Engaging Citizens Virtually at Montgomery County's MLK Celebration

TL;DR

Montgomery County, Maryland, faced a challenge when Covid restrictions halted their annual Martin Luther King celebration, traditionally held indoors. With a wealth of recorded performances from previous years, the event was missing an interactive element to truly engage the audience. City officials turned to Piccles to provide that missing piece, ensuring the celebration remained dynamic and inclusive, even virtually.

The Challenge

Covid restrictions prevented all indoor gatherings, forcing the Martin Luther King celebration to move online and onto public access television. The organizers needed a way to engage the audience interactively while ensuring the broadcast remained appropriate and error-free.

The Piccles Activation

Piccles was brought in to add an interactive component to the virtual celebration. The stakes were high, with the event broadcast online and live on TV, so it was crucial for everything to run smoothly and real-time moderation to be in place.

Custom Solution for Real-Time Engagement

To meet these requirements, the Piccles team custom-built a feature to turn off the real-time reveal and approve each drawing before it was displayed. This ensured a controlled and safe environment for audience interaction.

Interactive Audience Participation

Thousands of families around Montgomery County tuned in for the event. Using their smartphones, participants scanned a QR code and began drawing in response to prompts. In the first segment, they were asked to illustrate how Martin Luther King’s words made them feel and to share their dreams.

A Surge of Creativity and Connection

The volume of drawings was overwhelming, but pleasantly, they were all appropriate. This allowed the team to enable real-time reveal for the second segment. The drawings that came in were heartwarming, reflecting the community’s hope, love, and commitment to peace, resonating with MLK’s message.

The Impact

In just two 10-minute sessions, over 1000 citizens participated, creating more than 3,000 drawings. These illustrations captured the community’s spirit and were quickly compiled into a video for the closing ceremony.

Conclusion

Montgomery County’s virtual MLK celebration, enhanced by Piccles, demonstrated how technology can bridge the gap in citizen engagement during challenging times. By incorporating an interactive element, the event successfully maintained its community spirit and allowed citizens to connect meaningfully. Reach out to us if you want to transform your events into engaging, inclusive experiences for your community.