After two years of virtual events, GGHI is thrilled to be returning to in-person events this March. We had hoped to gather in person in January and February, but the COVID-19 transmission rate in the county and public sentiment about gathering seemed to lean towards continuing with virtual gatherings.

As the CEO this will be my first opportunity to truly welcome the community to an in-person GGHI event. I am so excited to meet you all and still can’t believe it has taken us this long.

With the return to in-person events and with an appropriate level of consideration to our event attendees and their differing comfort levels, we have set the following protocols for in-person events with registration fees:

  • All in-person events with an associated registration fee will have a firm registration closure date/time. GGHI has both hard and soft costs associated with event management and need to work with our partners to ensure event success. Please note, this means that there will be no “pay at door” or “walk-in” registrations allowed at this time.
  • For events that include meals with the ticket price we will be ordering boxed meals from local vendors. For the time being we will no longer be offering buffet meals. We will be ordering enough meals as we have registered attendees, meaning extra meals or “just in case” meals will not be ordered.
  • Successful events are not just about the food (even though our caterers are awesome!). The ticket price reflects the cost of planning, promoting, and executing the entire event.  We will not be able to honor requests to forego eating to attend “just to listen”.
  • GGHI Members can register online and pay or choose to be invoiced. Non-members are similarly able to register online but will need to pay at the time of registration. You can register online via our events calendar.  If you are struggling to register you can call our office for assistance.
  • Leader’s Circle members that receive complimentary registrations to Business Forum Luncheons should ensure that all expected attendees are registered before the cut-off date. We will be reaching out to you as a reminder and to assist.
  • Working media that wishes to register to attend should contact the GGHI Office to register.
  • Masking rules will follow whatever the local and/or state guidelines dictate at the time of the event. Regardless of public health guidelines and rules all attendees are welcome to take whatever additional precautions they feel necessary to feel safe. This includes masking and distancing.

The team at GGHI believes that the above measures will keep our attendees safe, responsibly steward the investments and costs to the organization and ensure the least number of complications at the registration table.

The Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. office has remained open and operational throughout COVID-19 related shutdowns. Staff is here daily, but could step away to meet with members, attend meetings, etc. and not be able to welcome you into the office or catch your call. We are a small but mighty team! If you know you are coming by our office, please take a moment to contact us to confirm staff availability. We want to be able to provide you the best service possible!

Last but not least:

  • Ribbon Cuttings! If you haven’t noticed ribbon cuttings are making a big comeback. We love doing these events. Do you have a business with something to celebrate? Contact Member Services Director Stephanie Conway at sconway@graysharbor.org.
  • Business After Hours – These monthly social events hosted by GGHI members have been dearly missed. If you are interested in hosting a Business After-Hours contact Stephanie Conway right away!

Thank you for your patience as we navigate our return to in-person events. The GGHI Team is eager to step out from behind our screens and see you all face-to-face once again!