After several months of popular online educational and networking opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gwinnett Chamber was excited to welcome back its members for in-person events. The weekly networking group, Gwinnettworking, hosted its first in-person meeting on Friday, June 12, and Gwinnett Chamber’s monthly membership luncheon, On Topic, kicked off Thursday, June 18, at the 1818 Club.

“Today was an exciting day to welcome back our members to On Topic,” said Nick Masino, President & CEO, Gwinnett Chamber and Partnership Gwinnett. “We are encouraged to see Gwinnett County businesses getting back to work and we look forward to continuing to support them and help them thrive.”

To accommodate members’ various comfort levels, On Topic attendees were offered the opportunity to participate in one of two ways – with 55 people attending in person and 20 virtually. The virtual event included 20 minutes of networking at the beginning as well as a $20 gift card to Marlow’s Tavern. During the networking breakouts, featured speaker Billy Milam, Chief Executive Officer, Hire Dynamics made an appearance to speak to the guests attending virtually before taking the stage to discuss the “next normal,” shifts in work, and the workplace. CLICK HERE to watch the recording of On Topic.

“For me, ‘the new normal’ is seeing innovative ways to accommodate those who want to do business in person again and those who are still remote,” said Ryan Bonilla, VP of Sales, Rocket IT. “I had the opportunity to attend this hybrid event as a virtual participant, and I found it a valuable and thoughtful way for the Chamber to engage all of their members. Well done to the entire staff for innovating and executing such a great event.”

Prior to events starting back in-person, the Gwinnett Chamber released a video to help visitors understand what to expect when attending an in-person event. CLICK HERE to watch.