Executive's Perspective - November 2021

The early worm gets the chicken

I have a dry-erase calendar in my kitchen. I fill it with personal life obligations — the dog’s groomer appointment, my daughter’s tumbling, a doctor’s appointment for my son. Sometimes fun things make the calendar (an apple orchard with friends!) but life’s never-ending to-do list tends to be scrawled up on the board more often. It looks at me while I eat dinner with my family — reminding me just how quickly the time goes and just how busy, busy, busy we really are.

One day, while updating the calendar for a new month, I realized that looking back at me was less scribbled and more white space. More numbers, less letters. More unscheduled time than reminders. I don’t recall what month during the pandemic it struck me, but it turns out, I really enjoy the lightness of an emptier calendar. I vowed to use this moment as a lesson and calm down on my planning once the opportunity to plan anything arose again. Days were filled with more imaginative family time, lazy afternoons on the couch watching endless amounts of Cocomelon, or naps that involved more than just a toddler or baby, but adults, too.

Turns out, we could all use the sleep.

As we’ve spent the last six months or so peeking out from behind our little homes like the munchkins in The Wizard of Oz responding to the beckoning call of Glinda the Good Witch, I’ve noticed the calendar has begun to fill up again. Appointments have been rescheduled. Extracurriculars have resumed with extra precautions. Gatherings, with a bit of foresight, have felt attainable again. However, after a year+ of “wait and see,” everything on the calendar feels more like a suggestion than a commitment. Sure, we may grab dinner with friends on Saturday night … if no one has a fever. Right — we might go to that fun outdoor community event if rain doesn’t push it inside. Of course we will be at the doctor’s appointment … unless we know we can’t pass the screening questions. Then we’ll reschedule. In a world of possibilities, everything feels a bit more airy and a lot less concrete.

Please, Register Early

Unfortunately, the world of events, for those planning them, feels a lot more concrete than airy. Staffing shortages and supply chain problems, both related outcomes to the pandemic, have required event venues to push up their timelines and harden their limits around guest numbers. While an event pre-COVID could handle a large onslaught of last minute (less than seven days before the event) registrations, an event now can maybe accommodate a swing of 10.

I’m not blaming anyone here. Our local hospitality and event partners are doing great work — especially given that they were, and are, disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Issues surrounding the need for more concrete responses from attendees are largely out of local control — and will, at some point in the future, right themselves. But while we wait, we must once again shift the way we do things.

Gone are the days of walk-in registrations. While we will do our best, any reservations that come in for an event or program within seven days of the event date may very well not be accepted and admitted to the event. Event cancellations are on the rise as event guests’ RSVP timelines are blurry, at best. Without a clear picture of who is attending what, we simply have to make as educated of a guess as possible while blindfolded and in the dark. It’s a sticky situation that we simply are going to have to feel and work through, but we need your help.

When registering for Chamber (or community!) events, I implore you to submit your registration at least one week prior to the event date. I get it — things may change; kids may get sick; mandates may force us to shift. But the good news is we’ve proven we can think outside the box and problem solve. And we’ll continue to do that. Should your event needs or availability change, simply reach out to the coordinator for next steps based on your individual situation. Personalization is king amid the pandemic. And we are here to serve.

So, for the love of all event planners and leaders everywhere, please reserve your space at events in advance. Your dry erase calendars can handle it, and your chicken dinner is waiting.