DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Sandy Springs Perimeter and the Perimeter chambers of commerce held their first joint networking session Aug. 8 ahead of their planned merger next year.
Open to chamber members and nonmembers, August’s Vibe After Five sold out, attracting 60 leaders in the Perimeter area business community to the Dunwoody Nature Center. This month’s session featured Dunwoody Parks & Recreation Director Rachel Waldron.
“Vibe After Five is all about gathering members and nonmembers alike socially to build networks, find common ground in business and community,” said Adam Forrand, president and CEO of the Sandy Springs Chamber.
The Sandy Springs Perimeter and the Perimeter chambers announced in July a merger that will be completed by Jan. 1. The partnership will allow the groups to expand their representation and services in the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs business communities, Forrand said.
The merger, Forrand said, will provide better business networking opportunities, more events, increased capacity to deliver resources to members.
Adam Forrand, president and CEO of the Sandy Springs Chamber, center, speaks with attendees of Aug. 8’s Vibe After Five at the Dunwoody Nature Center.
The networking session has been a keystone event for the Perimeter Chamber since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Paula Shiver, Perimeter Chamber vice president of engagement.
“It’s business networking and a nice opportunity to unwind with the chamber community.”
Shiver said this month’s Vibe After Five was a great opportunity for the “families” of both chambers to come together.
Community members from a variety of business backgrounds mingled with drinks and snacks in hand at the venue, which sits on 22 acres of forest at Dunwoody Park. Evening sunlight filtered through treetops and floor-to-ceiling windows at the Nature Center.
Vibe After Five is an opportunity for attendees to unwind, chamber leaders said, but it’s also about networking.
Denise Brodsky, executive director of nonprofit Clubhouse Atlanta, said she made several important connections at the event. Her organization serves adults who suffer with mental health conditions, providing them opportunities to regain their confidence and reintegrate into the community.
The Dunwoody Nature Center, site of the chambers’ Vibe After Five networking session Aug. 8, sits on 22 acres of forest at Dunwoody Park.
Brodsky is pleased to see the chambers merge.
“It will offer even more opportunities for members to not only build their businesses but network and help them get connected to other people who are like-minded,” she said.
Lauren Sok, owner of Functionize Health and Physical Therapy, said she made several important connections at the event.
“You might meet someone who does business loans or somebody who does marketing who helps you in a marketing strategy,” Sok said. “I just met a physician here who we can complement services.”
She was excited to attend more networking sessions and thinks the merger could result in more opportunities to do so.
“The chambers of commerce are growing and changing,” she said. “And these opportunities are really invaluable. They have grown more ways to connect and learn.”
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