Spring is in full bloom and with it comes a new wave of optimism that we are approaching a degree of normalcy in our community. I hope you have taken the opportunity to get your COVID-19 vaccine and are experiencing the exciting feeling of being able to safely return to in-person experiences. As more of our region gets vaccinated, we will be able to get back to doing more of the things we enjoy – dining at local restaurants, gathering with our friends and family, and attending in-person events.

With the recent loosening of public health guidelines, we are thrilled to be able to host our first in-person event in over a year. GLI’s Annual Meeting presented by Baird is one of our signature events and this year it is even more exciting as we prepare to reunite with our colleagues and peers at the Kentucky International Convention Center for the first time since February 2020. Reduced in-person capacity will not take away from the great program we have planned which includes networking, award presentations and a keynote presentation from the Chief Operating Officer of Ford North America, Lisa Drake.

I hope to see you there on June 10. Tickets are still available, but they are going quickly! Purchase yours here.

In recognition of varying comfort levels for in-person events, we are also offering a unique virtual option that will allow you to experience this must-see event from the comfort of your home or office. The virtual experience includes access to a virtual networking event, live stream of the entire program, and a gift box filled with local favorites.

With capacity restrictions being lifted effective June 11^th and the mask mandate ending for vaccinated individuals, we expect this is just the first of many in-person events this year and I am excited to share more opportunities in the near future.

As we fully re-open our economy I also encourage you to support the local businesses who have been hardest hit by the pandemic, specifically those in our urban neighborhoods. Because much of the Downtown workforce shifted to remote work at the onset of the pandemic, many businesses in our urban neighborhoods have seen a dramatic reduction in sales. Cancellation of all major events at local venues and arenas has added to the blow.

We saw many businesses in these neighborhoods make the difficult decision to close, however many were able to hang on. As we enter this period of recovery with loosened economic restrictions, these local businesses need us now more than ever.

With this in mind, we have partnered with Louisville Forward, Louisville Tourism and the Louisville Downtown Partnership to launch a campaign called ‘Lou Needs You’. The campaign, which was created through the generous support of esteemed advertising agency, Scoppechio, aims to drive traffic to businesses in our urban neighborhoods including Downtown, Nulu, Russell, Smoketown and more through a social media campaign.

We are utilizing our Live in Lou platforms to showcase these businesses and have created a marketing toolkit to help them share their own stories, offerings, and hours on social media.

I encourage you to share these resources with your connections who might benefit. And most importantly, please get out and support our local businesses because Lou Needs You!