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HomeMy WebLinkAbout15.a. (Handout) Signature Eventsu UNION SANITARY DISTRICT DATE: June 12, 2015 MEMO TO: Board of Directors - Union Sanitary District FROM: Paul R. Eldredge, General Manager/District Engineer SUBJECT: Agenda Item No. 15c - Meeting of June 22, 2015 Debriefing of the Open House Held May 9, 2015 Recommendation Information only. Background 15.a Directors(Handou-)Manny Fernz Tom Handley Pat Kite Anjali Lathi Jennifer Toy Officers Paul R. Eldredge General Manager/ District Engineer David M. O'Hara Attorney The decision to hold an Open House was an outcome of Strategic Planning sessions done in previous years. The District's Strategic Goals include public outreach and raising the District's profile in the community. An Open House Planning Committee worked on event logistics, such as development of large equipment and display booths, planning for tours, and public notification. The Committee met bi-weekly for approximately two months leading up to the event. Teams were encouraged to develop educational and interactive activities to engage visitors. Team members were responsible for planning their display area, presentations, posters, and other informational materials. All 14 teams were represented at the event. Outcome The District was pleasantly surprised at the level of interest demonstrated by the high number of attendees, the District's count was 1,124. This being the District's first Open House, there were many valuable takeaways. Customers were overwhelmingly interested in Plant tours. While the concept of using a bus to transport tour participants to the beginning of the tour was helpful, we would plan for more buses and tour staff to accommodate a higher number of visitors. Enabling interested parties to sign-up for tour times prior to the event would be beneficial to staff as an indicator of potential attendance levels. The District would also be able to inform guests before the event that a limited number of tours would be available. Desk Item — Changes noted in red text Item 15c 6/22/15 During the event, 265 people indicated they would be interested in participating in a Plant tour, including several requests for group tours. Staff will be meeting to discuss how best to accommodate tour requests. Interested parties will be contacted over the next several weeks to schedule tours. Overall, the most significant lesson learned would be to better prepare to accommodate large crowds. The layout for displays should be altered to provide more space to spread out the crowd and provide more defined walkways. There should be better signage, particularly for the welcome table as many visitors did not realize they had bypassed the starting point and did not receive display maps and other helpful information. Additional internal observations to be considered in preparation for future events include: • Staffing the front desk to answer calls to the District's main line was helpful as people called for directions and to inquire about Open House hours of operation • Planning for breaks — we were victims of our own success, and many staff members were unable to take breaks due to the high level of interest in their displays • Supplies for the event should not be stored in the Boardroom as the crowds made it difficult to access supplies • Provide more monitors for the GIS demonstration to allow greater participation • Need a dedicated trash person • Need better signage for the lobby restrooms • Radios were hard to hear in the middle of the crowd — need radio training for those who are unfamiliar • Need printed schedule of shifts for the Welcome Table — staff need to know who will replace them Though the majority of District staff worked the event, more assistance was needed. Ideally, staff should begin preparing for such an event a year in advance in order to plan and provide necessary day -of -event coverage. Deciding upon the event date, and communicating the date to staff, a year in advance would enable a greater number of employees to be available. Below is a summary of the total costs of the event broken down between direct expenses and labor costs: Miscellaneous Expenses (includes food, banners, posters, bus, and driver rental fees) Advertising Expenses (Argus and Tri -City Voice) Preparation for the Event (labor) Labor on day of Event Total $8,492.93 $5,950 $13,863 $34,225.80 $23,969 $72,637.93 611 total hours* 359.5 total hours* *does not include hours worked by salaried employees Desk Item — Changes noted in red text Item 15c 6/22/15 In addition to paid advertising, the District promoted the event through outreach to a variety of outlets, including but not limited to: • Police Departments — Fremont, Newark, and Union City • City Staff — Fremont, Newark, and Union City • Fire Departments—Alameda County and Fremont Fire • Fremont Unified School District — outreach to teachers and parents • New Haven Unified School District — outreach to teachers and parents • Union City Chamber • Fremont Chamber • Newark Chamber • Union City Lions Club • NIXLE Accounts — Fremont, Newark, and Union City • Union City Patch digital news • Public Service Announcement broadcast on KOHL radio • Neighboring Agencies: o ACWD o Oro Loma Sanitary District o City of Hayward o Castro Valley Sanitary District • Industry Associations: o CSDA o CWEA o NACWA o BACWWE • Local Colleges and Training Programs: o California State University East Bay o Ohlone Community College o Laney Community College o Solano Community College • Press Releases printed: o Tri -City Voice (Twice) o Argus o Fremont Bulletin Staff believe the high turnout can be attributed to our visitors hearing about the event through multiple sources, and would advertise future events in a similar fashion. Despite the multiple layers of notification, there were no media present at the event. Staff would need to explore alternate avenues to invite a media presence. As mentioned previously, over 1,100 visitors attended the event. Numerous attendees complimented District staff for their friendliness and in depth knowledge of the District and the facilities. Many visitors were impressed with the cleanliness and maintenance levels of the plant, large equipment and vehicles. Team displays were educational and engaging for patrons Desk Item — Changes noted in red text Item 15c 6/22/15 of all ages. Staff members received positive feedback, particularly from families with young children. In consideration of the time and effort necessary to plan for such an event, staff recommends that the District wait to hold another Open House until our centennial celebration in 2018. 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