REIMAGINING HOW WE CONNECT Learning and connecting from afar Among the many things that 2020 turned upside-down, the Boulder Chamber’s events calendar looked much different than in years past. Days that were once filled with placing catering orders and booking venues were now packed with leading Zoom webinars, creating digital assets to support virtual programming and trying to plan for the unplannable. “Despite the pandemic and not being able to gather in person, we were still able to hold nearly 100 events last year, whether they were informative lunch webinars or virtual networking get-togethers,” said Tyler Ekx, events and programs manager. “We were able to adapt quickly and used new technologies and formats that still kept members engaged.”
Meeting the moment
As the gravity of COVID-19 came into view early last year, the Boulder Chamber events team pivoted its spring and summer programming to focus on timely topics that would be of most help
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to businesses. The new “Lunch and Learn [at Home]” webinar series provided viewers with information on how to handle crisis communications and legal questions around COVID-19 liabilities. The Business Women’s Leadership Group gave professional advice on how to personally navigate a crisis while remaining an effective leader. The Bolder Young Professionals brought in career experts to teach young job seekers how to stand out in one of the toughest job markets in recent history. Perhaps the biggest adjustment for the events team has been learning how to facilitate genuine connections between people via computer instead of over cocktails. “Our events really focus on bringing people together and building a sense of community among Boulder businesses,” said Ekx. “It’s been a challenge to figure out how to do that when following social distancing protocols to help protect public health.”
