Sponsoring the Wagga Business Chamber Christmas Party

Posted 12 Dec '21

Sponsoring the Wagga Business Chamber Christmas Party

WDF Professional was proud to sponsor this year's Christmas Party with the Wagga Business Chamber. We had a great evening celebrating the achievements of the Wagga Business Community of Friday night. The location was beautiful, the weather was perfect, the food was delicious and plentiful and, most importantly, the atmosphere was great.

A beautiful painting by Maggie Deall was auctioned to raise funds to support local start-ups. We continued to support Shop Local Gift cards by giving away five $50 vouchers as lucky door prizes.

One of our Directors, Charles Talbot spoke to attendees about how Wagga business community has supported each other and thrived during such a challenging period.

"What an interesting couple of years it has been...we have had natural disaster and a once in century pandemic. I have seen things I never thought I would in my career. I remember thinking very early on how we are going to get all our clients out the other side of this. I remember saying something of the sort to one of my business partners Vicky who wisely said:

'Helping clients through this will make them stronger, us stronger and our relationships with them stronger'.

Wise words because on reflection she could not have said anything truer. I could not be prouder on how our clients and the wider business community have survived, adapted, and even thrived. On behalf of my fellow directors, I want to say thanks to our team for the part we have played. Not every business owner is lucky enough to have a business partner and in those circumstances the role of the accountant is to be that support.

In our positions and servicing a substantial sample of the business community we have a unique insight – I can say with confidence tonight is a celebration for the Wagga Business Community on reflection we are celebrating a lot of things. In the past 18 months of this pandemic, WDF firsthand have witnessed incredible things:

•  A local brick and mortar retailer investing online and in SEO. Now hitting sale figures and growing their team 3 times of what their physical location ever achieved.

• We have seen talent across industries relocate back from the city seeing the charm in country living bringing skills to our work force and bringing hope to many family businesses especially farmers that thought they had lost their family succession.

• We have seen hospitality providers adapt their business models advocating for legislative change which allowed businesses to create income streams through lockdowns.

• We have seen event management businesses have months of bookings cleared adapt to new technologies which has allowed them to experience substantial growth through these times.

• We have seen more trade businesses than I can count established and those established grow to meet the demands of a growing Wagga.

• We have seen big business work across borders managing logistical nightmares in innovative and adaptive ways.

• We have seen phenomenal resilience heart-warming kindness. Many of those not impacted have gone out of their way to support those more heavily impacted, rescheduling, carrying over deposits, purchasing vouchers and takeaways all because they care."

We were all very happy to raise our glasses and toast to our resilient and supportive community!