Can you tell me a bit about how your business began?
Happy Hour Club began in 2018 as a simple idea of creating an event that would bring together women in our community to celebrate achievements, make connections, and support local businesses. At the time I was a new mom, living in a new city (I had moved to Fredericton less than a year ago from Halifax), and hadn’t found a sense of community quite yet. At the start of January 2018 I decided that maybe I could use my past event planning experience to organize an event that would bring together women like me – that perhaps wanted a sense of community. Our first event was held in June 2018 at Gahan Riverside (on their just opened patio space) and it was a sold out success! After that event the demand for the events in Fredericton kept growing so much that it expanded into other cities in New Brunswick in 2019 (Moncton and Saint John) and since the pandemic we have expanded to Halifax, NS and Charlottetown, PEI as well.
Tell me about your business? What does your business do? What products and/or services do you offer?
Happy Hour Club is a social club for all women – in every industry, sector, profession and phase of their lives – to come together to celebrate achievements, make connections, strengthen their sense of community, and support / explore local businesses. We are the only organization of our kind in the Maritimes and we are not membership based.
Since 2018 we have hosted 25 sold out events across the Maritimes. We aim to do 2 events in each city we’re in (one in the Spring and one in the Fall), plus our International Women’s Day event in March.
Tell me a bit about your clientele, who are the people who use, buy or take advantage of your products and services?
Our events are for all women – in every industry, sector, profession and phase of their lives; however, we have always (and will always) reinforce that our events are for any individual that feels this is where they want to be. We aim to be an inclusive space for all our guests to feel welcomed and safe.
How many staff do you employ?
Happy Hour Club has been my passion project all along, so there are no paid employees (not even me!). The events are designed to be cost recovery.
Is your business involved in any community activities or organizations?
Happy Hour Club has been a proud supporter for several local not-for-profits – typically through donated event tickets to support silent auctions.
Can you tell me about one of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had while working for the business? Favourite customers?
There is a lot to love about Happy Hour Club, our events and our amazing guests. For me I always feel great joy when we have a new guest (a first-time guest) that says they had heard about us but have never felt comfortable at networking events; and once they have come to our events they see that we are not a typical networking event at all – we are a social club – and everyone is genuinely so happy that they’re there.
I also love that we change the location of our events in each city. Having the opportunity to showcase so many different venues – from art galleries to breweries to hotels to co-working spaces – it’s fantastic to bring people into spaces that they may never have had the chance to visit before.
What are you most proud of in your business?
The thing I am most proud about when it comes to Happy Hour Club is that my simple idea and desire to feel like I was part of my community has grown into an impressive network of communities which now includes 5 cities; and our events now provide that safe inclusive community for so many other women to belong to.
Has your business won any awards?
Yes. In May 2024 I received a ‘Top 20 Under 40’ award from the Moncton Chamber of Commerce and the impact that Happy Hour Club has had in our province was a huge part of that.
What kind of challenges have you experienced in your business and how were you able to overcome them?
The greatest challenge is doing Happy Hour Club in a cost recovery model. There are always new ideas and new elements we would love to add to our events but we work with a limited budget – and we keep ticket prices low to keep the event accessible (tickets are just $30 + fees). However, HHC will remain in this model because it protects the integrity of the community we have created and our guests trust us for that reason.
What sets you apart from your competition?
Happy Hour Club is quite unique in that we are a social club – we are not a networking or business association – we do not have anyone that is doing exactly what we do. Our goal is not to make money or promise business growth (although we many stories of how HHC has helped businesses launch and grow!!), it is to be a social club – a community – for women.
What is next for your business? Any exciting projects you want to tell us about?
Happy Hour Club has grown to now include 5 cities in the Maritimes which is very exciting! Our first event in Charlottetown is coming up on September 24 at PEI Brewing Co. and we are so happy that that event is almost here!
How do you feel about the economy and opportunities in NB?
We have a unique position with our events because we bring together women from every industry and sector. Our events have CEOs, university students, small business owners, Etsy makers, Realtors, accountants, stay-at-home moms – everyone. And because we are not focused on “networking” we don’t always tend to talk about work – we tend to talk about our lives, our weeks, our days. Over the series of events we held in Spring 2024 we heard anecdotally from many of our guests about the stress on the healthcare system, the housing market, and of course the increased cost of living putting stress on all of us.
What is one thing you wish more people knew about your business?
Happy Hour Club is a place where you can come as you are! You don’t need to be a woman in business, you don’t need to dress up – you can come just as you are and we will truly be so happy to see you!
What is the best advice you ever received as a business owner?
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Always ensure you’re sharing information and helping to answer all questions. Curiosity will lead to opportunities.
Any final remarks?
The next HHC Fredericton event is coming up on Tuesday October 8 from 4-6 PM at Maybee Brewing Co. Tickets go on sale August 23 at 9 AM. All the information for each of our upcoming events can be found on our website – www.happyhourclub.ca and of course on social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn).