The Committee for Geelong has opened the doors for our business in gaining access and having input into several symposiums and roundtable discussions. Overseas contacts for our Californian expansion were also gained and aided through the Committee's involvement. The general positivity displayed towards improving the viability, liveability and prosperity of the region was quite evident. The Committee having an unbiased political approach was also a factor in joining. I would recommend businesses and individuals being involved with the Committee, due to not only the networking capabilities, but also the impact you can make through change and strategy.

As a truly independent voice, Committee for Geelong not only keeps us informed as to what strategic and economic objectives are being proposed and discussed for the greater good of Geelong; on many occasions we, along with many other members, are in fact part of those conversations, putting local Geelong businesses in front of the key decision makers and people of influence. A truly collaborative approach means we all share in the outcomes and benefits.

For us the opportunity to network with people all trying to make Geelong more successful town has been key. Regular events and forums to keep us up to date with what is happening and being planned for the region is really beneficial. Due to being a member we have also greatly benefited by hosting functions which in turn opens our little world to the community and showcases our venue which in turn drives awareness and foot traffic. You get first-hand information about planning for our region, the opportunity to come together with other like-minded business owners and professionals and network, share ideas. To me the more united we are in business the greater chance we have of surviving the transformation phase the region is experiencing.

The relationship between The Food Purveyor and the Committee for Geelong is seen as a strategic opportunity for growth between our business and contacts within the membership of the Committee for Geelong. We have grown substantially over the last 18 months and part of that is due to the strong relationship that we have with the Committee for Geelong. We have worked closely with the CEO Rebecca Casson in developing a long term strategic relationship with Target Australia, which has seen our growth go from the employment of one person to seven in 2014. In turn that growth has gone through to our 35 suppliers and increased employment in each and every one of those businesses. So we see going forward that this relationship is maintained and grown steadily between The Food Purveyor and the Committee for Geelong.

Epworth Healthcare joined the Committee for Geelong for two reasons. Firstly Epworth believes that as a newcomer to the region is was important for us to show our support by becoming a member of CfG and other similar forums throughout Geelong. Secondly, our membership provides us with the opportunity to network with the key leaders of our community and understand their views on the region which in turn helps inform our strategy regarding the establishment of Epworth Geelong. Generally I think the CfG does a very good job in connecting members who have shared interests.  Epworth has been a beneficiary of this on a number of occasions. I would absolutely recommend others join the Committee but at the end of the day, local businesses will get out of their membership what they put into it.  If a local organisation is prepared to make the investment, financially as well as their time, then I'd expect that they will see a return in various means.

We joined the Committee due to the rapid growth that Karingal was experiencing and a desire to become better connected with the Geelong business and community sector. Committee for Geelong helped Karingal and the disability sector in Geelong campaign to establish Barwon as the Victorian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Trial site and also to push for the location of the national headquarters of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to be in Geelong. I would recommend other organisations in Geelong join the Committee so they too can be part of a powerful and respected organisation that helps Geelong prosper.

We joined the Committee for Geelong in 2006. The Committee has been very cooperative in helping us with research work that has allowed us to present a series of reports to government about the present and future operations of the port of Geelong. I would recommend that other businesses join. A wide and varied membership gives the Committee power and permission to advocate for Geelong-based business and development - effectively, jobs and wealth. This means that Geelong has a voice that is not constrained by politics and personal agendas.

Committee for Geelong provided an opportunity to further Probuild's profile in Geelong and allow us to network with like-minded organisations in a region that we currently have limited exposure in but wish to become a major part of. This membership has supported Probuild in fostering our approach as a responsible corporate citizen by providing job opportunities to local contractors. It has also provided a platform where we can be viewed as a supporter of Geelong business, and helped break down barriers often experienced by an organisation coming into a new market.

The Committee for Geelong was recommended to us by an existing member.  When we researched the Committee and met with the CEO, we were immediately confident that the Committee had deep roots in all industry sectors and could assist us with establishing key strategic relationships in the local community. The Committee has made strong introductions to our business that has resulted in tangible benefits and a number of new projects being launched in the Geelong Region. We have been overwhelmed by the kindness, generosity and professionalism of the Committee team.

The vision to partner with others to transform Geelong into a very liveable city and to facilitate strong economic development was a strong motivation for involvement. The Committee provides an outstanding opportunity to assist members particularly in the context of advocacy and influence but more importantly it provides an important avenue for members to be actively involved in shaping and influencing 'the big picture' that reflects optimism and opportunity. I would highly recommend others to join the Committee if they have a strong interest in seeing their city and region develop and flourish. It provides a collective opportunity to help facilitate our ongoing transformation.

We joined the Committee to achieve a greater connectivity within the business community and to learn more about the positives that Geelong has to offer and the challenges it faces. As members we benefit from the many introductions to prominent business colleagues, business learning's and business referrals. It's all about the business opportunities created by just being a member, one meeting can create a connection that could last a life time and be great for your business. Also being involved and having a voice in the direction and evolution of Geelong as well as the strength of connection that comes with being a member is why other organisations should join.     

It is vital that the Geelong community has a non-partisan voice to communicate our needs and ideas broadly and forcibly. As a not-for-profit, we benefit enormously from exposure to the ideas and people who are Committee for Geelong members. We are small but connect to something bigger through Committee for Geelong. We think it's essential to be part of Committee for Geelong so that we can know more about our community, about our collective aspirations and can contribute to increasing our effectiveness as a whole.

At the time Geelong clearly needed a stronger voice with key local and national stakeholders and the Committee provided the opportunity for our leaders to collaborate for our city. The Committee has assisted Gforce by providing a very well respected Leadership program where we have had three participants successfully complete this worthwhile program, including myself in 2009, prior to becoming CEO in 2012. I have recommended to other businesses that they would benefit from joining because the Committee clearly displays that it advocates for the betterment of Geelong through providing collaboration and advocacy.

We initially aligned ourselves to the Committee for Geelong due to the close alignment of the values of our organisation to theirs, and because of the Committee's history of bringing great ideas to life for the benefit of Geelong.

Since our membership started it has been great to be a part of briefings, whether it be around driving a successful agribusiness sector in the region, how to optimise public transport in and around Geelong or hearing from federal politicians about infrastructure and planning ideas for Geelong. All of these insights have been powerful to influence some of the things we need to be considering which are important to our clients.

The collaborative direction of the Committee has also led to an increase in our connections made within the Geelong community which we really appreciate.

It's been a pleasure to align CommBank with Committee for Geelong, and we look forward to being a part of some courageous strategies to create a wonderful Geelong long into the future.

The Committee for Geelong, and the CEO in particular, are strong supporters of Geelong's Smart City aspirations and were instrumental in bringing together representation from the City, local start-ups, educational institutes and organisations such as KPMG in order to progress this important strategic initiative.  It's clear that the work that the Committee does on behalf of its members, through undertakings such as this, helps bring both economic and societal benefits to the citizens and businesses of the City of Greater Geelong alike. It has been a pleasure to have been invited to play a part in that, and we very much look forward to continued close collaboration with both the Committee and the City.