Walk through the double doors into the cheerful crowd of intermingling guests. Several hosts corral newcomers, moving them toward a sign-in sheet. Everyone is outfitted with a paper name tag, but the group seems to get along like old friends.

This isn’t a typical setup for a mid-week Chamber of Commerce meet-and-greet. A woman walks by with a glass of wine. Cold beer and beverages are being dispensed from a chilled cooler in the back corner. Guests wander through the aroma of chicken wings toward the overflowing tables laden with dishes of meatballs, what appears to be thick-sliced bacon sandwiched in French toast, and vegetable plates. The city of Sunriver really knows how to bring the community together.

Kent Elliott, executive director of Sunriver’s Chamber of Commerce, offers greetings to new faces as they enter. For Elliott, there is no need to pretend: he’s truly excited about the progress of his community. His welcoming demeanor would exist with or without the food and fixings.

Prior to the February Meet, Greet & Eat Business Mixer, Elliott divulged a few of the new features Sunriver is offering.

“This building is wired with a fiber-optics cable. There’s a videoconferencing station here. Private conference room available for members of our community. If you had a business meeting you could reserve that,” said Elliott.

Despite the 60 or so people in attendance, the technological upgrades are obvious. Traditional desks, standing workstations, comfortable office chairs, and several large monitors are there for community use. From the looks of it, Sunriver has taken steps not only to accommodate local business professionals but also to benefit smaller businesses, startups, and freelancers.

Once the guests have had time to chat and nibble, Ginny Kansas-Mesaros, a local realtor, introduces several representatives of the community. Although the population of Sunriver is small, it is represented by various organizations: Chamber board members, Central Oregon Visitors Association, Sunriver Owners Association, Sunriver Village, Sunriver Resort, members of Sunriver Homeowners and Aquatics Recreation Center, all working for the greater good of Sunriver.

If this level of community building is taking place on a snowy Wednesday night, there is no telling what the citizens of Sunriver are capable of creating.

Sunriver often gets categorized as a quiet resort town, but there’s a lot more going on than appears on the surface. From advancements in technology and invigorated business capabilities to new and improved infrastructure, Sunriver’s future is looking brighter by the minute. •