Keeping Communication Alive!

One big challenge Norristown has each day is the communication gap. There are many components to why this is an issue, but we will be here all day explaining! TNP has focused on a way to bridge the communication gap, and we think we have a winning formula.

For those on Facebook, you know that today Norristown Patch announced that since being acquired by Hale Global, forcing layoffs across the board. I mention this because there was one useful tool on their site which we no longer will have the luxury of enjoying...the events calendar. This is huge because many businesses/organizations relied on this resource to get their information out. The process to add an event was simple and straight-forward. With the future of the Patch up in the air, there's no telling how much longer until this will vanish.

Now here is the Town Calendar on Norristown.org. Looking at it from a glance, you see there are a few events going on...but not much. Unlike the Patch, the process to add an event is a nightmare. You have to register, confirm registration, register event (picture size limit/character limit), and wait for approval for it to become listed. Taking a second look at this calendar, you'll realize in a town of 34,000+ residents, that's NOT alot of events. Looking deeper into the calendar, you'll find many of those events are repeat events of council meetings and you will occasionally find an event happening outside of Norristown's borders. Overall, it is not user-friendly.














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Shifting Gears, I would like to highlight two calendars that still have effectiveness in Norristown. The first is the Times Herald's community calendar. I like this calendar because it is managed by Evenful. The process of adding an event is easy, and even easier if you have a Facebook. Also, you can search by geographic region to see what events are going on around town. One setback of this calendar is the way events are featured. It can be tough to find events happening in Norristown because we are a part of the Greater Philly Metro region. Most of the time, you will see large events happening in Philly rather than Norristown.

Now, here comes the bragging part of this blog! A few months back, The Norristown Project announced a collaboration with Norristown CTC/NVPI to create a community calendar of activities happening INSIDE Norristown. Comparing our calendar to our town's calendar, you see there are many more events happening in Norristown than originally thought. It's a good start to ending communication problems in Norristown. Using the Google interface, you can subscribe to this calendar and never miss an event. If you see an event you like, click for details or add it to your own personal calendar. Do you plan on hosting an event in Norristown? Look ahead in our calendar which has events listed as far in advance as May!

To view our calendar, click the "community calendar" tab at the top of the blog. We also have our calendar listed on our Facebook page and on our website. Never miss another event with our community calendar!

Also, if you are interested in listing your event on our calendar, simply send an email to NorristownProject@gmail.com with ALL event details. Your event will be listed within 24 hours guaranteed with a confirmation email and link. You can also submit your event in the comment section of this page, but an email is recommended.