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 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.”

The top priority

While most events went entirely digital, two beloved mainstays – the Boulder Chamber Golf Tournament and Women Who Light the Community – were able to go on in a limited capacity with several adjustments and safety protocols in place.

The annual Golf Tournament over the summer ended up being a successful event, following public health guidelines and leaning on the assistance of Lake Valley Golf Club in keeping golfers, sponsors and staff safe. The event ran smoothly overall, with attendees enjoying the fresh air and seeing friends face-toface (six feet apart, of course).

Women Who Light the Community ran as a hybrid event, with a very small audience of sponsors and honorees’ loved ones in attendance at Lionsgate Events Center. The Boulder Chamber’s first livestream of any of its signature events was available for the public to watch comfortably from home.

“Keeping our members safe during this time really was our top priority,” mentioned Ekx. “We want everyone to be able to come back and enjoy these events in the future, so making sure we do our part to slow the spread now is key.”

Looking ahead

Though the Boulder Chamber hopes to return to holding inperson events in some capacity in 2021, there are still valuable lessons to be gleaned from the past year.

“We’d like to continue to offer innovative and creative ways to continually engage members,” said Ekx. “We learned a lot about new tools that will really enhance our event offerings in the future, even when we do return to inperson events. More than anything, we’re still looking to provide opportunities to connect, which so many of us need right now.”

Maye Cordero Director of Marketing and Events | maye.cordero@boulderchamber.com

Tyler Ekx Events and Programs Manager | tyler.ekx@boulderchamber.com