GEELONG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Advancing Business and Industry in the Geelong
Region

THE CHAMBER'S BEGINNINGS
A group of Geelong’s businessmen founded the Geelong Chamber of Commerce in June, 1853. The Chamber acted as a financier for a lot of Geelong businesses first starting up. The Chamber built and opened its first office in 1859 in Moorabool Street, immediately south of the Chamber's present offices in the Victorian Business Centre.

THE CHAMBER TODAY
Norm Lyons, Managing Director of Lyons Construction in Geelong, is the Chamber’s 56th President since it was reconstituted in 1890. The Chamber is a non-profit business organisation and has always been non-political. The Chamber still remains totally independent and answers only to its members - currently over 600 - who are drawn from a wide diversity of large, medium and small business enterprises and organisations, and include Ford Australia, Alcoa, BHP Divisions, Brintons, Shell Australia, Deakin University, Gordon Institute of TAFE, CSIRO - TFT and Animal Health Divisions, Barwon Health, Geelong Football Club, etc. to individual members. Being independent, the Chamber is funded solely from members' subscriptions and it acts primarily on their behalf. The Chamber, unashamedly, promotes Geelong business and always "Puts Geelong First". The Geelong Chamber is a well-accepted and respected association and, while it is non-political, is seen as being quite influential in political circles and enjoys direct links to Canberra and Spring Street and speaks to all local parliamentary representatives on a regular basis. All of this brings about better communication and understanding about local businesses' needs. The Chamber is also close to both the City of Greater Geelong and Surf Coast Councils and both Councils are members and both have Directors representing them on the Chamber Council. Conversely, the Chamber has had representation on the Geelong Development Board since its inception in 1993 and also has representation on the Geelong Central Revitalisation Taskforce, the Geelong Environmental Management Implementation Committee and other major committees.

CHAMBER'S ACTIVITIES
The Chamber's direction and activities are controlled by a Council of up to sixteen Directors - ten who are elected by the members for two-year terms and up to six who are appointed because of their expertise or representation of other organisations, e.g. Geelong Manufacturing Council, Health Services, Finance, VECCI, Local Government, etc. The Chamber has the following sub-committees:

• Membership Services
• Public Finance w Education and Research
• Planning Development and Building
• Retail
• Media

The Chamber promotes networking among its members. The best opportunity for this is through attendance at Chamber "After Five" functions which are fully sponsored and held every six weeks or so. The Chamber's Annual Dinner and other functions provide this as well.