Summer Of Safety Could Lead To Greater Industry Visibility

As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, companies are finding they can adapt. Remote work is becoming the norm at many companies, a norm that many say will continue even after the lockdowns and other restrictions are no longer necessary.

As you’ll read in this issue’s feature story, The American Waterways Operators has always been involved in producing content for its members. Before this summer, it had produced roughly one webinar a month. Most of these deal with “inside-facing” issues such as advocacy for particular waterways issues or bills.

As the coronavirus hit, cancelling many industry meetings and functions and forcing organizations to consider remote alternatives, AWO team members quickly ramped up their game. For its recently concluded “Virtual Summer of Safety” series of webinars, the AWO team had to accelerate its media skills, quickly lining up speakers and coordinating content for an entire summer of safety-related webinars. The first few webinars dealt with topics related to COVID-19, but they soon branched out into other safety issues.

The AWO has decided to make the webinars publicly available indefinitely. This will allow AWO members and any other interested parties who couldn’t attend the original webinars for one reason or another to access this valuable content.

If you’re in the industry and haven’t yet visited the AWO’s website to take a look at these webinars, we urge you to. And if you’re a member of the public interested in an inside look at everything that goes on behind the scenes on the nation’s waterways to ensure that Americans continue to get fed and supplied, we think you’ll also find these webinars worth visiting.  In a streaming-media age, they may not necessarily go viral. But the public availability of this content can only be good for our industry.