By Recker McDowell —
The Chandler Chamber of Commerce hosted its second virtual job fair last week helping to link prospective job applicants with employers including Microchip Technology, Toyota Financial Services and Walgreens in the age of COVID-19.
Other business groups, including the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce and Valley Partnership, have also held virtual events helping connect and inform members. And Rose Law Group in Scottsdale has hosted a popular New Virtual Power Lunch series with top executives, restauranteurs and medical experts since COVID-19 upended traditional events and meetings.
These types of virtual events and job fairs will be with us for a while. Arizona has the second most COVID cases per 100,000 residents in the country (2,019.5) behind only New York City.
While Arizona ranks 16th in the U.S. for deaths per 100,000 residents, the COVID situation likely means a continued new normal for job fairs, business networking and other events.
That means chambers of commerce and other business groups will need to continue to with virtual events and Zoom meetings. Those groups especially need to step up their game for small businesses hit hard by the pandemic.
The need to retain existing and attract new customers is paramount right now for many businesses. Helping businesses also has to be a top priority as cities and regions allocate their CARES Act money and a second COVID stimulus effort is crafted in Congress.
The landscape has changed for meetings and events. We need to keep finding creative ways to help link job seekers with jobs and businesses with new customers.
Necessity is the mother of invention. And we have ample of supply of necessity right now.