Case Study
How the City of Hutto Turned a Community Calendar into a Movement
A fast-growing Texas city used BeWith to centralize events, connect residents, and spark organic community engagement — one hippo at a time.
A fast-growing Texas city used BeWith to centralize events, connect residents, and spark organic community engagement — one hippo at a time.
Hutto sits just northeast of Austin in one of the fastest-growing corridors in the country. With a population nearing 45,000, it's the 13th fastest-growing small city in the United States — a place where old-town farming families and young professionals moving from across the country live side by side. That growth brings energy. New businesses are opening. Art studios, churches, nonprofits, and the school district are all running events. The parks department hosts seasonal festivals that draw hundreds of families. The police department runs citizen academies and community engagement events year-round. But until recently, none of that activity lived in one place. Residents discovered events through scattered social media posts, word of mouth, or — too often — recap photos of something they'd already missed.
The City of Hutto relied heavily on social media to share events with residents. But algorithms decide who sees what and when. New residents, in particular, were falling through the cracks.
With departments, nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations all promoting their own events on their own channels, there was no single source of truth.
Hutto's rapid growth meant a constant stream of newcomers with no established connection to the community. Without a centralized discovery tool, these residents were left to figure things out on their own.
As city departments grew, their needs became more complex. The police department needed a dedicated space for law enforcement trainings. The parks department needed event registration and check-in. Existing tools couldn't keep up.
“Coming into a completely new place where we didn’t know anyone, it was really important for me to try and find people I can connect with, or places I can feel like I’m not so much of an outsider.”
APAne PuluDigital Marketing Specialist, City of Hutto
Hutto launched Hutto Connect, their BeWith-powered community calendar. Businesses, nonprofits, churches, the school district, and city departments can all submit events. Ane reviews and approves submissions daily in about two to three minutes.
What started as a single calendar quickly expanded. A Volunteer Hub connects residents with service opportunities. A dedicated Police Department Hub is in development to house law enforcement trainings.
For the parks department's Spring Festival and Egg Hunt, Hutto used BeWith's registration feature to manage attendance across three time slots. Registrants received QR codes for on-site check-in.
Ane used BeWith's scheduled notification feature to send reminders to all Spring Festival registrants the day before the event. She set it up in minutes and it went out automatically.
“It was easier than I thought it was gonna be, it was really quick… I knew once it was scheduled, I didn’t have to think about it, I just went about the rest of my day.”
APAne PuluDigital Marketing Specialist, City of Hutto
When Hutto ran a March Madness-style bracket to name their live hippo mascot, they drove the championship round to Hutto Connect as a poll. Over 120 new registrants signed up just to vote — and once on the platform, they stayed to explore. The winning name? Howdy.
Hutto didn't have to chase partners. Businesses, nonprofits, and organizations came to the platform through curiosity and conversation. When stakeholders asked the city to help promote their events, Ane pointed them to Hutto Connect and they brought others with them.
Residents are finding events and businesses they never would have searched for. Ane herself discovered a local mixology class at Grapes and Rye through the platform — a business she'd heard of but never visited.
The platform's value became so clear that other departments started asking for their own hubs. The police department is building a dedicated training calendar. The volunteer coordinator launched a hub for service opportunities.
Ane hosts workshops at least twice a year for businesses, nonprofits, and community members where she walks people through the platform. The response has been overwhelmingly curious and enthusiastic.
“It literally just helps you plug into the community… I’m invested personally, and I find excitement in seeing what the community has to offer.”
APAne PuluDigital Marketing Specialist, City of Hutto
Hutto is just getting started. The police department hub is nearing launch, which will separate law enforcement trainings on the platform for officers across the region. Ane is planning her next community workshop for April, and she's looking ahead to sharing backend analytics with business owners so they can see how their events are performing on Hutto Connect. As Hutto continues to grow, the platform is growing with it — from a simple events calendar into a true community infrastructure layer that connects residents, businesses, and city services in one place.
Whether you're a fast-growing suburb or an established community, BeWith can help you centralize events, engage residents, and build connection at scale.