Canberra’s business community has welcomed a return to business networking, after a four-month hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Canberra Business Chamber and Canberra Southern Cross Club at Woden worked together to develop a model that allows businesspeople to interact while following strict COVID safety measures.
Eighty Canberra Business Chamber members attended the sold-out Business After Business Networking event yesterday evening, 30 July.
Chamber CEO, Graham Catt said that “networking is, and will always be, an important way for businesses of all types to build their supply chains and customer base”.
“We’ve learned how to leverage technology so that people can interact, but we know that the safe return of face-to-face networking is a priority for many in business. In fact, a recent Chamber poll showed that over 90% of our members had a strong desire to return to face-to-face business events.”
The event followed strict COVID safety rules and regulations. Guests could only consume food and drink while seated, and mingled at a safe 1.5 metre distance by using “discussion pods” and rotating “speed dating style” regularly throughout the evening.
Chamber member, Canberra Southern Cross Club, hosted the event in their newly refurbished Top of the Cross event space at Woden – their first event since COVID-19 restrictions were enacted in late March.
Ian Mackay, CEO of the Canberra Southern Cross Club said, “we were delighted to host the Business Chamber in our newly refurbished function space”.
“Whilst zoom and other video conferencing has been useful, there is nothing like the opportunity to interact with friends and colleagues in the same room,” he said.
“Our COVID safety plan was meticulously developed to help ensure the safety of our guests and included temperature checks on entry, recording of customer details for contact tracing and appropriate social distancing measures.
“We were fortunate our large spaces and well-developed Club procedures allowed us to bring the Canberra Business Chamber back together,” Mr Mackay said.
