<p>While digital increasingly dominates our world, there’s still something special about holding a beautifully crafted physical map in your hands. Whether it’s for daily use or a special event, a custom-designed printed map can transform a simple journey into a memorable exploration. Vibemap’s printed maps, tailored specifically for destination marketing organizations with QR codes linking to a digital version, offer both functionality and lasting impressions.&nbsp;</p> <h2>The Power of Custom Physical Maps</h2> <p>Vibemap’s custom printed maps go beyond navigation—they unveil the hidden gems of a destination, create immersive experiences, and leave a lasting impression on visitors. With both daily-use maps and event-specific maps, we offer tailored solutions for all your district’s needs. Our printed maps can be easily linked to interactive digital maps–in both formats, we create visually stunning maps that align with each partner’s unique needs.</p> <h2>Daily-Use Maps: Unveiling Local Wonders</h2> <p>Our Daily-Use Maps, updated quarterly, are perfect for visitor centers, hotels, and other key locations within your district. These maps not only guide visitors to local attractions but also serve as unique souvenirs, offering a tangible reminder of their experiences. Each map includes a QR code, seamlessly linking to an always up-to-date digital version for real-time information on the go. Whether a visitor is discovering your city for the first time or returning to their favorite spots, our maps offer a fresh perspective every time. Our mapping collaboration with <a href="https://docsend.com/view/nk2aawid9zr5m3tk">Visit Tampa</a> is an example of helping with day-to-day navigation, marketing, and encouraging people to explore places they might not have heard of–like Dinosaur World!</p> <div class="wrapper wide"> </div> <div class="wrapper narrow"> <img width="1888" height="2000" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tampa-map-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="" loading="lazy" /> </div> <h2>Special Event Maps: Enhancing Occasions</h2> <p>Planning an event? Let Vibemap make it unforgettable with a custom-designed Special Event Map. Our collaboration with Downtown Portland, Maine, for their holiday shopping crawl <a href="https://docsend.com/view/aminmbadpgv3zejm">“Merry Madness”</a> showcased how a curated map could elevate the experience. Featuring categorized exploration areas and paired with a digital map, this physical guide helped visitors navigate with ease, enhancing their “buy local” experience.&nbsp;</p> <h2>Why Choose Vibemap for Printed Maps?</h2> <ul><li><strong>Tailored Designs:</strong> Our maps are crafted as functional works of art, customized to meet the specific needs of your destination or event.</li><li><strong>Real-time Updates: </strong>Our Daily-Use Maps are refreshed quarterly, while digital counterparts can be instantly updated for seamless user experience.</li><li><strong>Perfect Souvenirs: </strong>Beyond navigation, printed maps serve as beautiful keepsakes or merchandise, leaving visitors with a tangible memory of your district and an incentive to return.</li></ul> <h2>Transform Occasions into Memories</h2> <p>Our physical-map expertise spans collaborations with destinations such as <a href="https://docsend.com/view/nk2aawid9zr5m3tk">Visit Tampa,</a> Visit Oakland, <a href="https://docsend.com/view/aeesj56rvh4rmafy">Westshore Alliance,</a> &nbsp;<a href="https://docsend.com/view/5am4aezd2gdpf8mx">First Friday Map Oakland</a>, <a href="https://docsend.com/view/aminmbadpgv3zejm">Merry Madness_Portland</a>, and <a href="https://docsend.com/view/j946mmjz32r2p355">Pacific Beach</a>. These partnerships highlight the impact of a well-designed printed map that not only guides but also enhances the visitor experience. Whether it&#8217;s a daily-use guide for your city or a custom map for an event, we’re here to help you elevate your destination’s marketing strategy.</p> <p>Ready to create captivating maps that tell the unique story of your district? Partner with Vibemap for custom Physical Maps that will make a lasting impression.</p>
<p>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&#8217;ve injected new energy and innovation into promoting the city&#8217;s neighborhoods and destinations through Vibemap’s digital passports.</p> <div class="wrapper wide"> <img width="1094" height="978" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Oakland-Challenges.png" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="" loading="lazy" /> </div> <h2>East Bay Open Studios: Strengthening Community Bonds</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <h2>Oakland Restaurant Week: Savoring the Local Culinary Scene</h2> <p>After the buzz from East Bay Open Studios, we set our sights (and appetites) on Oakland’s culinary delights with the <a href="https://vibemap.com/oakland-restaurant-week"><strong>Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge</strong></a> (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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p><em>“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&#8217;s Restaurant Week pretty awesome.” &#8211; Brianna, Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge participant</em></p> <p>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.</p> <p><em>“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!” &#8211; Kelthie Truong, Oakland Restaurant Week Challenge participant</em></p> <h2>Oakland Summer Vibes: A Passport to Adventure</h2> <p>As the summer heat rolled in, Vibemap teamed up with the local <a href="https://www.uslsoccer.com/">USL</a> men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s soccer teams,the <a href="https://www.oaklandrootssc.com/">Oakland Roots</a> and <a href="https://www.oaklandsoulsc.com/">Oakland Soul</a>, along with the <a href="https://museumca.org/">Oakland Museum of Calornia</a>, the <a href="https://www.oaklandzoo.org/">Oakland Zoo</a>, the <a href="https://chabotspace.org/">Chabot Space and Science Center</a>, <a href="https://fairyland.org/">Children’s Fairyland</a>, and Visit Oakland to launch the <a href="https://www.visitoakland.com/oakland-summer-vibes-passport/">Oakland Summer Vibes Passport</a>. This exciting initiative encouraged locals to rediscover the gems in their hometown and invited visitors to explore a city that&#8217;s sometimes overlooked.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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&#8217;s unique identity.<br></p> <h2>Driving Community Engagement and Local Support</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>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.\</p> <h2>Increased Engagement with Technology&nbsp;</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <h2>Showcasing the Best of Oakland</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>
<p>In the heart of Evanston, Illinois, where culture, community, and creativity intersect, lies <a href="https://downtownevanston.org/"><strong>Downtown Evanston</strong></a>.&nbsp; It’s a vibrant hub for green spaces, galleries, hotels, jazz and art venues, bookstores, shopping, and culinary delights. Since 1987, Downtown Evanston, a nonprofit organization, has been at the forefront of marketing and managing the downtown business district. In a groundbreaking move, they recently partnered with Vibemap to revolutionize how visitors and locals explore their district</p> <p><a href="https://downtownevanston.org/explore-map"><img loading="lazy" width="1094" height="978" class="size-full wp-image-62828 aligncenter" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Evanston-1-1.png" alt=""><img></a></p> <p></p> <h2><strong>The Evolution of Exploration: Vibemap&#8217;s Immersive Adventure</strong></h2> <p>In a world saturated with traditional travel itineraries, Downtown Evanston embraced innovation by teaming up with Vibemap. The collaboration aimed to transcend conventional tourist guides, offering an immersive experience that resonates with individuals personally. With Vibemap&#8217;s expertise, Downtown Evanston revamped its online business listings and introduced an attractive interactive map to its website.</p> <h2><strong>The Mapmaking Process: Building Blocks of Discovery</strong></h2> <p>To craft the interactive maps, Vibemap began by leveraging Downtown Evanston&#8217;s business listings. Using publicly available and fully compliant data, and partner research about Evanston&#8217;s beloved spots, each business listing was enriched with data-driven categories, filters, location-based information, images, and unique vibes. Customized map colors were introduced to distinguish various areas of interest, creating a visually appealing and user-friendly directory featuring more than 500 local places—void of duplicates or mistagged categories.</p> <h2><strong>More Than Just a Map: A Living Guide to Evanston</strong></h2> <p>The <a href="https://downtownevanston.org/explore-map"><strong>map</strong></a> developed by Vibemap is more than just a static guide. Every time users load the page, the map presents a randomized selection of destinations, ensuring novelty and fairness in exposure. Detailed categories and subcategories, including activity preferences, allow users to tailor their exploration. The map also responds to specific vibes, enabling visitors to interact with the district in a personalized way.</p> <p>Downtown Evanston has seamlessly integrated this map into various events, such as its Trick or Treat Night, where businesses offering specials and discounts were highlighted. Also, the map and business listings are strategically incorporated into blog content, driving traffic to local businesses and boosting Downtown Evanston’s SEO rankings.</p> <h2><strong>Events Calendar to Boost Engagement</strong></h2> <p>Downtown Evanston was also looking for a way to enhance community engagement and attract more foot traffic to local happenings. And what better way to do that than to offer a comprehensive list of events embedded within a website? With Vibemap, Downtown Evanston’s current website now features an automated <strong><a href="https://downtownevanston.org/upcoming-events">events calendar</a>. </strong>We’ve given them an easy way to enhance their marketing strategy surrounding local events, and we’ve ensured that visitors have a seamless and up-to-date experience to discover area free and ticketed local events. </p> <h2><strong>Unveiling the Impact: A Resounding Success</strong></h2> <p>This strategic collaboration has elevated Downtown Evanston&#8217;s online presence helping to make their website the number one source of information on places to go and things to do downtown. Integrating interactive maps with blog content has enhanced user engagement and provided positive benefits to local businesses increasing online visibility and bringing more customers through the door. The success of this partnership is palpable as you wander through the streets of Downtown Evanston, guided by Vibemap to discover pop-up galleries, global cuisine, gift shops and other unique finds that define the city&#8217;s cultural richness, strong sense of community, and high quality of living.</p> <p>In collaboration with Downtown Evanston, Vibemap has redefined the exploration of this charming part of the city, “where Chicago and the North Shore meet,” as their tagline goes. Next up, Vibemap is working on automating Downtown Evanston’s events feed!</p>
<p><em>&#8220;Will it play in Peoria?&#8221;</em> Ever heard that phrase? It’s a classic way to ask if something will appeal to a broad audience based on how well it’s received in Central Illinois. Turns out understanding what’s universally appealing is likewise the goal of Discover Peoria, also known as the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Burea, which represents six counties and five cities. And to attract a broad audience – from leisure travelers and sporting events to local customers and national conventions – Discover Peoria transformed their online presence with Vibemap. Our collaboration aimed to enhance their digital engagement and reach. So, how did our partnership <em>play </em>with Discover Peoria?&nbsp;</p> <div class="wrapper wide"> <img width="1094" height="978" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Peoria.png" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="" loading="lazy" /> </div> <h2><strong>Background on A Long-Term Partnership</strong></h2> <p>Vibemap works with destination marketing organizations and cities from New York to San Francisco, from Vancouver to Guadalajara…but our longest and most dynamic partnership is with <a href="https://peoria.org/"><strong>Discover Peoria</strong></a>. They market to a diverse local crowd—city dwellers, suburban families, rural residents in the 400,000+ Peoria area – and also audiences in the Midwest, greater North America, and around the world. Our mission with Discover Peoria? Building the digital infrastructure that makes sure everyone finds events nearby, local businesses, and things to do that match their vibe.</p> <h2><strong>Integrating Vibemap with Discover Peoria’s Digital Ecosystem</strong></h2> <p>Our journey with Discover Peoria started with managing and maintaining their business listings and creating interactive maps at both the county and city levels, especially focusing on Downtown Peoria and its convention center. We integrated the Vibemap platform into Discover Peoria’s existing SimpleView CRM and CMS, showing how smoothly Vibemap can fit into various customer relationship management and content management systems.</p> <h2><strong>Migration to a New CMS: Enhancing Design and Functionality</strong></h2> <p>Eventually, Discover Peoria decided it was time for a website change—they wanted to transition to a new CMS but keep their SimpleView CRM. Vibemap stepped in to help with this migration to a WordPress-based CMS. The result? A website with a fresher design, better functionality, and a more user-friendly experience. See for yourself at <a href="https://peoria.org"><strong>https://peoria.org</strong></a>. This upgrade also helped improve their local SEO ranking factors.</p> <h2><strong>Managing and Expanding Online Presence</strong></h2> <p>We didn’t stop there. Vibemap continues to manage and maintain Discover Peoria’s website, expanding our role to include events data management. We gather events data from all over the Peoria Metropolitan Area and curate an event calendar on Discover Peoria’s website. Our team worked closely with Discover Peoria to train the Vibemap Events AI, ensuring events are accurately categorized and properly placed. Community members and Discover Peoria staff can still add events, with staff having the final say on what goes live through an approval queue.</p> <h2><strong>Guides and Digital Passports: Enhancing Visitor Engagement</strong></h2> <p>To support Discover Peoria further, we created in-depth content guides for places to go and things to do in the Peoria area, including a special guide for the area around the convention center in Downtown Peoria. These guides help convention-goers and visitors discover local businesses, restaurants, and attractions, giving the local economy a nice boost.</p> <p>We also host a digital passport for Downtown Peoria on our free mobile app, available on iOS and Android. Participants find nearby places that “match their vibe” and explore IRL through Vibemap’s gamified experiences like digital passports, badges, scavenger hunts, challenges, and missions. Users earn points, levels, and badges, which can lead to rewards like local swag, gift cards, dinners, and weekend getaways. These features not only enhance user engagement, but also promote local specials and deals, increasing the amount of time customers spend in places (aka “dwell time”) and boosting the local economy.</p> <h2><strong>Building Direct Relationships with Super Fans</strong></h2> <p>One of the coolest things we offer our partners, like Discover Peoria, is the ability to engage directly with their visitors and residents. We provide valuable information about the most engaged individuals, the “super fans” of their city. This first-party data is crucial for building meaningful relationships and enhancing local reach, offering a direct connection that’s priceless in today’s digital world.</p> <h2><strong>Leveraging Local SEO and Listings Management</strong></h2> <p>Vibemap’s comprehensive business listing services ensure that Discover Peoria&#8217;s website is optimized for local search results. By integrating localized SEO strategies, we enhance their local directory listings and business directory list, ensuring better visibility on search engines. Using tools like geo-fencing marketing and reputation management software for agencies, we help Discover Peoria maintain a strong local presence and improve their local search result rankings.</p> <h2><strong>Enhancing Business Visibility and Engagement</strong></h2> <p>Through our robust listings management and local online marketing strategies, we help Discover Peoria increase their visibility on platforms like Google. This includes optimizing their &#8220;find my business on Google&#8221; functionality and leveraging local influencers to boost their local reach. Our efforts in counting customers and analyzing retail foot traffic statistics provide valuable insights into how to get a small business noticed and how to promote a business online.</p> <h2><strong>Conclusion: Elevating Peoria: A Digital Triumph</strong></h2> <p>Discover Peoria is a great example of Vibemap’s dedication to boosting local engagement and digital presence. Their digital transformation shows what’s possible with strategic partnerships and innovative solutions. Our ongoing collaboration has significantly boosted their online presence, and driven traffic, engagement, and economic growth. As we continue to innovate and support our partners, we look forward to more successes and applying what we’ve learned to new opportunities. Because our services absolutely <em>play in Peoria!</em></p>
<p>Vibemap is on a mission to bring people together in real life. Here’s how we helped one business improvement district increase footfall and excitement in Oakland, California.</p> <div class="wrapper narrow"> <img width="2986" height="1994" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Jack-London-Challenge-Summary_V2-3.png" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="" loading="lazy" /> </div> <p>We regularly team up with great partners to deliver digital and in-real-life marketing solutions. We partnered with the Jack London Business Improvement District to support local businesses in the wake of a challenging pandemic year.</p> <p>Called the Jack London Neighborhood Challenge, Vibemap incentivized in-person visits to 80+ special places in Jack London Square by gamifying a self-guided tour. Participants earned “Challenge Points” for checking out neighborhood eateries, bars, retail stores, public art and parks along this waterfront destination. They also unlocked special discounts via the Vibemap app while qualifying for top prizes such as hotel stays.</p> <div class="wrapper wide"> <img width="550" height="553" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/jack-london-screen-shot.webp" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="" loading="lazy" /> <p class="caption"> Image here. </p> </div> <p><a href="https://vibemap.com/wp-admin/edit.php?post_type=post"></a></p> <h2><strong>Results: Connecting people to great city experiences based on vibes.</strong></h2> <p>We measured the impact of the Challenge, taking into account in-app actions on the Vibemap app, engagement with paid digital ads, visits to&nbsp;<a href="https://vibemap.com/jack-london-neighborhood-challenge?latitude=30&amp;longitude=-100" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a dedicated Jack London Neighborhood Challenge webpage on Vibemap.com</a>, social media impressions and on-the-ground feedback from our Jack London partners. Our data show that Vibemap&#8217;s approach successfully increased foot traffic to Jack London Square and encouraged people to explore the district’s vibe.&nbsp;</p> <p>Let&#8217;s build together,</p> <p>The Vibemap Team</p>
<p>Digital and online technologies can build more connected lives and a more connected society. &nbsp;While some digital products encourage users to stay immersed in the virtual world, &#8220;pro-connection technology&#8221; can bring people together in real life and increase personal health and community well-being.</p> <p><strong>How great is the need for social connection?&nbsp;</strong><br>Disconnection is a national problem, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf">Surgeon General&#8217;s new report on social connection</a>&nbsp;emphasizes. Approximately half of U.S. adults report feeling lonely, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic . Social isolation takes a toll on the mental and physical health of individuals – the Surgeon General report says loneliness is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day . Additionally, the negative impact that social disconnection takes on entire communities is high.</p> <p><strong>The report also shares solutions.&nbsp;</strong><br>Here&#8217;s the scoop: when people connect and form strong social bonds, it has a major positive impact on our communities. It boosts education, jobs, health, safety, prosperity, resilience, and civic engagement. It&#8217;s like a superpower that makes everything better. And there’s a way destination marketing organizations (DMOs) and convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs) can support this effort – by connecting individuals with their communities and facilitating real-life social interactions.&nbsp;</p> <p>Yes, DMOs and CVBs face the challenge of encouraging and inspiring people to step away from their screens, leave the comfort of their own homes, and engage in real-life interactions. But there’s a way “pro-connection technology” can bring people together in real life, as we know here at<a href="https://vibemap.com/destinations-and-districts">&nbsp;Vibemap</a>. Our digital platforms connect travelers and locals to great city experiences based on vibes. Drawing from our experience, we’ve got 5 tips for DMOs and CVBs to use digital technologies that enhance social connections:</p> <div class="wrapper narrow"> <img width="1333" height="2000" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Pro-Connection-Technology_07-1-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="" loading="lazy" /> </div> <h3>1.&nbsp;Connect people with their local community</h3> <p>Connecting people with others that share similar interests and needs is vital for combating loneliness and isolation. Digital technology can help by enabling people to find places, events, and experiences that resonate with who they are.&nbsp;<strong>Personalized event feeds and notifications</strong>&nbsp;keep people informed about things to do and places to go nearby that match their interests. By showing up at local events, people can form meaningful connections, make new friends, and build social-support networks that are critical to their health and well-being.</p> <h3>2.&nbsp;Encourage people to use social infrastructure</h3> <p>Social infrastructure means the physical spaces, institutions, and networks that support community health and well-being. Digital technology such as&nbsp;<strong>interactive mapping</strong>&nbsp;can help people better connect to public transit, parks, schools, libraries, and other civic places that nurture our civic life. Social infrastructure can be a platform for positive connection whether it’s taking the bus with people you don’t know, meeting with friends in a local plaza, or gathering with a book club at the local library.</p> <h3>3.&nbsp;Make exploring cities fun and rewarding</h3> <p>Community activities such as&nbsp;<strong>digital passports</strong>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<strong>scavenger hunts</strong>&nbsp;can be a fun and engaging way to encourage people to get out and explore cities and neighborhoods. These activities can involve creating&nbsp;<strong>interactive guides</strong>&nbsp;to hidden gems, local landmarks, and cultural attractions as well as bringing people together for fun in real-life experiences. By gamifying the experience with rewards and incentives, people are motivated to actively participate, fostering social connection and benefiting local businesses and attractions.</p> <h3>4.&nbsp;Promote events at local businesses</h3> <p>Local businesses are essential to the fabric of our communities, and they can also be great partners in promoting social connection. By collaborating with businesses, you can create unique experiences that encourage people to get out and stay connected. DMOs and CVBs can leverage digital technology to&nbsp;<strong>promote special events and experiences at local businesses</strong>, providing opportunities for people to meet in person and foster a stronger sense of belonging.</p> <h3>5.&nbsp;Model positive social interactions</h3> <p>Curate content promoting positive social interactions across various categories of activities, such as arts, culture, dining, and outdoor adventures. Use storytelling through&nbsp;<strong>videos, blogs, and social media platforms</strong>&nbsp;to emphasize the importance of social connection and the benefits it brings to individuals and communities. Integrating these strategies can encourage residents and visitors to explore the thriving social landscapes, diverse experiences, and meaningful connections that await.</p> <div class="wrapper narrow"> <img width="2000" height="1333" src="https://vibemap.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Pro-Connection-Technology_04-1-1-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="" loading="lazy" /> </div> <p>Social connection plays a crucial role in our lives and is as essential to our well-being as food, water, and shelter. The Surgeon General&#8217;s report emphasizes our biological wiring for social connection and sounds the alarm about the decline in social connections reported by Americans over time. However, there is hope.</p> <p>“Pro-connection technology” can serve as powerful allies in fostering meaningful connections and improving the quality of our relationships. DMOs and CVBs have the opportunity to create a culture of connection and raise awareness about the importance of nurturing social connections. By embracing these tools and promoting a sense of belonging, we can help individuals cultivate social connections and ultimately enhance their overall well-being.</p>