New venues are helping to spark regrowth within Staffordshire’s most successful business networking organisation following the ending of Covid-19 restrictions.
BNI Staffordshire‘s leaders worked hard during the pandemic to ensure members kept meeting, via video links, and continued to generate business referrals.
Now the network is reinventing itself with new venues such as Stafford Rugby Club, Newcastle-under-Lyme Golf Club and the George and Dragon, Meaford.
Tony Altham, Executive Director at BNI Staffordshire, said: “The pandemic led to change. We saw some members leave as, inevitably, some business leaders took furlough and others decided the pandemic was an appropriate time to retire.
“But we’re now building again and the pandemic has seen us adapt to new ways of working.
“For example, our Network Stafford group has moved to a hybrid meeting system and has found an excellent new venue at the town’s rugby club.
“They have a face-to-face formal meeting once a month and the other weekly meetings are via Zoom. Meanwhile, we now have three groups who have moved to Newcastle-under-Lyme Golf Club and hold weekly in person meetings.
“Both hybrid and weekly face-to-face groups are adding new members following the end of coronavirus restrictions.”
The new venues have also sparked partnership working.
Newcastle Golf Club is working with travel consultant John Lehnert, of Get Set Go travel. The Packmoor based businessman has come up with an innovative partnership where he sponsors a hole at the club and the club allows him to talk regularly to members.
For every holiday booked by a Newcastle club member, the club benefits from a profit share arrangement with Get Set Go.
Meanwhile, Pink Connect Staffordshire has won a contract to provide IT services to Stafford Rugby Club.
Added Tony: “Newcastle Golf Club get paid for around 80 breakfasts each week. It’s an excellent partnership that is helping both club and members. Our numbers are also on the up in Stafford and members are very much enjoying their new venue.
“The George and Dragon, Meaford, is also a new venue for Staffordshire BNI and houses our weekly meeting of the Wedgwood chapter.”
