Chamber meetings
The Chamber usually meets on the 3rd Monday of each month to conduct its business and discuss issues facing local businesses. If you wish to raise anything you feel is appropriate for the Chamber to discuss please contact us or one of the Board members directly.

Networking meetings
The Chamber holds bimonthly networking meetings, hosted by a Chamber member business. There will usually be a guest speaker to tell attendees about regulatory, promotional or subjects of interest. The meeting is a space to enable networking, support and learning for the Chamber community. Upcoming events will be listed on the Events page.

Christmas Lights
The Chamber takes the responsibility for putting up the town’s Christmas lights each year. Throughout the year a small team of expert dedicated volunteers work on the infrastructure to ensure power supplies work and safety, and on November Sundays a larger team of volunteer ladder holders and marshals hang the lights and trees in the shopping areas. The switch on ceremony at the end of November is a big event with music, celebrities and Santa. Despite the generous volunteer help, the lights are still the Chambers biggest expense the Chamber spends time fundraising through grant application, and donations from businesses and the public.

Stranger in the Window
In the Summer, to coincide with the carnival, the town retailers are part of a Chamber run competition, aimed at (but not exclusively) children, to spot unexpected items in shop windows for a cash prize. While the children are having fun the adults are looking in the windows at things to buy they might not otherwise have seen.

Trade Page
The Chamber takes a page in the East Kent Mercury each month supported by discounted advertising by members through which we keep members and the public informed about what the Chamber is doing and what is going on in the world of business.

Liaison
We keep in close touch with local councils of Dover, Deal and Walmer through mutual members and by attending their meetings. Joint meetings with senior members and officers are also arranged from time to time when circumstances require it. The Chamber realises the importance of maintaining on-going links with schools and is supporting what the schools are doing for the young people of the town. These are the future customers, workers and even members of the Chamber. Also with the Regatta Association who do much for the spirits of the town and they help us to help them.

Lobbying
When issues of importance to business arise the Chamber makes sure the opinion of the business community is heard when decisions affecting the town are being made. This will usually be directed at the local councils but we also intervene with other agencies, on matters such as planning, policing, parking, taxes and red tape. Let us know if there is an issue affecting your business that we can support you with.