Commerce Roma reveals full calendar of business boosters

The group held its first general meeting, discussing current and future projects.

Cyril Peet, Brett Rosenthal, Don Shaw and Cameron O'Neil at Thursday's Commerce Roma meeting. Picture: Jorja McDonnell

BOOSTING the retail and business sector at Roma during the current "quiet period” was top of the agenda at the latest Commerce Roma general meeting.

Held on Thursday, members of Commerce Roma elected Katrina Macdonald and Don Shaw to the last vacant executive positions by unanimous vote, and also heard from three guest speakers.

Easter in the Country president Jenny Flynn, Watpac site manager for the Roma Hospital project Brett Rosenthal and Pete Baker, from the South West Hospital and Health Service, we able to give updates and insight into the major projects happening in Roma, and gave members a chance to ask any burning questions about potential impacts on their own businesses.

Commerce Roma president Cyril Peet covered general business and said their focus was on the stacked calendar of events and activities for the rest of the year.

"We are under way with planning for the business awards and are looking for someone is interested in taking on the role of project manager for it,” he said.

"So far there is a really good team which is already making progress, and they have already confirmed that this year, we will be going back to the Explorers Inn for the event.

"Cameron O'Neil has also offered to emcee for us again, which we really appreciate.

"I must say he did a good job last year and it is nice to have him back on board.”

In the near future, Mr Peet said there would be workshops and information sessions coming up.

"On Friday morning, NAB will hold a business breakfast, which will be free to our members but non-members will be paying.

"We are very lucky to have their senior economist coming up from Melbourne for that and Commerce Roma is partnering with NAB bank.

"Business Excellence Program is something we are also working closely with and there is a fair bit happening this year with it too,” he said.

Me Peet said May would be the biggest month for Commerce Roma which would support:

BEP Women in Business days, financial management workshops with Roma TAFE; and

ASBAS Digital Solutions program.

The Maranoa Regional Council business breakfast and Bernard Salt's Big Ideas Forum were on the calendar for later in the year.

"Commerce Roma is about trying to help businesses in town and doing what we can to improve,” Mr Peet said.

"We can encourage everyone to keep moving on and keep doing better .

"We are planning a general meeting every second month, our next meeting will be on Thursday, May 16.”