It’s always great to get out of the office, close the laptop and connect with the park and trail community! For me, it’s a perk. I get to engage with some of our OuterSpatial partners and hear firsthand how they are empowering their visitors to explore the outdoors and their thoughts on ways we can enhance the platform!
Last month we were invited to sponsor and present at the California Trails & Greenways 2023 conference in Palm Springs.
It was an honor to be a part of such an important event that celebrates and promotes the development and use of trails and greenways throughout California. This year’s theme symbolized the role of trails in connecting people to places and each other. That resonates with us in many ways.
I had the opportunity to meet with all of the California State Parks District Trail Coordinators and provide an overview and demo of the CA State Parks app in OuterSpatial highlighting their new digital passport program!
I also had the opportunity to present a session on “Using Inclusive Technology to Improve the Visitor Experience.”
We provided some real-world examples in California and throughout the country where organizations are successfully leveraging modern web and mobile technologies. This is allowing them to engage with all types of visitors by offering inclusive and accessible information, pushing out dynamic updates, surveying visitors, offering trail challenges, and encouraging visitors to discover less popular locations.
During our presentation attendees had some thoughtful questions, ones that will help drive us to make the app even better and more inclusive. Questions like “Does trail data show up alongside other organizations data like East Bay Regional Parks?” and “Can you provide content in multiple languages?” (Hello, Michelle from Los Angeles County Parks - thanks for the shout-out!).
The big takeaway for me is that parks are looking for new ways to get people out on their trails and get these same folks engaged in park and trail programs and events. Challenge accepted!
It was an informative and engaging conference. We attended many other inspiring sessions, the awards ceremony, and networking events like the evening star gazing hike in the desert! If we connected, it was great to meet you. Let’s keep the conversations going! Email here (ryan.branciforte@outerspatial.com) if we haven’t made contact yet! See you next year.
