Engaging Oakland with Vibemap’s Digital Passports

At Vibemap, we’re passionate about building a more connected and vibrant society. Our partnership with Visit Oakland perfectly embodies this mission, creating interactive experiences that encourage people to show up in real life, support local businesses, and celebrate the unique vibes of Oakland. Together, we've injected new energy and innovation into promoting the city's neighborhoods and destinations through Vibemap’s digital passports.

Our journey with Visit Oakland kicked off with the East Bay Open Studios Challenge, a fantastic event showcasing hundreds of artist studios across the city over two weekends in the spring. Participants used the Vibemap app to discover more about the studios, browse photos of the artwork, and find open studios to visit. By checking into the Vibemap app at each studio, they earned Challenge Points, Badges, and the chance to win awesome prizes. Prizes included exclusive art pieces, studio tours, and unique experiences offered by the artists, adding an extra layer of excitement to the adventure.

This digital-powered journey was all about real-life connections. People bonded with local artists, explored Oakland’s vibrant art scene, and took home unique pieces. The challenge brought a surge of foot traffic to the studios, giving artists a platform to shine and connect with a broader audience. It was an incredible way to blend the digital and physical worlds, fostering community and celebrating creativity in Oakland.

Connecting individuals with their communities and facilitating real-life social interactions are our favorite things to do. Supporting destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) in their efforts to strengthen community bonds is its own reward. The East Bay Open Studios challenge demonstrated how interactive digital tools like Vibemap passports, scavenger hunts, challenges, badges, and missions can help partners like Visit Oakland promote the arts within their community, enabling residents and visitors to uncover the hidden gems all around us.

After the buzz from East Bay Open Studios, we set our sights (and appetites) on Oakland’s culinary delights with the Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge (ORW). This 10-day annual event celebrates the city’s mouthwatering food scene, from neighborhood gems and family-owned favorites to Michelin-starred and James Beard-recognized restaurants.

Participants simply downloaded the Vibemap app, jumped into the Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge, and checked in at participating restaurants to earn badges. The more spots they hit, the more points they racked up, increasing their chances of winning prizes like local restaurant gift cards, hotel stays, and the coveted title of loyal Oakland foodie.

“My husband and I had a blast participating. He knows I love a gamified way to explore new places and told me about the challenge. I got really into it, haha. Thanks to the app and its guidance, we dined at so many new spots. It made our first time at Oakland's Restaurant Week pretty awesome.” - Brianna, Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge participant

The Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge whipped up community pride as folks discovered new favorite eateries, earned points and prizes for showing up, and shone a spotlight on local restaurants. The app made it a breeze to find all the participating restaurants, connecting diners to places that “matched their vibe” and driving more business to local spots.

“I already knew of so many amazing gems in Oakland, but ORW showed me those were just the tip of the iceberg… There were so many places I have yet to try and didn’t get the chance during ORW, but Vibemap is awesome for keeping track!” - Kelthie Truong, Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge participant

As the summer heat rolled in, Vibemap teamed up with the local USL men's and women's soccer teams,the Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul, along with the Oakland Museum of Calornia, the Oakland Zoo, the Chabot Space and Science Center, Children’s Fairyland, and Visit Oakland to launch the Oakland Summer Vibes Passport. This exciting initiative encouraged locals to rediscover the gems in their hometown and invited visitors to explore a city that's sometimes overlooked.

Participants used Vibemap to check in at these iconic Oakland spots, add vibes and tips, and share their adventures with friends. Each action earned them challenge points and badges, boosting their chances of winning prizes like VIP perks at an Oakland Roots/Soul game, a membership to the Oakland Museum, or a behind-the-scenes tour at the Oakland Zoo.

The Summer Vibes Passport was all about fun and exploration, supporting the local economy by spotlighting the best of Oakland during the sunny season. Digital passports and other creative ways of rewarding people for showing up made getting out and about more enjoyable and meaningful. This, in turn, led to more tourism dollars spent locally and more residents visiting the attractions that define the city's unique identity.

The impact of these Vibemap passports and challenges extended beyond the individual experiences of participants. By promoting local businesses and attractions, these initiatives drove traffic and increased visibility for participating places. Whether it was a restaurant featured in Oakland Restaurant Week or an art studio in the East Bay Open Studios, local businesses benefited from the increased foot traffic and exposure generated by these experiences.

Vibemap passports and challenges help bring people together through shared experiences. It’s well proven that bringing people together in real life is both good for us as individuals and society as a whole. It is also well proven that when people show up in real life it’s good for local businesses and the economy. There are the unmeasurable benefits from more engaging experiences like the ones that Vibemap partnered on with Visit Oakland and other local civic-minded businesses and organizations. These experience help to build a greater sense of pride in, and awareness of the the unique qualities that make each of our cities special and beloved places.\

Getting started with Vibemap is easy for participants. They simply download the Vibemap app and create a profile. After that they start earning points and badges for adding vibes and tips, saving and sharing places, and checking in at visited spots. Not only do people get access to our partner’s passports, challenges, and badges, but Vibemap is a city guide as well. So when people have completed the most recent task in a challenge they can use Vibemap to find other places to go and things to do that match their vibe.

Vibemap also provides dedicated support, ensuring that the people that use the Vibemap app have all the information they needed to fully engage with each challenge and the city around them.

The partnership between Vibemap and Visit Oakland is an example of using technology to enhance local engagement. These challenges promoted local businesses and supported the arts while encouraging residents and visitors to explore and enjoy their city in new ways. By using the Vibemap app, Visit Oakland successfully highlighted the best of Oakland, creating nteractive experiences that fostered connection and celebrated the city’s rich offerings.

The Vibemap partnership with Visit Oakland has created a new way for people to explore and enjoy the city. From the hidden gems of East Bay Open Studios and the culinary delights of Oakland Restaurant Week to the iconic attractions of the Summer Vibes Passport, these initiatives successfully promoted local businesses, supported Oakland’s economy, and brought people together in real life.

By downloading Vibemap and participating in the passports and challenges, people discovered the best of Oakland and had fun while winning prizes. For potential partners looking to boost local engagement and showcase their city’s unique offerings, partnering with Vibemap offers a powerful and effective solution.