BEND â Adaptability has proven to be a key asset during the global pandemic. Schools have gone online, real estate agents do Zoom home tours, and bars now sling to-go cocktails. Quietly behind the scenes, your nearest chamber of commerce has likely also gone through a dramatic transformation.
Chambers that once served as networking hubs have become lifelines, supporting pandemic-slammed businesses to get a federal loan or pick up personal protective equipment. Their mandates have transformed from business promotion to business saviors, assisting local entities hamstrung by the lockdowns and restrictions.
âWe are that collaborator, that convener when things need to come together, that is our charge,â said Garrett Jaenicke, director of marketing for the Bend Chamber of Commerce, which has around 1,500 members.