For more than 20 years Lehigh Valley Business has been the leader locally in recognizing high-achieving businesses and leaders across various industries at its awards celebrations.
We honor hundreds, from nonprofits and up-and-coming leaders to those who have attained legacy status. These events are core to our mission to provide news and information to help businesses innovate, grow and to build the next generation of leaders. We also learn from others and build strong networks for success.
These connections also allow other Greater Lehigh Valley businesses to align with the Lehigh Valley Business brand through sponsorships and to show their commitment to recognizing excellence.
In mid March, our sister publication, Central Penn Business Journal, kicked of its first virtual-based event with its 2020 Health Care Heroes celebration. Honorees who could not attend the event participated online in a virtual video experience. We live-streamed the celebration, and from wherever attendees felt the most comfortable, they celebrated.
Only days later, the full impact of COVID-19 was felt and the stay-at-home order for Pennsylvania was put in place. Work, events – everything – came to a halt. We were all left in a state of uncertainty and confusion.
Lehigh Valley Business did not stop. Online and in print, we provided our readers with the essential news and information they needed to keep their businesses and organizations moving forward. However, we have been unable to provide the in-person connections to our business leaders, the recognition of success and the opportunity to celebrate those successes because of the precautions surrounding COVID-19. It’s unknown when it will be safe to put hundreds of people in a room together again.
Lehigh Valley Business is still committed to our mission. We will continue to recognize excellence and give all our readers insight into true leadership and access to those they want to emulate.
We are excited to announce our awards events are going fully virtual starting in June and will continue to be virtual until it is safe to come together again. Our innovative events and marketing team has created a virtual-event experience working with our production partner, VPC Inc., which we promise will provide the next best thing to an in-person experience.
Tickets will still be required, and we will send a special link to winners, guests and sponsors the day of the virtual event with access to the awards celebration. A portion of ticket sales from each event will be donated to a nonprofit.
Our first virtual event will be LVB’s Women of Influence on June 15. I encourage you to take this opportunity to attend from your home while enjoying your favorite meal and drink. Dress for your mood. We want you to participate in the event through a live social media feed tied to #LVBEvents.
Your friends at Lehigh Valley Business will greet you, our sponsors will offer their insight and each of our winners will be recognized through multimedia storytelling.
Please join LVB and come together with other business leaders to help move business forward and celebrate success in this new virtual format.
For more information about our first virtual event, visit our Events section.
Cathy Hirko
Cathy Hirko is the associate publisher/editorial director of Lehigh Valley Business.
