Steinbach was represented at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Conference and Annual General Meeting, joining more than 400 representatives from across the country. Steinbach Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tessa Masi and President Eugene Warwaruk travelled to Victoria, British Columbia, for the annual event. Warwaruk says the conference focused on three main themes. "Starting with the national scope. Then looking at future of business, how AI is going to impact that, and other areas of advocacy and then basically future of communities." Building trust and government relationships Masi says there were several important takeaways from the sessions, including the importance of maintaining credibility. "That is built through member trust and that relationship with your members. They're looking to the Chamber to really deliver credible sessions and services. I think that's why the communities trust us to run election forums non-biased and very non-partisan." She adds that having strong policies and internal procedures also plays a role in maintaining that credibility. Related Stories: Chamber president says Steinbach must plan boldly for future growth Business leaders gather in Steinbach for Manitoba Economic Summit Steinbach Chamber hosting forum for city council candidates Thursday Another key takeaway for her was the importance of building relationships with government representatives. "Not just when you need something from them, actually having that relationship and inviting them out to your community, having good dialogue with them instead of just knocking at the door when you have a big ask." Masi says another significant part of the conference was discussing and voting on 41 policy resolutions. "Each province is able to give their input and have their vote on what priorities should be taken to the federal government on behalf of the Canadian Chambers of Commerce." Bringing new ideas back to Steinbach Warwaruk says attending the national conference gives them an opportunity to consider new ideas and identify initiatives that could benefit the local business community. "It was my first time at the national conference, so I was very impressed with the level of engagement that I found with other chambers from across the country." Masi agrees that connecting with other chambers is one of the most important parts of the experience. "This is my peer group and it really is invaluable for us to be able to have that time to brainstorm together, hear what other people are doing, what are their challenges, and how are they adapting, growing and making things work." It also provides an opportunity to showcase what Steinbach is doing. She recalls sharing information about Steinbach Burger Days at last year's conference, which caught the attention of another chamber representative. "She goes, 'I've been waiting a whole year to find you and talk to you and ask you more follow-up questions', because she couldn't remember my name. So, I thought that was fantastic and shared with her. I love that even though we're coming in as a smaller organization, we still have something to bring to the national table." One idea Warwaruk hopes to explore in Steinbach is creating a committee focused on supporting young entrepreneurs and newcomers, something he says other chambers are already doing. "How can we establish a mentorship program so we can engage our senior business leaders and have them support our young entrepreneurs and newcomers and pass on that knowledge. When someone has been in business for 20, 30, 40 or more years, they have so much experience and so much knowledge that it's a shame to let that not be utilized." Another area of interest is finding ways to support the growing number of online businesses and independent entrepreneurs. "Many people are launching businesses and becoming solopreneurs, they call it, where they're just consultants or they are starting a small business where they're the only employee and looking at how can we support them and seeing is there a way to grow their business." Connecting with fellow chamber leaders In addition to the national conference, Masi attended a separate gathering for chamber executive directors, bringing together 185 of her peers. She says the sessions provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, ask questions, and learn more about building and managing a healthy chamber organization. "It looks like having an engaged membership. It looks like having a supportive board. And so, they have different sessions that really speak to how to equip us with those skills and how to give us support where that's needed."