Announcement: Return to In-Person Activities
Tony Howard, President & CEO of the Loudoun Chamber
Dear Loudoun Chamber members:
Can you believe it? The news we have been waiting 14 months to hear has finally arrived: the return to in-person Loudoun Chamber meetings and events, with limited restrictions, can now resume.
Last Friday, Governor Ralph Northam, announced that, in accordance with the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recent guidance, he was immediately lifting many of the COVID related restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals.
This means your Chamber can now return to doing what we do best: helping our members build their brands, grow their businesses and make an impact on our Loudoun community through our in-person events, committee meetings and LeadShare groups.
Based on the Governor’s new orders, the Loudoun Chamber will adopt the following rules for our guests and visitors at all in-person activities. These rules will remain in-place until Governor Northam further refines his executive orders.
- Fully vaccinated individuals will not be required to wear facial coverings inside at Loudoun Chamber events. The Loudoun Chamber will not be asking for proof of vaccinations, because we trust our members.
- Unvaccinated and not yet fully vaccinated guests are required to wear facial coverings while inside at a Chamber event, unless actively eating and drinking.
- Anyone who is fully vaccinated is welcome to wear facial coverings, if that is how they feel most safe. No one will be questioned or made to feel uncomfortable because of their personal choices, on this or any matter.
With these rules in place, Loudoun Chamber plans to restart in-person meetings and events in these phases, in response to the Governor’s announcement:
Phase 1: Beginning June 1, Loudoun Chamber staff will begin returning to the office on a regular basis, though with staggered shifts to start. While the office remains officially closed, you will find our Chamber team at our Lansdowne headquarters more frequently, working to serve you and all our Loudoun Chamber members.
Phase 2: The Loudoun Chamber will restart in-person, indoor events, with the return of the ever-popular Business@Breakfast on June 10th and a PolicyMaker Series event later in June . Our first live and in person signature event in almost a year will be the 2021 Valor Awards on July 26th.
We also have several upcoming outdoor events planned, specifically the June 8th Golf Tour event at 1757 Golf Club and the June 30th Loudoun OnTap@Segra Field.
Please see our events calendar as more in-person events are posted.
Phase 3: On June 21, the Loudoun Chamber office will officially re-open and we will begin welcoming members and guests for the first time in 15 months. Though in-person meetings at our office won’t return until July, we welcome you to stop by and see us, unmasked if you are fully vaccinated, masked up if you are not, or if that makes you most comfortable.
Phase 4: Beginning July 1, the Chamber will return to in-person committee meetings here at our headquarters, or alternate locations, if a Committee prefers to meet elsewhere.
Knowing some Chamber members may need to participate in a committee meeting remotely, the Chamber upgraded its conference room audio-visual equipment to provide a more engaging virtual experience.
On behalf of our Board of Directors and our staff, I want to thank all Loudoun Chamber members and partners for your patience, loyalty and commitment to keep our organization, and our community, strong and healthy throughout this crisis.
While this pandemic has impacted many of us physically, emotionally and economically, you remained strong to help our community through the worst parts, and stayed resilient and confident that together, we would make it through this crisis.
For that, I am eternally grateful.
– Tony Howard