The Next Wave of Comox Valley business networking has arrived.

A new business networking group simply called Next Wave is giving local businesspeople a new opportunity to generate referral business and a whole lot more.

鈥淲e鈥檙e similar in structure and appearance to other business networking groups in the Comox Valley, but we鈥檝e really put a lot more emphasis on direct, tangible value to our members,鈥� says Next Wave president Lara Austin.

The group plans to invest heavily in online and offline promotion to benefit its members. Perhaps surprisingly the annual membership fee is just $300.

鈥淭his summer is a great time for new members to join ahead of our September membership drive,鈥� says Austin. 鈥淢embership is limited to one representative per industry, and there are some prime opportunities heading into the fall. You want to get your seat before someone else does.鈥�

Next Wave meets from 7 to 8 a.m. every Tuesday at the White Spot in Courtenay. Guests are welcome anytime to find out what the group is about, speak with members and learn more about member benefits.

The driving force behind Next Wave, which has been meeting informally since last fall, has been Realtor Mike Fisher 鈥� although Fisher himself is quick to underscore the collaborative efforts of all involved.

鈥淲e have a really high calibre of enthusiastic professionals that have joined Next Wave as inaugural members,鈥� says Fisher. 鈥淚 think anyone who鈥檚 familiar with other business groups will find the energy in this room really fun and refreshing.鈥�

Each meeting features a brief introduction from each member, one spotlight presentation and a short 鈥渆ducational moment鈥� followed by a roundtable discussion. The idea with the educational component is, once again, to go beyond merely networking and provide tangible value to Next Wave members.

Anyone interested in being a guest at an upcoming meeting can contact vice-president Darcy Lefebvre at darcy@rpcopywrting.com or 250-897-5450.

To learn more, visit www.cvbusiness.ca.