Show must go on for chambers during pandemic
Much like the businesses they aid, chambers of commerce were forced to get creative to help their members network during the coronavirus outbreak.
And the benefits of being a chamber member have perhaps never been more readily apparent thanks to the shifting economic landscape in an ongoing pandemic.
“A lot is being done around COVID,” said Julie Larison, director of membership services for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. “Special programming, free webinars in Spanish and English, a lot of synergy around getting resources and help for funding.”
Nobody can argue the need isn’t there.
From fluctuating guidelines for operating safely amid a health crisis to the influx of financial assistance designed to keep businesses afloat, it’s proving incredibly useful to be aligned with an organization — or organizations — keeping track of it all.
“Everything was changing and evolving in terms of CDC rules, loan programs and grants,” said Lori Donofrio-Galley, executive director of the Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce.
“It was challenging for some business people to keep up with what was happening. We were there
to provide support, a listening ear, guidance on these programs and referrals for people looking for resources.”
But some of what chambers are doing to keep members connected also qualifies as downright fun, including ideas that could stick around well after the pandemic ends.
“I think virtual events made everything easier for people,” said Rachael Romig, executive director of events and special programs for GRCA. “Because we’ve got such a great response, we are going to have some solely virtual events in conjunction with in-person events.”
‘Networking solutions’ gains new meaning
While gathering of all kinds have been subject to postponements and cancellations since March, GRCA took a very different approach wherever
possible.
“We realized very quickly that we didn’t want to cancel anything,” said Romig. “If anything, we added more to our calendar virtually so we could help our chamber members — webinars to keep you sane, webinars about PPP, about PPE.”
Still, holding a webinar is one thing. Coming up with a way for dozens of members to meet and greet one another is a different challenge altogether.
Networking events are a staple of any chamber, and though digital formats such as Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams might be suitable for conducting business in small groups or for presentations where one person is doing most of the speaking, they’re often less effective for hosting large numbers seeking to socialize.
That sent Romig searching for answers. Eventually, she stumbled across a product called Remo, which effectively drops users in a digital conference room interface where they are free to move around and mingle, joining various “tables” that serve as video chat rooms but, like a physical table, have a
limited number of seats.
“We wanted it to feel like you were there in person and could network with a more intimate group, thus the tables,” said Romig. “People like that they can network on a smaller scale. It’s not like Zoom where it’s everybody at once and you don’t know when you can talk.”
“I feel we’ve taken virtual events to a different level.”
Is the way to a businessperson’s heart through the stomach?
NEBCC stuck with one of the well-known digital formats for its annual chamber dinner in October, though the presentation was far from that of a ramshackle Zoom happy hour.
Instead, they held an interactive murder mystery — with some of the members as participants. And for meals? Tickets included dinner from one of five area restaurants, which the chamber preordered and had ready for pick-up on the big night.
“It turned out to be a really good time,” said Donofrio-Galley, adding over 100 people attended. “Not only were we interacting through this Zoom murder mystery, we were chatting with each other and having a lot of fun.
“We made the best of the situation.”
NEBCC had held just two virtual events prior to the pandemic, so it’s been a shift to say the least with the move to 14 in 2020 alone.
Maintaining that connection was vital by whatever means, said Donofrio-Galley, especially for a smaller chamber whose member rolls are in the hundreds, not thousands, and where one of the selling points is the opportunity to build relationships in the local business community.
“We had to make a change,” said Donofrio-Galley. “For a chamber that really relies on that in-person networking, presentations and speakers, at first you’re thinking, ‘How are we going to serve the members?’
“So we did virtual programs. We had chamber chats where we could get together as a small group, share concerns and success stories and bring in other speakers. Any way that we could shift an in-person program into a virtual one, we did that.”
Strength in numbers
By and large, the changes seem to have worked. Both chambers noted a slight dip in membership in 2020, but not an overwhelming exodus given the circumstances — financial headwinds for some, changes to programming for others.
The NEBCC actually reported it started to see new memberships rise again at the end of the year.
“We have achieved about 85% retention of members, and that is what we’re the most proud of,” said Donofrio-Galley.
“We did a lot of outreach right out at the beginning of the pandemic, calling every member in the chamber to see how they were doing.”
GRCA is actually shaking up its membership packages, not only seeking to add discounts or benefits that increase the value of higher tiers, but also to create introductory levels that will allow more businesses to get their feet in the door and take advantage of the many resources a chamber provides.
“I’d like it to be a really easy decision for businesses to make when looking at their budgets for the year,” said Larison.
“We’re offering benefits that help with bottom line savings. Our new levels have some training credits included, co-working space discounts, marketing opportunities, discounts with Amazon Prime — things that businesses are already spending money on.”
The chambers are poised to be able to provide member businesses the mostup-to-date details on coronavirus vaccines as well, just another of the inherent qualities when entities group together rather than go it alone.
“There’s that impact in a collective of working toward a common good,” said Larison. “The chamber ecosystem really perpetuates that positive growth and energy, and people need that. People want that. I think it is really relevant and meaningful for today.”
The truth of the matter is there’s also an enjoyment aspect to chamber membership as well, even during a pandemic.
“We’re trying to connect with everyone in a different way and keep things fun for people,” said Romig.