Boulder Chamber TODAY

BLAZING NEW TRAILS...VIRTUALLY

Member Relations team creates avenues for staying connected, finding support

From offering helpful referrals to facilitating networking events to coming up with new ways of bringing visibility to local businesses, the member relations team’s talents lie in helping Boulder Chamber members succeed - which is why 2020 proved to be a significant test of skill and grit.

“Our purpose here is to help build the best business environment possible for our members. Watching our local businesses and members struggle, many of them personal friends, due to COVID-19 was heartbreaking,” said Cate Cook, member relations specialist.

Though the unique conditions the pandemic presented to businesses were unfamiliar territory for the member relations team, that didn’t slow their response in the slightest.

Keeping in touch

First on the list was individual outreach to each Boulder Chamber member, which amounted to personal phone calls to over 1300 businesses in the area.

“Our immediate priority was to have a staff member or ambassador personally call each member to lend an ear, to hear what businesses were facing and bring that information back to our leadership team so they could respond. We really wanted to let our businesses know that they aren’t alone in this mess,” said Scott Firle, member relations director.

A re-evaluation of what Boulder Chamber networking events should look like followed soon after. Once it became clear that halting in-person events would be necessary to help support public health efforts, the team considered the available options. That Boulder Chamber members might feel disconnected from the business community was the most concerning potential effect of canceling these events.

To mitigate this, the member relations team worked with Boulder Chamber event staff to build its virtual networking programs. The new event formats encouraged creative ways to help members stay connected, even though they couldn’t gather in person. Trivia with prizes provided by member businesses became a mainstay, and Q&A sessions on popular topics offered helpful information and engaging conversations to dozens of networkers throughout the year. One unanticipated but welcome outcome of the new virtual format was the eager participation of normally shy networkers. Additionally, the new format encouraged attendees to connect with people they might not have otherwise, had the event been held in person.

Serving the community at large

In many ways, the Boulder Chamber’s work extended beyond its membership and toward the broader Boulder business community. The COVID-19 resource hub on the Boulder Chamber website is publicly available to all businesses and community members. A business feedback survey, one of the first to be implemented in the county once the gravity of the pandemic came into focus, provided a way for businesses to participate in feedback as local relief measures were considered.

“We prioritize our member businesses at all times. But when something of this magnitude negatively impacts the entire business community, our economic vitality mission demands that we step up and provide the information and resources for all businesses to navigate the crisis,” said John Tayer, president and CEO. “We were so glad to partner with the City of Boulder, Boulder County, Chamber associations at the local, regional and national levels, and countless other community partners in assisting Boulder businesses and residents throughout this crisis.”

Upping the value

Perhaps one of the most critical pivots many businesses dealt with in 2020 was the heightened importance of digital marketing and improving their business presence online so that customers can easily find and support them. The member relations team saw an opportunity to provide increased value to members through digital marketing tools, which included reconstructing the Hot Deals feature in the Member Information Center to allow businesses to post product and service updates that would populate directly to the COVID-19 resources hub, which has seen thousands of visitors to date.

To celebrate Boulder Chamber members throughout the pandemic, the team began its Chamber Checkin series on Facebook Live where videos reach an average of 900 viewers. Additionally, the Boulder Area United Business Response Group on Facebook was formed to allow businesses across the county to connect, ask questions, share ideas, post their offerings and more.

At a time when reducing operating costs is critical for many businesses, a big achievement was the implementation of a revamped and more affordable human resources support and health care savings program for small businesses. By working with key partners Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and InTANDEM HR, small business members have access to reasonably priced large group insurance rates and assistance with payroll processing.

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Looking ahead

In 2021, the member relations team plans to develop new and creative ways to boost visibility for member businesses. They are also excited for the possibility of reconnecting in person at some point in the year, although to what capacity that might happen is still uncertain.

Said the team, “We don’t want to jinx anything, but we’re really hoping to see our members in person again; share a drink, laugh, and not have to say, ‘You’re on mute.’ That’s the dream.”

Scott Firle Member Relations Director | scott.firle@boulderchamber.com

Cate Cook Member Relations Specialist | cate.cook@boulderchamber.com