About the Ponsonby Business Association
The Ponsonby Business Association (PBA) is a not-for-profit organisation registered as an incorporated society under the Incorporated Societies Act.
The PBA was incorporated in 2000 and established their Business Improvement District (BID) programme in 2001.
The PBA represents, supports, and helps approx 550 business and commercial property owners, offering a collective voice and strong advocacy for the Ponsonby business community. The Association is here to represent, support and help local businesses.
The PBA operates under a constitution that sets out the rules and governance for the Association. Each year the Association elects the PBA executive board who is responsible for the governance and direction of the PBA and its BID programme. The PBA BID programme is funded by a BID targeted rate grant.
BID Boundary
Our boundary is loosely from the Three Lamps and College Hill intersection in the North to the top of the Ponsonby Road and Karangahape Road intersection in the West – and everything in between.
About the Board
Board Meetings
The PBA Board meets at 9.15am on the third Thursday of every month to manage the Association and its actions. All members are welcome to attend Board meetings and can email the office on hello@iloveponsonby.co.nz to register interest.
Board Members
| Name | Business |
| Brad Plamus (Chair) | Knowear |
| Felicity O’Driscoll (Treasurer) | Cook The Books |
| Bruce Copeland | Sandfield |
| Richard Naish | RTA Studio |
| Nick Nielson | Polished Diamonds |
| Sarah Wickenden | Ponsonby Central |
| April Taylor | Documents Unlimited |
| Gigi Van Kuijk | Omas Properties / Ponsonby Food Court |
| Wendy Yang | Eat Mi |
| Tanya Carlson | Carlson |
A key role of the Association is the liaison and engagement with Auckland Council and other authorities to bring about improvements to the area and lobby for the interest of the businesses.
We provide a wide range of services for members including the promotion of Ponsonby as a hospitality, shopping & business area, hosting events to attract people to the precinct as well as regular member communication.
If you would like to contact any PBA Board member please call 09 360 9301 or email hello@iloveponsonby.co.nz
Annual General Meeting
Each year the PBA holds an Annual General Meeting where it reviews its actions from the previous year as well as sets new business plans and budgets for the upcoming year.
Strategic Business Plan
Each year the PBA holds an Annual General Meeting where it reviews its actions from the previous year as well as sets new business plans and budgets for the upcoming year.
Membership of the PBA
You are automatically an eligible member (otherwise known as a BID affiliate) if your business is located in a commercially rated property or if you own a property within the Ponsonby BID boundary area.
Only businesses located within the BID area are eligible members or BID affiliates and will only have voting rights at the AGM if they have confirmed their membership.
Applying for Membership
To gain full membership, you need to contact the office and complete and return the Association’s membership registration form, or complete the online application form.
Associate Membership
The PBA has an Associate Membership available for business that fall outside our BID map area with an annual membership fee. Please get in touch with us to find out more about the benefits and how to become an Associate Member.
Voting Rights
All registered Full members are eligible to vote at the PBA Annual General Meeting (AGM) or any Special General Meetings.
All Full and Associate members are eligible to be nominated and accepted as Board Members of the Association.
Ponsonby BID Programme
Business Improvement Districts (BID) programmes operate in over 50 areas within Auckland where local business and property owners have agreed to work together. BIDs in the Auckland region represent over 30,000 businesses and a Capital Value in excess of $72 billion (2022).
Auckland Council (via their BID Policy 2022) supports Business Associations operating BID programmes by collecting the targeted rates and providing these funds, in their entirety, as a BID targeted rate grant to associations like the PBA. Auckland Council applies the PBA BID targeted rate which is collected from the ratepayer/property owner or indirectly by the business owner/tenant located within the PBA BID boundary area.
The PBA BID targeted rate is calculated as a percentage on the capital value of the business rated properties located within the PBA BID boundary area, to view map click here.
100% of the targeted rate collected by Auckland Council is returned to the Business Association in four quarterly grant payments.
For more information on the Auckland Council BID programme click here.
Benefits of Membership
Advocacy
Advocating to Local Government; Council; CCO’s and National decision makers for improving the business environment is one of the most valuable services provided by a Business Association.
Strong local advocacy and representation stops local issues being overlooked.
We have developed strong relationships within the Waitematā Local Board and present formal submissions and informal feedback to ensure our members’ views are considered in their decision-making process.
Auckland Council utilise the Business Association (BID) as their point of contact to distribute policy information/changes, consultation documentation etc to make sure everyone is kept informed and given a chance to ‘have their say’.
This means that businesses located outside BID boundaries are often unaware of impending policy changes.
We are often the first to know and regularly lobby on behalf of local business and present professional submissions on Council or Transport proposals that could affect our area or your business.
These submissions are distributed to all our members to read or use if making individual submissions.
Our LOVEPONSONBY Brand
Our LOVEPONSONBY brand and logo is visually strong, engaging, and unique. It communicates directly and is instantly recognisable.
LOVEPONSONBY embraces all our business categories equally and enables each of them to shine within our brand story.
The LOVEPONSONBY branding enables us to weave it into our annual events either in name e.g Eat Drink Love Ponsonby, or by using the heart visually in our Market Day promotional material.
Our website has an online directory for all our businesses which can be searched easily and quickly. We update this regularly and appreciate that having this is very beneficial for many small businesses with limited online presence.
Free Website Directory Listing
Free directory listing on the LOVEPONSONBY website within the appropriate category.
Events & Promotions
The opportunity to participate in our annual events & promotions calendar.
We organise several events throughout the year and attempt to highlight each of our main categories like hospitality, retail, art & culture, heritage, fashion etc.
We are proud to host the Auckland Rainbow Parade every February and will continue to explore options to collaborate with a new events that directly resonate with our Brand, are inclusive and connect with our community.
Networking Opportunities
Invitations to business meetings, seminars etc.
Research Data
The Business Association commissions a MarketView Report to track monthly sales and transaction spend in Ponsonby.
This information is based on consumer debit card spending data (eftpos and credit cards).
Reports show spend data by category and we can access competitive BID sales information if needed.
We report these results annually at the AGM and monthly to the PBA Board.
Please email viv@iloveponsonby.co.nz if you would like to receive this data or a specific report.
Future Ponsonby Project
The future of Ponsonby and our business’s success and development was discussed at the 2022 AGM.
It was decided to engage an urban consultant to guide us though a research project to better understand our community’s (business & residents) needs and make sure we create an environment that connects with both our current and future customers over the next decade.
The outcomes and learning will inform our future conversations and advocacy submissions with Local and Central Government, Auckland Transport and will be available on our website.
The scope of the project had been agreed and includes both quantitative and qualitative research.
Contact the PBA Office
The Ponsonby Business Association is often the first point of contact for new businesses in the area to connect and ask advice.
Please email us on viv@iloveponsonby.co.nz or call us on 09 360 9301 if you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to meet.
BID Area
North
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The Ponsonby Business Association represents and supports all local businesses within our area. Find out more about us and what we do via the link below, or contact us here.
Social Media
Ability to promote your business by sharing your content with us.
Member promotions gain additional leverage via our social media channels and general media distribution.