left an enduring mark on all who knew her. As a past member of the Chamber, and finalist in the Eumundi Business Awards Chamber Business of the Year, Clare’s kindness, passion and warmth left a lasting legacy in our community and a special place in our hearts for all who knew her.

Events

Our events calendar was busier than ever, with ten events delivered, three more than last year, including our first Tri-Chamber Networking Event with Noosa and Cooroy in March, where twenty members connected with peers from neighbouring regions, five who seized the opportunity for broader exposure by sponsoring the event.

New to the events calendar this year, the two ‘Lunch and Learn’ workshops for AI in Marketing and AI Tools in Canva with Dr Karen Sutherland from Dharana Digital were both fully booked! Our regular ‘Drinks After 5’ and ‘Coffee Connections’ continued to be popular. Results this year confirm our highest member engagement and participation in chamber events on average since 2019, a new record! Planning is already underway to expand our events calendar even further next year.

Member Recognition

Each year, there are many members who volunteer their time and/or resources to support the chamber. To recognise these contributions, this year, we’ve introduced the “Member of the Year” Award.

This award, decided by the management committee and announced at each AGM, recognises a member who has gone above and beyond for the association through participation, or sponsorship and/or in kind donations. The recipient of this award receives one year’s membership and ongoing promotion through banner advertising on chamber communications. We are very excited to announce the recipient of the “Member of the Year” Award for 2025 is Laguna Pest Control.

Financially, we’re in a strong position, with vital reserves and a comfortable surplus to fund key chamber projects. Revenue from membership fees increased with member growth, and a secondary revenue stream is now in place from management of Lonergan Lane Market (LLM) two days/week.

Full stallholder occupancy in the ‘Lane’ has become our largest income source, diversifying revenue beyond grants and membership fees. Special thanks to our support staffand the Lane sub-committee, Louise Jeni, and Meghan for their dedication along with the members involved in expanding Eumundi’s market day offering - rain, hail, or shine!

A special mention also to Meghan Reis, who has quickly become a valued member of our team since joining us early 2024 supporting the executive team with administration, events, and member services.

Looking forward, our top priority is developing a refreshed strategic plan. We’re also excited to announce the activation of two new sub-committees to further strengthen our capacity and member support to deliver even more value to members.

Communication and member services remained a core focus this year. We delivered seven eNewsletters, 34 in total since 2020, each packed with chamber updates, member news, events, partner news and resources, and special offers. Our EDM’s continue to outperform industry averages, with open rates holding steady at 55%.

Our digital channels, including support for the Eumundi Business Hub Facebook page managed by Experience Eumundi, helped members stay connected and promote their businesses to a wider audience. On social media, our Facebook community grew to 661 followers, with organic reach up over 200% to 3,800 people and more than 7,000 views for the year. Strong engagement has been driven by posts featuring member stories and content, regional promotion, and business news.

We boosted Eumundi’s profile through collaborative marketing with Experience Eumundi, Sunshine Coast Council, Visit Sunshine Coast, and Tourism Noosa. The 2024 Buy Local Campaign was a standout, with Eumundi recognised as one of the top three chambers for business participation and visitor engagement.

Behind the scenes, we tracked our communication performance and strategies. Looking ahead, we’re planning a full review of our social media strategy to help us extend our reach, and support Experience Eumundi’s destination and collaborative marketing campaigns to showcase Eumundi’s offering to even more locals and visitors, helping members reach new audiences.

This year, we focused on building strong partnerships and advocating for our members at every opportunity. Our work with Sunshine Coast Council, Business Chamber Queensland, Business Queensland, and regional partners ensured that local business voices were heard in important policy, planning and economic development discussions.

We secured our second Community Partnership Grant, supporting our operations and enabling more programs and events for members. Thanks to our partnership with Council’s Business and Economic Development team and Business Queensland, members also benefited from two rounds of business continuity support and mentoring sessions through the ‘Mentoring 4 Growth’ program.

Throughout the Memorial Drive Streetscape project we worked closely with Council, members, and local businesses, advocating during community consultations, design, and construction. We look forward to seeing this major project completed in 2025.

Our ongoing partnership with Experience Eumundi has strengthened the 4562 visitor economy, opening up new opportunities for members in tourism and retail. We also played an active role in destination marketing with Visit Sunshine Coast and Tourism Noosa, helping members reach wider audiences, drive tourism and boost economic activity.

Collaborative campaigns like the Buy Local Campaign and the Eumundi Map, delivered with Experience Eumundi and other partners raised our region’s profile. With Buy Local Day 2025 approaching, we’re again working together to drive support for local business.

Community spirit was on show at events like Australia Day and Anzac Day. Thanks to Eumundi & District Community Association (EDCA) for making Australia Day special in Eumundi - the weather was certainly much kinder this year! We were also proud to support community organisations with commemorative events and celebrations. Thank you Eumundi Historical Association (EHA), Eumundi Rotary, and Eumundi Voice.

Looking ahead, we’re laying the groundwork for even more collaboration in the year ahead. We’re excited to deepen these partnerships, launch new sub-committees, and develop a refreshed strategic plan to guide future projects and advocacy.

• Develop and implement a refreshed strategic plan with input from members and stakeholders.
• Activate new sub-committees.
• Expand our events calendar with more workshops and networking opportunities.
• Continue to diversify income and strengthen financial resilience.
• Grow our regional promotion and advocacy, ensuring member voices are heard.
• Review and enhance our social media and digital engagement strategies.

Before we move to nominations for the 2025/2026 Executive Committee, I want to take a moment to recognise the outstanding contributions of the 2024/2025 Executive Team.

This year, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Janene Pearson, Louise Formosa, and Tom Rumble on the management committee, who together with David Perez rounding up our executive team, and Meghan Reis in support, have guided the chamber through a period of remarkable growth and opportunity. Their dedication, passion, and teamwork have truly been the backbone of our success and where the chamber is today.

I’d also like to thank David Perez and Tom Rumble for their service as chamber’s representative directors on the Board of Experience Eumundi. Their commitment has been invaluable as the company rolls out a new strategic plan to benefit our community and local businesses.

A special thank you also goes out to our administrative support, Meghan Reis, and to our volunteers, partners, and industry representatives. Your commitment and collaboration are at the heart all we achieve.

Tonight, we present nominations for the 2025/2026 executive positions. Thank you to those stepping forward and to those continuing in their roles, your leadership is vital as we build on this year’s momentum and work towards an even brighter future for our chamber and community. It’s an honour to be on your team!