Waterford Chamber scoops Chamber of the Year award

'This is a group of strong communicators, relationship builders, and people who care deeply about their city and county,' said Chambers Ireland president Mags Brennan.

Colm Blake, Zurich Ireland; Gerald Hurley, CEO of Waterford Chamber; John McSweeney, president of Waterford Chamber; and Ian Talbot, CEO of Chambers Ireland.

Waterford Chamber of Commerce has been named as Chamber of the Year at the 2021 Chamber Awards.

Waterford was shortlisted in six of the seven award categories, and was recognised for its high level of activity throughout the year despite challenging operational conditions.

It won Best Local Authority Collaboration as it partnered with Waterford City and County Council to showcase the seaside town of Tramore as part of a successful application to the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards. 

This resulted in Tramore receiving €20,000 towards community projects. Of this, €15,000 will be used to support the development of an outdoor market space for food and craft businesses at the old Tramore Railway Station, with €5,000 provided to Tramore Tidy Towns.

President of Chambers Ireland, Mags Brennan said: “Being named Chamber of the Year is testament to the scale of ambition shown by Waterford Chamber during such a challenging period. 

It reflects the huge amount of talent and dedication within the team and underlines how impressively they have managed and adapted their activity to meet the needs of their members.

“What truly impressed our judges was how much Waterford Chamber engaged with its community. 

"This is a group of strong communicators, relationship builders, and people who care deeply about their city and county. 

"Despite the obstacles, the team produced a series of excellent projects which undoubtedly contributed positively to the economic resilience of Waterford and put it in a better position as we move towards recovery.”