Commerce Torquay welcomes businesses back in 2023

COMMERCE Torquay has welcomed the town’s traders back at its first event of 2023.

More than 60 representatives from local businesses gathered for breakfast and networking at The Sands, presented by the town’s chamber of commerce.

The Sands sales and marketing manager Annie Glasson gave an update on the renovated facilities at the hotel and golf course, which lies in the heart of The Sands estate.

 

“We’re really excited to move forward in the right direction in regards to events, conferencing and golf,” she said.

Kirsten Grant, one of the owners of The Sands, also spoke to the crowd.

“It’s been a long journey for us and a challenge to get the place up and running,” she said.

“I think we’ve now got ourselves a really great team of staff here – we had no staff when we opened, so we very much built the team from scratch.”

 

Commerce Torquay president Jeff Crow said the choice of venue was deliberate.

“I think it was really important for us to bring the first breakfast here to The Sands because a lot of people haven’t been here since the renovations and the new owners.”

He said businesses coming together as a community was the most important part of Commerce Torquay’s ongoing series of events.

“Over the past few years, we’ve become a lot more insular in ourselves and in our businesses. People were coming to us and saying ‘What can you do for me in my business?’

“In the old days, whether it’s RSL, Rotary, the Lions Club or your local chamber of commerce, it was what you can do for yourself and the community to help out.

“We all live here in Torquay, we all love Torquay, and there’s no reason why we can’t get together more often and help one another.”

 

The next event from Commerce Torquay will be with HR specialist Carli Saw from Strawberry Seed Consulting sometime in March, with details to be confirmed.