A Chamber of Commerce that always stood out
Beers at 10 am at a bank to create business connections is not the conventional approach for most Chambers of Commerce.
But with a mantra to “be different,” Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce has lived its motto by connecting the community through innovative events.
“We’re not the traditional chamber, which is like accountants and lawyers. We actually want to be really, really socially engaged and socially impactful.”
When the era of virtual meetings and events descended, Watford pioneered online events for Chambers of Commerce. CEO and tech-entrepreneur Chris Luff was presciently aware that video conferencing fatigue would put a dent in participation numbers – months before it happened.
“It’s kind of gone on a curve because initially, we had lots and lots of people come to regular events. We were holding events online every day as I wanted to engage with some part of the community every day. But quickly, people were getting fatigued. Because everyone’s online, and everything’s gone online. So that’s why we went to look for something like Remo because we wanted to change it up.”
The Catalyst that Reinvented Virtual Events
The team at Watford looked for a more inclusive and experiential alternative to keep people coming back for more.
Remo was their solution to stand out and deliver impactful experiences that allowed guests to form organic connections in a sea of one-directional virtual conversations.
Their catalyst first event was a networking event for digital marketing agencies and hosted 50 attendees. And after almost 5 months on Remo, they are now doing nearly 10 events a month.
With an expanded team of newly-minted brilliant young apprentices, the chamber is bringing Watford back together with innovative and socially impactful events like– mental health first aid training sessions, hands-on professional development workshops, and informative career fairs.
Creating Unique, Personal, and Inclusive Experiences
The Chamber’s most recent virtual career fair, their largest event so far, hosted 300+ attendees in two concurrent event buildings – a hall for informational presentations and a networking lounge for businesses and candidates to connect.
Additionally, designing custom floor plans has also enabled them to create personal and safe environments for their Mental Health First Aid training courses. Trainees also appreciate having whiteboards on each table as it allows them to keep track of everything they learn easily.
The raving reviews for the Chamber’s events are spreading buzz and excitement in the Watford community.
"The amount of people who I have spoken to after hosting an event they’ve turned around and said to me, Lee, this is great because it feels like you are in a room. You’re not sitting in front of a screen of 70 people with one person droning on at you. And you just engage with the people you’re talking to."
As restrictions around the UK are easing, Watford is looking towards adopting a hybrid event format. By recreating castles and pubs in a virtual space, they’re hoping to make their events inclusive and accessible to a larger audience.
Do you also want to transform your events and keep your audience engaged and excited?
Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce Conquering the Game of Virtual Events.
