As cities and organizations continue to adapt to the “new normal” – namely virtual meetings and online programming- our clients and team members are embracing the opportunity to stay connected with others in new and exciting ways. Learn more about the innovative ways some of our clients are going virtual below.
- City leaders are using virtual communications to host public meetings.
Both the City of Wilton Manorsand the City of Cooper Cityare utilizing the Zoom teleconferencing platform to hold public Commission Meetings and board meetings. The meetings are open to all residents with a public link and meeting ID that is shared on their websites, in e-mail blasts, and on social media to encourage attendance. Residents may submit public comments beforehand or share them during the meeting.
2. Parks and Recreation departments are altering annual events to accommodate social distancing.
In the City of Parkland, the upcoming annual Parkland Dash 5k has gone virtual! To maintain social distancing requirements for this year’s event, runners may choose their routes in local parks and neighborhoods or may complete the run on a treadmill. Runners may submit their times through the Race Joy app and will be able to view live results online throughout the race day, as fellow participants submit their times.
3. Organizations are streaming important ceremonies on Facebook Live.
This year’s Installation Ceremony looked a bit different for the Broward League of Cities. Instead of gathering in-person, Commissioner Traci Callari was sworn in as the League’s 63rdPresident in May during a Facebook Live broadcast that members could view from home. The live broadcast of the ceremony had 2,187 engagements and 2,000 views! The League also hosts monthly “Coffee with the President” Zoom meetings.
4. Churches are creating new virtual programming opportunities for members.
Many churches closed for in-person gatherings earlier this year, including All Saints Episcopal Churchand First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale. The leaders of both churches shifted their focus to hosting daily prayers and Sunday sermons via live stream on Facebook Live and Vimeo. Each church created new virtual programming for members and guests as well. All Saints offers Coffee Hours, book club discussions, and Grief Webinars on Zoom.
First Presbyterian created a recorded series titled “This One Thing” to help lead members in daily devotion. The church’s pastor also created the “Zooming Lunch with Your Pastor” program to connect with church members during lunch hours every Tuesday.
5. Our Conceptual Communications team is learning and connecting virtually too!
Team CC is working hard and having fun virtually as well. In July, we completed a two-part Summer Learning Series with Merrie Meyers, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA. We took a deep-dive into grammar best practices, writing styles, and different writing techniques. Our team also connects for monthly “Brown Bag Lunch” days over Zoom. We take the opportunity to reconnect, play some trivia (our teams are tied 1-1 going into the next round!), and enjoy each other’s company.