A message from the KC Chamber President and CEO on COVID-19

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s commitment to leading the way to the best KC region means taking action during extraordinary times.

The Chamber’s leadership team has been meeting to establish protocol to keep our staff, Chamber members, and the general public safe and minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19 while continuing our important mission.

Due to the growing concerns surrounding the virus, the Chamber has decided to postpone all of our Small Business Celebration events, including the March 19 Small Business Celebration at Union Station. We have notified our candidates and everyone involved.

Based on the best information we have received from health experts, our current procedures and protocols include, but are not limited to:

  • Cancelling all networking events through March 31, including ribbon cuttings, Neighborhood Networking events, and receptions.
  • Cancelling or postponing all events with more than 50 in-person attendees.
  • Changing meetings and events into electronic conferences when possible.
  • Limiting attendance for certain events to provide social distancing.
  • Regularly cleaning all surfaces in our office.
  • Having additional supplies of hand sanitizer, tissues, and cleaning supplies on hand in our offices.
  • Allowing employees to work from home if they wish.

Our Chamber members who serve on a committee or are scheduled to attend an upcoming event will be contacted by one of our staff with information on how these meetings and events will be affected. You can also monitor our social media accounts across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

In the meantime, please remember to take the following precautions below, recommended by the CDC, KCMO Health Department, and WHO:

  • Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then discard the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • Stay at home when you are sick.
  • Practice social distancing in the workplace.

We’ve compiled the above guidelines and more on our Coronavirus Resource page. This page is being updated as new information becomes available.

We will continue to actively update our members on changes to events, meetings, etc. We know this is a fluid situation and we will adjust our protocols as needed in order to keep our staff, our members, and general public safe and healthy. Thank you for your understanding.

Joe Reardon

President & CEO, The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce