PRESIDENT’S LETTER: MAY 2020
I am truly honored to be serving as President of the BABC Georgia. This is a year of new beginnings for us. And we look forward to sharing with you in the coming months the changes and improvements that we will be implementing for the benefit of our organization and members.
Nonetheless, the past few weeks have been unsettling. The way we work, play and interact has changed for us all. Phrases like social distancing and shelter-in-place are now part of our everyday lives. It has been said that the whole world is in the same boat. That is not quite how I would put it. I would say the whole world is going through the same storm, but in different boats. Our experiences during this time differ from person to person and business to business. What does unite us is our shared human ability to adapt and rise up above the challenges presented. Necessity has shown us new approaches around virtual functioning, using other means to establish that vital sense of human connection. For this reason, the BABC Georgia has implemented a robust selection of webinars designed to meet the needs of business and enhance our sense of community, while meeting our renewed commitment to our membership.
Despite the lockdown, we have not slowed our efforts in building the BABC Georgia into something stronger and better. Our Strategic Planning Committee, inaugurated last year, has been working for months to more closely align our organization with Atlanta’s status as a leading national and increasingly international hub. Accordingly, we are proud to introduce our members to the British American Business Chamber and the British American Banter Club. The Business Chamber™ will be focused on matters of business relevance and also networking opportunities, while the Banter Club™ will be centered on cultural events and social occasions important to our community.
The Business Chamber will include our Speaker Series, Educational Series, Women’s Series, Spotlight Series, and Department for International Trade (DIT) and British Consulate events. Both the Business Chamber and Banter Club will continue to enjoy our Beer, Business and Banter gatherings, our Afternoon Tea and roster of social occasions. The BABC’s calendar will be anchored by our four annual signature events, to which all members are invited. In the Spring, we will be presenting the Great British Sports and more (planned for 2021). The Garden Party will be held in the Summer. In the Autumn we will host the newly returned Oglethorpe Awards Dinner. The Winter will be reserved for our famous Christmas Luncheon. A renewed focus on our working relationship with DIT will be important to our mission in promoting closer trans-Atlantic ties.
We value each of our members and thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented time. We do encourage you to participate in our virtual events, where you can CONNECT, LEARN and GROW. This month includes E-communication – Pitfalls, Horror Stories and Better Approaches(https://www.babcga.org/event-3816099), How to Improve Your Home Office and Your Mental Office (https://www.babcga.org/event-3822794), What to do if you still have travel plans booked for the next coming months (https://www.babcga.org/event-3816124) and for the very first time, our virtual Afternoon Tea (https://www.babcga.org/event-3804644). If anyone has a topic they would like to share please contact exec@babcga.org and we will be happy to work with you on a webinar for our Calendar of Events.
I look forward to the day when we can resume our in-person activities and meet face-to-face. In the meantime, I hope that each day is a safe, healthy and POWER-filled one for you and your families.
Jennifer Riis-Poulsen
President
BABC Georgia
