Welcome To
St. Thomas Executives Association
26
Current Membership
1004
Connections
204
Leads
Statistics Jan 2024 - Current
About Us
The St. Thomas Executives Association (STEA) is a successful business networking group founded in 1999.
The basis of our success is the STEA weekly luncheon, offering members a chance to forge lasting relationships with fellow members, do business with each other and share leads with confidence.
Our
Purpose
To promote business interests of its members
Personal Relationships and Integrity
It’s a fact! You’re more likely to do business with people you know, like, and trust.
The more you attend STEA meetings the easier it is to build connections and camaraderie with other STEA members.
Friendships are forged with individuals from St. Thomas’ thriving business community, and they can last a lifetime!
Business Growth
Networking with STEA members can help you achieve business growth, which in turn, leads to referrals. Members support STEA businesses by providing referrals, discussing marketing strategies and business development in a relaxed yet focused lunch meeting.
Extend Your Marketing Reach!
Networking with STEA members means that you have an additional 30+ influential business owners and decision makers happy to promote your services for you. It’s a key aspect of the STEA as a premier networking group.
To Learn, Inform, And Refer Business!
Members have opportunities to present to the membership on a subject of their choice, a “craft talk.”
Member craft talks are key to the group’s success. The more we know about a member, their business and the services offered, the easier it is to send solid leads or referrals their way.
Category Exclusivity
As an elite business networking association founded for the sole purpose of sharing business leads, and information amongst members, STEA membership categories are carefully defined. Only one member per business category is permitted – and thus membership is exclusive.
Join STEA
The focus of the STEA is to build trust and relationships, and that takes time. Many members refer to the STEA as one of their best long-term investments in their business, recognizing that this is not a "sales generating" group.
For more information on how to join the STEA, contact us.
Contact UsCriteria & Expectations of Membership
- Prospective members must have been in business for at least six months before submitting an application for membership.
- Members attend lunch each week. 75% attendance is the minimum expectation, with the majority of this attendance by the primary member. Traditionally, there are no lunch meetings for three weeks around Christmas and STEA doesn't meet for lunch in July and August.
- When talking to family/friends/colleagues, refer them to your fellow members whenever possible.
- Present a “Craft Talk” once per year. This is a 15-20 minute presentation about your business, to help other members better understand your services. This helps them send more leads your way.
- Remain within your classification at meetings. If any aspect of your business overlaps the classification of another member, promote strictly within your classification at the STEA.
- Get to know fellow members.
Gallery
Testimonials
Hear From Our Members
STEA’s membership allowed me to build my self confidence and with that my business success followed. And even after retirement I have chosen to surround myself with this fine group (as an honorary member) and attend weekly meetings to keep me informed and engaged.
STEA is a fantastic network of business people focussed on the betterment of our community and helping each other grow and succeed. It’s a fun, energetic and very genuine group of people who are always happy to make an introduction in the community. Not only are members experts in their field, you always know you’ll be very well taken care of when doing business with or seeking advice from another member.
I recognized early on in my business that networking was a vital piece of the entrepreneurship growth puzzle. After one year, I made a conscious decision to join all the networking groups to help grow my business, but I quickly realized I not only ran out of hours in the day but also not all networking groups aligned strongly with my goals and my desire to help others in their businesses. I focused on growth, building relationships and a deep desire to work alongside like-minded entrepreneurs with a focus on being great executives and enhancing others in business. I then focused on becoming an STEA member, and I am so glad I did.
I have found great value in being a member of the STEA and most recently completed my participation as a Director on the STEA Board of Directors. The business leaders who are members are genuinely interested in promoting other STEA members to their friends, business colleagues, and clients if a need arises that an STEA member can fulfill. It’s a great endorsement for our firm and I’m happy to endorse STEA member firms at any time. The weekly lunch meetings are a great way to keep current with the members as well.
I personally have had the pleasure of meeting a fellow International Executives Association (IEA) Member from another Canadian city. Totally out of the blue, I met a member sharing the exact same category as my company - Computer Hardware & Software Sales & Service in another country in Raleigh, North Carolina at a vendor sponsored event. His company has been a long-term member of the Vancouver Executives Association (VANEX) since 2012. My Company has been a long term member of the St. Thomas Executives Association (STEA) since 2002. This is proof that the IEA networking really works! The STEA is the Best Networking Organization to be part of. Totally Recommend!
The STEA has been a great opportunity to gather with like-minded, local business owners. I find the casual, friendly and social atmosphere really welcoming and inviting. It makes it easy to talk with the other members and get to know each other and our respective businesses.
In the spring of 1999, I felt the St Thomas Business Community could use a new business group that totally focused on giving business back & forth between members. In the fall of 1999, we opened the St. Thomas Executive Association, and after 25 years, it is still giving business back & forth between members, but also friends. One of my best business decisions was joining the St. Thomas Executive Association.
I have been a member of STEA for almost 5 years, and I can say it's one of my favourite groups of people to meet with each week. Not only is it great to get to have lunch with so many great local businesses and business owners, but STEA has been an integral part of the growth of my business.
I joined STEA with the hope it would help my business grow, this should and will happen over time, we do business with a few members and they have referred other businesses to FCBE “me”. And we very much appreciate all that is sent our way.
Contact
Be Our Guest
To learn more about the STEA and attend an upcoming luncheon at the CASO Station as our guest, please contact:
Peter Inch
Executive Director