The Taupō District Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports business growth and vitality throughout the region. Support for their 173 members focuses on advocacy, networking and building business capability.

The big event

The Chamber holds regular after-5 networking events, typically attracting 40-50 attendees. However, Chairperson Catie Noble and her team wanted to deliver a large-scale, motivational event, featuring a range of inspiring speakers from around New Zealand. They scheduled their inaugural Elevate Event for March 2018, setting themselves the challenge of generating a fantastic member turnout.

As well as sending out email invitations, Catie initiated a new tactic. They’d bring in a telemarketing partner to drive up registration for the event and to make follow-up calls the day before to reduce attendee attrition.

The hot factor

Catie contacted two potential partners and chose Hot Leads because of their responsiveness and attitude. “The decision to work with Hot Leads wasn’t based on price, but the way they did business on the phone. While the other company was cheaper, they took four days to get back to me. Which didn’t inspire confidence.”

Hot Leads contacted close to 160 Chamber members, and 128 non-members. An impressive 197 members turned up on the day. Catie was delighted with the outcome and the fact that her faith in Hot Leads’ abilities paid off.

Not only did Hot Leads help the Chamber deliver a great event turnout, but over the course of the project they cleansed and expanded the membership contacts database. “They effectively extended our network,” says Catie.

And on the back of this first major event success, Taupō District Chamber of Commerce and Industry are planning a similar mid-year function, with Hot Leads playing an essential role in making sure this event is just as well attended. “We’ve been pleased to give them further projects in recognition of their great work,” says Catie. “We’d highly recommend their services to anyone who asked.”

The nice lady on the phone

The icing on the cake for Catie was the unsolicited feedback they got from Chamber members on how much they enjoyed talking to ‘the nice lady on the phone’ and that they appreciated the reminder call the day before the event.

“In a semi-rural area, it’s that polite, friendly and personal touch that impresses people. More so than an easy-to- ignore email. Thanks, Hot Leads!”