By NEIL ZOLOT
NORTH READING — Melrose Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Stephanie Nelson was one of many Chamber directors and members of area communities that attended a networking social sponsored by the Reading-North Reading Chamber Thursday, July 17 at Hopothecary Ales Brewery and Kitchen in North Reading. “Our job is to support and amplify the work of our small businesses and networking events give our members exposure outside the community,” she said. “If you walk out of here with one or two connections that benefit your business, it’s a win.”
About 80 people attended. “It’s always nice to get a great turnout in the summer,” Reading-North Reading Chamber Marketing Director Jamie Bradley said. “We got a great turnout because the location is so accessible.”
“It was a great multi-Chamber networking event with the purpose of connecting members and non-members to various businesses across our region,” Reading-North Reading Chamber Director Rob Miner added. “It was highly attended due to the strong reputation of our collective chambers that always host at great venues such as Hopothecary Ales all within a fun, vibrant and professional environment.”
Area chambers have held multi-community socials once a month on a rotating basis. The Melrose chapter hosted one in March at Hannah’s Brewery. “Chambers look at each other as allies not competitors,” Nelson reported.
“Multi-Chamber events are always fun a good way to meet people,” Main Street Cambridge Savings Bank branch manager and Melrose Chamber board member Craig Zecchino added. “They’re a non-threatening event to rub shoulders with people you might not meet otherwise. People feed off each other for business purposes and one connection leads to another.”
“When the Chambers collaborate it’s fantastic,” Kerri Koen of the Modern Legacy Law Group on Main Street feels. “They’re great because they give business people an opportunity to meet other business people and figure how to collaborate.”
Northeast Illuminators president Joe Guarino’s business and personal lives link Melrose and North Reading, He lives in Melrose where his business was originally located before he moved it t North Reading. “The effort you put into it is what you get out of it,” he said of networking events.
Hopothecary Ales is a brew pub. On-duty manager Morty Naggar said the Reading-North Reading Chamber reached out to it for the event. “We have two function areas, so we’re used to renting out space for events,” he said.
“One purpose of these gatherings is to give a local business exposure,” Miner pointed out.
Hopothecary has been open four years. Naggar said things are going well.