The Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce has temporarily closed its doors to the public as of March 18, but Chamber staff remain focused on serving their members and business community through digital marketing, networking, free events and other virtual resources.

Amid the current Coronavirus pandemic, the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce’s President & CEO Noel Martinez made the call to temporarily close the Chamber to the public and staff following strong recommendations from the CDC and Gov. DeSantis. With support from the Chamber’s Board of Directors, Martinez has postponed all in-person Chamber events for the next 8 weeks, including ArtFest by the Sea at Juno Beach, one of the Chamber’s premier arts festival originally planned for March 14 and 15.

“Our Chamber is taking the Coronavirus pandemic very seriously,” Martinez said. “We are saddened to see the effects this virus could have on our local small businesses and business community as a whole. That is why we are working harder than ever to provide the best digital resources and opportunities for our members and their businesses during this uncertain time.”

Amidst a plethora of canceled events and growing concerns over the quarantine from Palm Beach North business owners, the Chamber has implemented a number of innovative tools and techniques for its members to utilize while many businesses in the region move to working remotely. The Chamber is already offering webinars and virtual events on social media Monday through Friday each week, including Motivational Mondays, Wellness Wednesdays, Fitness Fridays and virtual business seminars on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All virtual events and webinars will feature guest speakers from the Chamber’s own member businesses.

The Chamber also hosted a conference call with Congressman Brian Mast on March 20 to provide an exclusive update to Chamber members on recent actions from Congress and the Administration in response to the Coronavirus outbreak. Chamber members were also invited to join the Palm Beach County Covid-19 telephone Town Hall meeting hosted by the Business Development Board in partnership with the Economic Council and other Chambers in Palm Beach County including the Palm Beach North Chamber.

In addition to virtual events, the Chamber continues to host its regularly scheduled committee and Board meetings through video conferencing. The Chamber is also in the process of building a Covid-19 business resource page on their website to provide helpful updates and information on disaster loans, crisis management, corporate aid tracking and economic impact survival tips.

“Here at the Chamber, we have each other’s backs,” Martinez said. “Our primary focus right now is doing everything in our power to support our members and business community so that we can come out of this pandemic stronger and more supportive of each other than ever.”