When Evan Gray moved to the Coachella Valley in 2022, he was struck by the number of creative and lively people he met—whether he was at the doctor’s office, a coffee shop or a local boutique.
But Gray also picked up on something every newcomer to the desert has experienced: While the area is a hub for many unique and driven people, with a bustling events calendar, few of these events are geared toward newcomers who want to meet new people. Fortunately, as director of programs for the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, Gray was in a position to do something about it.
“If you’re someone looking to network, especially in a place where you’re new, chambers are not necessarily known as a place to go,” Gray said. “It was the middle of the fiscal year, with no budget, but I was confident I could come up with something creative.”
That led to the creation of EMERGE Palm Springs, which has hosted monthly “Social Hours” at venues across Palm Springs since February 2023. The events bring together scores of desert-dwellers looking to make new connections or simply socialize—and, of course, enjoy fabulous food, drinks and scenery in classic Palm Springs tradition.
The goal is to have attendees form meaningful relationships—and not just for business opportunities, either. Some attendees have met folks who become their roommates. Others simply became fast friends who would go on to host each other’s birthday parties. While technically a Palm Springs Chamber program, Gray sees it as more of a social club.
Programs like EMERGE could become an important conduit as the nature of work by professionals fundamentally shifts. Millions of people in the U.S. founded businesses or became self-employed entrepreneurs during the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic: The U.S. Census Bureau reported a 24% increase in new business applications in 2020. As of 2022, roughly 11% of the nation’s 157 million employed workers were self-employed, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
The rise of remote work creates a vacuum for community building. While the workplace has traditionally been a common spot for young people to make friends, develop relationships and gain a network, professionals spending their days on Zoom calls may find themselves missing a sense of community. The desert in particular has a younger population of newcomers who moved here amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, due to their ability to work remotely—and there’s also a population of Millennials and Gen-Zers who have grown up here and want to continue calling the desert home.
Social-media software Buffer found in a 2023 State of Remote Work survey that while the vast majority of remote workers would recommend it, it can be isolating. One in three said they were staying home too often because they don’t have a reason to leave. Around one in five said loneliness was the most difficult part of remote work. “These two struggles go hand in hand and paint a picture of how the reality of remote work can be very challenging,” wrote Hailley Griffis, Buffer’s head of communications and content. This is where facilitators like Gray and events like EMERGE can create an important community link.
“I knew the valley needed something like EMERGE, but I didn’t know how much until its kickoff,” Gray said.
For the first event in February 2023, the staff at The Rowan Palm Springs offered up the poolside rooftop bar as a venue. The Brady Sandahl Real Estate Group sponsored catered food. With minimal marketing, the event attracted dozens of attendees.
“It worked too well,” Gray said. People were asking for one the following month, and Gray hustled to get the next event on the books.
Since then, EMERGE has gained popularity mostly due to word of mouth. Gray operates a lively Instagram feed that posts professional photos from the events by local photographer David Garcia-Tlahuel of Arsvida. EMERGE also has an email list nearing 700 people. Average attendance so far is around 60 people per event, with more than 100 at the Windmill City Screen Printing Social Hour in April 2024.
Gray aims to keep the events fun, lively and light; this isn’t about networking in stuffy professional clothes and swapping business cards. He chooses interesting and attractive venues to help increase the draw. Casa Cody, Palm Springs’ oldest operating hotel, hosted the June 2024 Social Hour. The next event, scheduled for 7 p.m., Thursday, July 25, at Drift Palm Springs, is expected to have a pool-party vibe, with a live DJ, cabana access and all-night swimming. Others have included locally beloved spots like Las Palmas Brewing and Boozehounds, and more experience-driven locations like SoulGlow Aura portrait studio.
Attendees who are looking for a little help on the connection front are given cards with question prompts that go beyond, “What do you do for work?” Instead, they’re invited to share their answers to thoughts like, “What piece of advice has stuck with you throughout your life?” or, “What’s a trend or development in your field that you find particularly interesting?”
Despite EMERGE’s proven track record, Gray still gets nervous before events. He wonders if ticket sales will be strong, or if people will bring new guests. A trusted team of volunteers helps him with organization and check-in. But once it kicks off, he makes it a point to meet every attendee and make folks feel welcome. He said he has a personal tradition of going to Taco Bell to unwind and reflect, and winds up with tears in his eyes.
“I leave every event pretty emotional,” he said. “At the end of the day, all I ever wanted to do in the community is to create a lasting impact.”
Gray is cautious about branding it as a “young professionals” program, though the average attendee age is in the mid-to-upper 30s. Gray is adamant in making sure that EMERGE is open for anyone who wants to attend. There’s also no residential component, with attendees coming from all valley cities.
“There are all kinds of people making huge impacts on the valley,” he said.
He also sees EMERGE as a way to carry on the Palm Springs society culture to the next generation. He wants to continue to draw sponsors and secure more investment. That means bigger and better parties—and bigger and better community impact.
“I want to understand: How do we create our own social scene like the people we look up to in their 60s and 70s, with awesome parties and galas?” he said. “We’re the future of this place. Why not start now in having fun and building a really unique and cool thing that the valley hasn’t seen?”
For more information, visit www.emergepalmsprings.com or instagram.com/emergepalmsprings.
Love this! Didn’t know about it, and will attend the July event. Go, EMERGE!