As we embrace the height of summer and many of us escape for glorious getaways to enjoy it, we are excited to bring you the latest news, updates, and opportunities from our dynamic business community.
In the July edition of Grapevine you’ll discover great industry insights as our Members share their expertise on a range of topics. It’s also been a busy month for great news stories from our community with so many highlights, achievements and celebrations to share.
Let’s take this opportunity to look back and what a great month July has been for the Chambers.
Celebrating Legacy and Luxury at Fenwick Colchester
Engaging conversations, exquisite hospitality, and a celebration of legacy at our recent networking event. We were delighted to host a fantastic evening at Fenwick Colchester, where guests enjoyed delicious food and welcome drinks in the sophisticated surroundings of Carluccio’s.
A highlight of the event was an insightful address by the company’s Retail Managing Director Hugo Fenwick, who shared the rich history of his family’s renowned department store.
This wasn’t just networking, the evening was a tribute to business heritage, local community, and shared success. Discover the full story on our Latest News.
Happy Work Anniversary Kris!
A huge congratulations to our incredible Head of Events, Marketing & Communications, Kris Wilson, on celebrating an amazing 12 years with the Chambers!
Kris began her journey with us in the International Trade Department and has worn many hats over the years always bringing energy, creativity, and dedication to everything she does. Today, she leads our dynamic events programme and is the creative mind behind all of our eye-catching marketing and promotional graphics.
Known for her can-do attitude and willingness to jump into any challenge, Kris is a true team player and a valued part of our Chambers family. Here’s to many more successful years ahead!
New Members Networking at the Launchpad Southend
It was fantastic to welcome so many of our new members in the south of the county to our hub in the Launchpad Southend. The evening was a great opportunity to introduce representatives from each Chambers department, who outlined the numerous ways our team are on hand to support businesses.
A brilliant night full of wonderful connections and conversations. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Annual General Meeting
This month we held Annual General Meeting at the Holiday Inn Southend. It was a pleasure to be joined by so many of our members to hear from our Board Chairman, Joe Denham, as he summarised the Chambers achievements of the past year. 
The evening was a great opportunity to bring our member community together to celebrate recent Chambers successes as well as building valuable connections within the network.
Thank you to everyone who came and to all our members for your continued support. We’re proud to be your dedicated, accredited and trusted Chambers of Commerce in the county.
NOW is back!
We were recently thrilled to relaunch NOW – The Network of Women: The strength to be gentle, the power to succeed.
Joined by our incredible members and patrons, we celebrated the occasion at Essex Cricket Club, cheering on Essex Women as they took on Somerset.
It was a pleasure to also be joined by Anne-Marie Martin, Director of Membership at the British Chambers of Commerce, who spoke to attendees about the wider support available through the British Chambers Network.
Originally founded by our CEO, Denise Rossiter, 20 years ago, NOW is a powerful private network created to connect, uplift, and empower women across the county. Thank you to everyone who made this a meaningful and memorable event. We can’t wait to grow and strengthen the network with more events in the future!
Dates for your Diaries
🖥️ August Virtual Networking – Free For All – Wednesday 20 August
📑 A Guide to Developing your Strategy for Social Media Workshop - Tuesday 2 September
🚗 Networking at Jaguar Land Rover - Thursday 4 September
🛎️ Network with Colchester City Council at the Delta Hotel Colchester – Tuesday 16 September
🦅 Tariffs, Trade & Transatlantic Tensions - What UK Exporters Need to Know Now - Tuesday 23 September
🦐 Networking with Southend United - Thursday 2 October
🛑 Conflict Management Workshop with Essex Police - Thursday 16 October
💡 Devolution for Essex - What you need to know Webinar - Wednesday 29 October
🎪 Festival of Business - Wednesday 5 November
🍓 Tiptree Festive Networking - Thursday 20 November
🚫 Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Webinar - Wednesday 26 November
🎄 Christmas Networking Breakfast at Braxted Park – Thursday 11 December