You've been invited...  to a virtual meeting...

It seems to be the "new" way of meeting and getting things done these days, but will it become the industry standard long after the COVID pandemic ends? 



We have found virtual gatherings are a great way to stay connected with colleagues, family and friends while we stay apart and have found with the right partnerships, we can accomplish a great deal on these calls.

How about coming up with an initiative that helps small businesses in our region? Check out RegionAHEAD.com, created by a group of concerned leaders and organizations to provide easily accessible information as well as provide an opportunity for people to donate to help provide a grant to local small businesses. 
Utilizing virtual meetings to promote these initiatives have also become more commonplace allowing for a sense of camaraderie missing from a phone  call. 

What about reconnecting with colleagues on a Saturday morning? We may not think of this as "business meeting", but a large part of Economic Development is relationship building, what better way than with...


Aside from meetings, more and more people are working from home causing companies to consider doing things differently in the future. One local company,  AGERO , is a great example. 

These are also giving those of us in Economic Development something to think about for future project recruitment.
 

As we learn to work a bit differently, we also learn to engage site consultants and industry leaders differently. Navigating the change in how business is done will be the next challenge faced in recruiting business to our region allowing for the Quality of Life we work to bring to our communities.

Tomorrow, we will be exploring workforce development and the role our community partners play in ensuring businesses in the Tri-Cities have a strong pool of candidates from which to choose in growing their business.
 
In the meantime, here are a few examples of some of the ways local businesses are utilizing their resources to help those in our region and around the country as well as ensuring the safety of their employees.

 

It's here! The 2020 Economic Development Week is May 4-9, 2020.
Created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016, the goal of Economic Development Week (EDW) is to increase awareness for local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities and increase the quality of life in communities everywhere. Economic Development Week includes activities in communities large and small designed to highlight the importance of economic development and the good work that economic developers do every day.