By Tom Coleman, AICP, Mobile App Market Lead, Parsons Brinckerhoff - September 26, 2012
We could write forever about how government, the media and our own engineering/planning industry should to move toward embracing the technologies that helps us reach more people more efficiently. But Mandy from the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) only gave us 400 words. That’s OK though, we still like Mandy. The bottom line is WE MUST embrace new technologies to reach the public, or we will soon become irrelevant, and most importantly miss an opportunity to jump on a bandwagon (who doesn’t want to jump on a bandwagon?) that has actually already left.
The topics of mobile applications, social media and digital communications are all going to be a focus of the Oct. 9 MPC Roundtable – Plugging in to Placemaking: Technology’s Role in Community Planning, hosted by that forward-thinking agency MPC and sponsored by Parsons Brinckerhoff.
Engaging with the public online, on social media and through the fast-growing mobile applications market (unabashed plug for Parsons Brinckerhoff!) is no longer a fad. It is here to stay. Why? Because it’s easy, it’s cost effective and it’s efficient for the user. Make it easier for the public? Crazy, we know.
We are in a world of communications where it’s no longer enough for government to “do” Facebook and Twitter or Youtube anymore. We must become more engaged with those audiences by actually talking to them, interacting with them. Pushing out information does not engender connections.
So, top five reasons you need to attend the Oct. 9 roundtable:
- Hear from a tremendous speaker lineup that includes experts who have helped usher in the effective utilization of social media and online communications in government and in the media.
- Learn how many government agencies “do” social media like Facebook and Twitter and Youtube, but how only a select handful are actually making an impact.
- Understand that public outreach in 2012 and beyond must reach beyond the traditional public meeting, newsletter and press release.
- Check out mobile applications developed by Parsons Brinckerhoff that will illustrate why this technology is so embraced by the public.
- Meet Mandy, MPC's communications director, who is very cool, despite limiting us to 400 words.
If you can’t attend, it will be streamed live on YouTube.
Darrel W. Cole, Manager, Communications & Public Involvement Group, Parsons Brinckerhoff, contributed to this post.