This year Auckland Business Chamber, New Zealand’s oldest business association, is celebrating 170 years of supporting, connecting and advocating for businesses across the region.
Founded in 1856 the chamber has evolved alongside Auckland itself, maintaining a constant focus on strengthening economic conditions and adapting to the changing needs of its members.
It now represents businesses of all sizes from sole traders and start-ups to major corporates, operating across local and global markets.
“Reaching 170 years is pretty special,” says chief executive Simon Bridges.
“It’s a reminder of the legacy but also of not being complacent.
“We want to be as relevant now as we were back then. Auckland businesses felt they needed something like the chamber to advocate on big issues 170 years ago and that hasn’t changed.”
Membership is currently growing; a trend Simon attributes to proving its value during challenging economic conditions.
It has expanded staffing in key areas such as international business, events and member services to better support businesses navigating inflationary pressure, labour shortages and global uncertainty.
“We’re going through a strong period of growth because, in tough times, we’ve worked hard to show our worth,” explains Simon.
“New members are joining every day and that tells us we’re delivering what businesses need right now.”
A core part of the chamber’s offering is practical, hands-on support.
Members can access a free 0800 advice line connecting them to legal, accounting, HR and other expert services, as well as mentoring and training through the Regional Business Partner Network, delivered in collaboration with MBIE and other government agencies.
An employment hub helps members find their next workers.
Another major drawcard is its events and networking programme, which includes everything from large-scale international speaker events and awards evenings to small, high-level roundtables with ministers, councillors and business leaders.
“Those connections are incredibly important,” says Simon.
“They help businesses learn from each other, form partnerships and have direct access to decision-makers.”
The chamber also leverages its scale to secure buying privileges and discounts with major New Zealand brands, delivering tangible cost savings for members.
It plays a significant role in helping exporters, investing heavily in technology to streamline international export documentation used by thousands of Auckland businesses, from large exporters such as Fonterra through to small manufacturers.
Advocacy remains central to its mission. It represents individual businesses, supports business-to-business resolution and champions Auckland and nationwide economic issues, with a strong recent focus on small and medium-sized enterprises.
“We’ve been very active on issues that directly affect SMEs,” says Simon.
“A recent example is the government’s proposed surcharge ban, which was badly conceived and would have had negative impacts on businesses. We pushed hard on that, and the law has now been stalled.”
Energy reform including improved competition and supply, technology enablement and tourism are also key priorities.
Simon says that the chamber continues to work with council and central government to create conditions that support innovation, productivity and the growth of globally competitive Auckland companies.
Internally it is investing in digital systems and customer relationship management to better serve members and reflect Auckland’s increasingly multicultural business community.
“We’re much more representative of the changing face of Auckland now,” says Simon.
“Being relevant to those communities has been a big part of our membership growth.”
As a not-for-profit and independent organisation, Simon says the purpose of the Auckland Business Chamber remains clear.
“We’re here for one reason,” he says.
“to support, connect and champion Auckland businesses and we’ll keep doing that for the next 170 years.”
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