FOSTERING CONNECTION IN A HYBRID WORLD Navigating virtual burnout with creative opportunities Along with most of the world, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, all of our events at the Boulder Chamber went virtual. We adopted new technology and transitioned all of our in-person events to be offered fully online. But after months and months of virtual programming, 2021 brought a different kind of challenge — one that you may have felt — burnout from virtual experiences.
says Maye Cordero, Director of Marketing and Events at the Boulder Chamber. “We had to put some extra thought into how we could make our events and programs as attractive and relevant as possible for our members so that they would want to come.”
We kept circling back to one guiding question when planning our virtual events in a year of widespread virtual burnout: In a year where you were How could we provide you, our presented with more options than Boulder Chamber members, with ever for virtual events, networking the most value possible? Searching opportunities, panels, and more, for creative opportunities to boost you likely had to be very selective spirits and foster connection, about what to attend. Art class or here’s what we found… happy hour? Networking group or expert panel? Fundraising gala Hybrid events to or live streamed concert? Not to mention, choosing to spend facilitate connection another hour of screen time after After being fully virtual for so a day spent on Zoom was a lot long, members like you shared to ask, when unplugging from that you were really missing faceto-face connection with other technology was also an option. business leaders and people in the “Once everyone went virtual, community. After all, maintaining there were more opportunities connections and developing for people to choose from to new ones has been a challenge spend their time, both in their throughout the pandemic, and professional and personal lives,” many of us have been craving 24
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