Reimagining Our Signature Events Make Them Possible

As we begin our transition into fall, the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce continues to relaunch some of our signature events in new formats. Like many of you, we have had to rethink the way we produce our events and programming, and the challenges that entails. But I remain hopeful because I know the resiliency of our organization, members, and community will get us through these trying times.
 
Last month we continued with our series of candidate forums, which provide an opportunity for candidates seeking elected office to hear directly from our members. These forums not only give these individuals the chance to share their views on economic development and business issues, but for the candidates to learn about issues our members feel are important that perhaps aren’t being covered in the news. This dialog is critical to accomplish the Chamber’s mission of advocacy and working with elected officials to address problems effecting employers in the Hudson Valley. I look forward to hosting the final three forums in October, and continuing to work with our elected officials to address the need for additional reforms and support for employers.
 
You may have also seen some of our promotions for the Work Local First Job Fair, which is an annual tradition that has had to evolve to comply with social distancing. I want to thank all of the employers and future employees for participating in the job fair, and our sponsors for making it possible. Before this year it would have never occurred to us to hold a virtual job fair, but this is just another example of how innovation can push our community forward.
 
As we look further into the fall, I am pleased to announce that we will continue to offer networking opportunities such as Network, Present, & Refer and the Hudson Valley Young Professionals’ Unwind events. Both of these events will continue to provide opportunities for individuals to build their networks, which is more important now than ever before. We will be announcing additional networking events soon, so be sure to check on our website for our latest event listings.
 
In November we will begin offering additional hybrid formats for certain events by providing options to attend in-person with social distancing or virtually with Zoom and Facebook Live. It is my hope that these hybrid events will expand, allowing more individuals to take part in their preferred format. After reviewing feedback from attendees of some of our earlier hybrid events, I am optimistic we can provide these events in a safe and socially distanced manner.
 
Finally, I want to take a moment and thank each of our members for continuing to support our efforts to make each of these events possible. Although these events are in different formats than we are used to, they still provide the same opportunity for you to network, connect, and grow your business. Now it is up to you to take advantage of them and get involved!