Upcoming Events
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The Voice of Business Volume 1, Issue 2 A p r i l - J u n e 2 0 2 0 Vision BVICCHA is the Sponsor a Membership confident and proactive voice for the business sector The word “Membership” Regatta & Sailing Festival and a driving force has a long history. Its first ng would have been the for your business usage was in 1614. But first large injection into success and national what does this word mean funding our operating socioeconomic today? Does it mean being costs. This event has been growth. included? Being a part of postponed until 23-25 Oc- something awesome? To tober 2020 (so excited!). belong? Does it mean com- by the effects of the COVID While the next event isn’t mitment or community? -19 pandemic. BVICCHA exactly a fundraiser for the Mission started this year with a BVICCHA mission The BVICCHA is a non- operational budget, the bang! We saw a huge in- is to empower, profit organization (NPO) next fundraising effort crease in membership in educate and equip funded by memberships would have been used to the months before the businesses. and event fundraisers. In send the BVI National Cul- country closed down. fact, 55% of our income inary Team off to Miami to depends on memberships Our first fundraising event compete in the CHTA’s each year. The remaining would have been the BVI Taste of Caribbean compe- Values 45% relies on fundraising Spring Regatta & Sailing tition where we currently • Proactive efforts. Like other regis- Festival. As a 50% owner hold the Silver Medal over- tered NPOs, the Chamber and event organizer of the all. This event has been Lobby was hit square in the jaw Regatta, the BVI Spring (continued on page 11) • Economic Empowerment Upcoming Events • Business July August September Legacy 8 — Lunch&Learn: Crisis 3-5—Festival Holiday 2 — Starting a Business in Leadership 3-7—Office Closure the VI 22— Lunch&Learn: Insur- 12—Members Only Meet- 9— ChamberTalk: Financial When you see ance Planning ing Management this icon, it 27—ChamberTalk: 23 —ChamberTalk: Manu- indicates that 13—Business Stakehold- factoring & Exporting 101 more information Business Grants Program ers Meeting 30 —Lunch&Learn: Em- can be found on our Director of Trade 26—ChamberTalk: ployee/Employer Relations website. Digital Transformation Official Publication Empowered! Educated! Equipped! Not too long ago, last summer to be exact, the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association met to strategise about how to move the Chamber forward over the next five years. With this came the mission to ensure that our members are ALWAYS 2018-2020 Board of Directors #empowered, #educated, and #equipped for whatever may come. We INTERIM CHAIRMAN also set out to ensure that we remain the confident and proactive voice Shaina M. Smith Smith and Associates for the business sector and the driving force for your business success PRESIDENT OF HOSPITALITY and national socioeconomic growth. Chaunci Cline With this aim and mission at the forefront of everything we do, the Incline Business Group Chamber and the Board of Directors set out in full force to ensure that V. PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS Dr. Jerry Smith every business in this territory was given a fair chance to survive and Therapy Group International Limited more than thrive. We set out to ensure that our members had a greater V. PRESIDENT OF HOSPITALITY opportunity at national socioeconomic growth through additional Lorna Christopher member benefits. Maria’s by the Sea I always say, we are here for every business but there are perks to being GENERAL DIRECTORS a member. And there are! Sinclair Flemming P3, Paper Plastic Products 1. Members can join the Multi-employer Pension Plan (MEPP) and the Rochelle Lawrence Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA). HR Solutions 2. We have launched our Member-2-Member Discount Program where John Klein White Bay Villas members and their staff receive discounts from other business Robert Knock members in our registry. Road Town Wholesale and Riteway Food Markets 3. We are offering deeply discounted member rates to Frank Mahoney advertise for our brand new A La Carte Ad Menu. FAM Worldwide 4. We promote our members on all social media platforms we use at Janet Oliver no additional cost for the remainder of the year. BVI Charter Yacht Society Kenneth Scarlett 5. Businesses can list their promotions in the Member Information Lanx Lancis BVI Center (MIC) for free until 1 January 2021. Nona Vanterpool 6. Businesses can list their job vacancies in the MIC, promote their Vanterpool Enterprises Ltd business via a full ‘website’ just for them (in the MIC), and, as IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN always, every event is either free to members or discount Louis Potter 7. Business can get Business Support Services at a reduced cost. Louis Potter and Associates (continued on page 3) 2 (continued from page 2) The perks just don’t stop! Lately, we’ve found a need to support all business and have embarked on educating all in the Virgin Islands on topics such as business insurance, business continuity planning, preparing for a hurricane, leadership during a crisis, and digital transformation. We have been advocating for all businesses in the Virgin Islands and have been working with policymakers. It’s been a rough but amazing year thus far and we have plenty more in store for all businesses in the Virgin Islands. Flip through this edition and see our calendar of events. It’s jammed packed with ChamberTalk events and Lunch&Learn sessions to empower you with the knowledge to move forward and soar! Keiyia J. George This is the best time to be a member! As you peruse this issue, let us know if you want to Executive Director see something specific or place an ad. We are here; we got you! s Volume 1, Issue 2 April-June 2020 Welcome New BVICCHA Members—Q2 5 Girls Ltd Crandall's Pastry Plus R&R Malone Complex P.O. Box 909 Fresh Start Office Solutions Pockwood Pond, Totola VG1110 Fisher's Lane Skelton Bay Lot #10 (284) 494-0970 Tortola VG1110 Fish Bay, Tortola VG1110 http://www.5girlsltd.com Road Town (284) 547-4733 Retail (284) 494-5156 Office Furniture & Supplies Restaurants Aflair Ltd P O BOX 203 Unit B-Building 6 Deliver VI General Group Services Hannah Bay Marina Tortola Pier Park The Valley, Virgin Gorda VG1150 Hannah's Estate, Tortola VG1110 Road Town, Tortola VG1110 (284) 441-3581 (284) 494-0960 (284) 444-8646 Contractors/Construction Services Event Planning http://www.delivervi.com Concierge Services BVISUPCO Illuzion Bakery & Cafe PO Box 91 The Settlement, Anegada VG1140 Skelton Bay Lot Digicel (BVI) Ltd (284) 341-7371 Warehouse 3F P.O. Box 4168 Food & Beverage/Catering Fish Bay, Tortola VG 1110 Road Town, Tortola VG1110 (284) 346-1981 (284) 300-1000 http://www.bvisupco.com Telecommunications Sporting Goods Infinite Solutions Ltd East Caribbean Salt & Soap Co. PO Box 4506 CCT Boatphone Wickham's Cay II Jayla Place P.O Box 267 Road Town, Tortola VG1110 Road Town, Tortola Road Town, Tortola VG1110 (284) 346-1023 (284) 494-5030 (284) 494-3825 http://www.ecsoapco.com https://www.infinite-solutions.biz/ Telecommunications Manufacturing & Production Computer Service/Sales 3 BVICCHA Multi-Employer Pension Plan (MEPP) On February 20, 2012, the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA) embarked on establishing a pension plan structure that provides coverage to its Members, future Members and their respective employees. Collab- orating with the BVICCHA in the launch and of this initiative was Pension Management Interactive, Inc. (PMI), a firm that specializes in the customization of pension plans. PMI developed the governance framework, which is now known as the BVICCHA Multi-Employer Pension Plan (MEPP). Eight (8) years into its formation, the MEPP has been a remarkable success with well over forty (40) Member Compa- nies participating. The MEPP has amassed a sum of $8,473,282.34 in assets. The MEPP is designed to maximize the economies of scale by pooling resources under a common set of MEPP Rules. It provides Member Companies with some flexibility and discretion to customize the requirements that are consistent with their respective operational efficiencies. As depicted in the graphic, the MEPP is governed by a Master Trust Deed and sup- ported by the MEPP Rules and an Invest- ment Policy Statement (IPS). Any company can join the MEPP by first becoming a Member of the BVICCHA and then adopt- ing a Deed of Adherence. It is within the Deed of Adherence that a participating Member Company can determine the unique characteristics that are consistent with their respective operational efficien- cies. Some of those areas of customization are Contribution Rates, Employee Cover- age, and Vesting Schedules. The approved IPS provides for an initial investment structure driven by identifying groupings of employees of partici- pating Member Companies based on protecting persons as they age towards retirement. The MEPP commenced with the following three (3) mandates: Conservative Mandate – associated with persons who have five (5) years or less to retirement; Moderate Mandate – five (5) to fifteen (15) years to retirement; and • Growth Mandate – excess of fifteen (15) years to retirement. (continued on page 5) (continued on page 3) 4 (continued from page 4 At its October 2019 meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the addition of another investment mandate, entitled “Total Growth,” to meet the request from Member Companies for an increased opportunity for higher growth and capital ap- preciation over time. The MEPP is governed by a Board of Trustees led by the Chairman of the Board, Chad Maduro, who on a quarterly ba- sis monitors the MEPP’s performance.