[October 03, 2010] Bridge Day changes in a digital way Tweet Oct 03, 2010 (The Register-Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- OCTOBER 3, 2010 Most Things -- and people -- get a few decades under their belts and they become stale, hackneyed. Not so with Bridge Day, now in its fourth decade. The state's largest single one-day event, the 31st of which is set for Oct. 16, continually is reinventing itself. "Bridge Day changes from year to year," said Cindy Dragan, chair of the Bridge Day Commission. "Some things will always remain the same, but there always is something new and exciting." One of the "new and exciting" aspects of the Bridge Day celebration, which is sponsored this year by Subaru, is the event's widespread presence on the Internet and in the digital world. Pat Strader of Fayetteville's Matterhorn Marketing Solutions has handled digital marketing for Bridge Day for three years now. He manages the event's official website, www.officialbridgeday.com, through which visitors can look at photos and videos from past events, purchase a T-shirt, book a "Down Under" tour or read blog entries ranging from the history of the New River Gorge to advice on what to bring -- and what to leave behind -- when preparing for Bridge Day. But the presence is great beyond the basic website. "One of the things that we're doing with Bridge Day is through Facebook, through Twitter, YouTube and other channels, we're communicating with people. It's been really exciting," he said. "We've heard from people who haven't been to Bridge Day in a while and they're saying, 'It's been too long; I need to come back.' "We've also seen a lot of folks who are sharing their stories, people who were out there walking across the (New River Gorge) bridge the day it was dedicated. It's just been really a great way to connect with people who have been here and want to come back," he said. "But it's also been a great way to reach out to people who have never been to Bridge Day. Maybe they've heard of Bridge Day; they have a basic understanding of what it is, but when we tell them about it, when we show them pictures and videos, they get really excited. We're hearing from people who say, 'This will be my first Bridge Day and I can't wait!' "So not only are we reconnecting with those who have been here before, we're also reaching out to others." On Bridge Day itself, Strader will be shooting video to be posted on the Bridge Day site, and one of his newest programs invites those attending Bridge Day, or who have attended in the past, to do the same. "One of the other things we're trying to get people to do is share their videos and photos (of Bridge Day)," he said. "The videos in particular. Folks just don't get what it takes to pull Bridge Day off and that's OK, but I think it's eye-opening for a lot of people when they see just exactly what it takes. From Tom Dragan and his (rescue) crews in the river to Benjy (Simpson) down under the bridge (on the catwalk), it's given people the opportunity to realize there's a lot more to Bridge Day than BASE jumping. There's a heckuva lot going on." To share a video or photo on the website from your own Bridge Day experience, Strader says it must be tagged "#bridgeday." The popularity of texting also has opened another door for communication with those in attendance, Strader says. "There are two different components to the texting," he said. "Subaru, being the presenting sponsor, is doing a scavenger hunt that involves texting." That event already is full, but Strader says those who attend Bridge Day can sign up to receive informational texts throughout the day. "The other aspect is going to be a simple communications tool. It's just another channel for us to directly communicate with people out there on the bridge, so that we can remind them of certain things. "It's still in its infancy. I really feel that, not this year, maybe not for another three or four years, but that is definitely going to be something in the future that we will rely on so we're going to go ahead and plant that seed now." -- E-mail: [email protected] Text Only Copyright 2010 The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. To see more of The Register-Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.register-herald.com. Copyright (c) 2010, The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544). [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]