Virtual Engagement
As public participation professionals, we strive to incorporate a variety of meeting, data collection, and communication methods to ensure that we are reaching as many people as possible – and this includes virtual engagement!
Our virtual engagement services include:
- Virtual meeting logistics planning and facilitation
- Group activities and discussions
- ArcGIS StoryMaps
- Virtual open house site development
- Narrated videos and presentations
- Online surveys with interactive elements
- And more!
Our tech-savvy team of community engagement professionals can create a virtual experience that is informative and easy-to-use to help inform and involve your project’s community.
One of our favorite and most successful virtual engagement activities has been small group breakout room discussions during virtual workshops! Participants feel more comfortable sharing in a smaller group and comments are captured with colorful sticky-notes on an online whiteboard.
We’ve heard from communities that location, time, childcare, and transportation are some of the biggest barriers to getting involved in projects and initiatives. Conveniently, virtual engagement provides individuals the opportunity to learn more about projects from the comfort of their own home and on their own time!
We strive to make our virtual public engagement as accessible as possible. This includes providing dial-in phone numbers for all virtual meetings, using mobile-friendly online surveys, posting recordings to project websites, and even running live simulcasts on local TV networks! We want to make sure that everyone who wants to be involved can be involved. Therefore, making virtual engagement accessible is a top priority.
We strive to make our virtual public engagement as accessible as possible. This includes providing dial-in phone numbers for all virtual meetings, using mobile-friendly online surveys, posting recordings to project websites, and even running live simulcasts on local TV networks! We want to make sure that everyone who wants to be involved can be involved. Therefore, making virtual engagement accessible is a top priority.
With CDC guidance, many restrictions are being relaxed as we as a country start to return to our old “normal.” This paves the way for another shift in public engagement work where many agencies will begin to incorporate in-person events in their public engagement plans. We are thrilled for the opportunity to safely engage in person again: this increases accessibility of engagement for many and helps get more community members informed and involved in decision-making.
Just as it was important to complement virtual engagement strategies with traditional methods, it is equally important to continue virtual methods of engagement as things return to normal. Not only does offering virtual opportunities for public participation allow more people to participate in a location and time that is convenient for them, but it also considers the needs of those that may not feel safe or ready to engage in person yet!
Just as it was important to complement virtual engagement strategies with traditional methods, it is equally important to continue virtual methods of engagement as things return to normal. Not only does offering virtual opportunities for public participation allow more people to participate in a location and time that is convenient for them, but it also considers the needs of those that may not feel safe or ready to engage in person yet!