Peter Guzman, head of the Latin Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas, is a self-proclaimed hugger. His business meetings usually start with a handshake or a hug, but over the past two months, due to COVID-19 concerns, those meetings haven’t taken place in person.
That means the business world’s usual greetings have been replaced with video conference smiles and chat room emojis.
“Younger people, they’re cool with virtual networking,” Guzman said. “Elders tend to still be about face-to-face. I’m a face-to-face guy, and I’ve had to make some adjustments, but I’m actually enjoying some of those adjustments. We’ll go back to having in-person stuff, but we’re definitely also going to keep this virtual platform going.”
Like others with companies that benefit from networking events, Paula Jackson is waiting for the day when COVID-19 concerns no longer require people to stay away from one another. Jackson, co-owner of a North Las Vegas company that runs the Large Vision Business Network Mixer at Suncoast, is hoping to get her expo—mostly geared toward small-business owners—up and running again in July.
“We’re a gathering, so we have to look at the health situation and take people’s lives into account,” Jackson said. “We have to go along with what the governor says. That’s very important. We’re optimistic that we’ll have an expo in July, but we don’t know what will happen.”
With the traditional business luncheon or happy hour mixer a thing of the past for now, business-focused organizations around the Valley have turned to virtual meetups, Zoom conferencing sessions and interactive webinars.
“I think what we’re going to see in the future is a combination of virtual and in-person events,” said Cara Clarke, vice president of communications for the Las Vegas Chamber. “Once it becomes safe to do so, people are going to want to come back and be in the same room together. People will want to see each other and share a glass of wine and do some in-person networking.”
In the meantime, Clarke said, platforms provided by companies like Zoom Video Communications—with its cloud-based peer-to-peer interactive software program—will rule the day. The chamber hosted its first post-pandemic virtual mixer in April, and it went well, Clarke said.
“Technology allows us to mix and mingle with people who may not even be in the same city as us,” Clarke said. “It actually gives us some more flexibility than just limiting ourselves to in-person events. I think that’s very much going to be a part of the future.”
Missy Day, a business coach and president of the local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, said virtual gatherings and meetings have actually been a boon.
“We’re able to attract more people,” Day said. “I network a lot. When you go to [in-person] networking events, it’s local and you tend to run into the same people all the time. Since things have gone virtual, it’s opened it up for a lot of people who wouldn’t normally be able to attend a networking event.”
Through her various networking channels, Day said she’s seen a big boost lately in connection-making between people from different cities and states. She also said some virtual participants have needed some time to acclimate to being a part of a Zoom meeting or event, but most have picked up on it quickly.
“There’s been a learning curve for people who had never been virtually involved in a group,” Day said. “We had to teach some people what the etiquette is, but once we got that established, I’d say people are more engaged virtually than they are in person. With us, there’s no luncheon now, so people aren’t eating, and they have more time for conversation and more time to listen.”
Many people, Day said, are more socially active in a virtual setting.
“People who were used to going to the luncheon and not saying anything now have an opportunity to ask questions of the speaker and talk and interact with others on the screen,” Day said. “I think some events and meetings will stay virtual. For my own business, I think a lot of the in-person training I do will stay virtual.”
Day also said virtual events free up time for participants, a byproduct that can be attractive.
“You don’t have the travel time,” Day said. “I’ve also noticed that people tend to be more focused when they’re virtual. I think part of it is that people aren’t concerned about where they need to be next and things like that. I think the possibilities are endless when it comes to doing virtual.”
Like other organizations, the Latin Chamber has refocused its twice-per-month gatherings to a virtual setting. It recently hosted a virtual town hall with U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., which proved to be a valuable networking opportunity for members, Guzman said.
“We had over 150 people networking and relationship-building,” he said. “It’s been very successful. It’s something that we had in our arsenal even before this pandemic, so it was natural for us.”