Case Study
How the City of Macomb Centralized Events and Strengthened Resident Engagement
Learn how this Illinois University town unified its community calendar, gained tourism insights, and connected 85 organizations through one platform.
Learn how this Illinois University town unified its community calendar, gained tourism insights, and connected 85 organizations through one platform.
Macomb, Illinois is a university town with constant activity. Western Illinois University, local businesses, tourism partners, and City departments all generate events. But before centralization, that activity lived in separate systems. Residents had to search multiple websites to understand what was happening. Visitors saw only fragments of the community. Staff managed registrations and promotions through a mix of paper forms, inconsistent online tools, and manual reporting.
Western Illinois University, the Tourism Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce, and City departments all had separate calendars. Residents had no single source of truth.
Pool registrations and event sign-ups relied on paper forms and manual payment handling, creating inefficiency for staff and residents alike.
Community events like the Santa Zephyr Express lacked data about who was attending, missing key tourism opportunities.
Staff spent excessive time coordinating and promoting events across disconnected systems with inconsistent online tools.
“It was very fragmented. Everyone tried their best to have a go-to calendar.”
SBSavannah BallardMarketing and Downtown Development Director
Western Illinois University, the Tourism Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce continue managing their own calendars. Through API integrations, events are automatically pulled into the City's platform.
Community organizers, local businesses, and residents can submit events directly for approval, giving organizations with fewer resources exposure to the community.
The platform supports multiple hubs so that local events, seasonal pool activities, and tourism-driven programming can coexist under one digital roof.
Pool registration moved from paper forms to online registration and payment. The finance department instantly gets organized transactions by budget line.
“I am very happy with the API integration with the University… everything is pulled into one place, so it’s a resource for the University too, offering a new layer of exposure.”
SBSavannah BallardMarketing and Downtown Development Director
The centralized community calendar surpassed 61,500 page views in under nine months of operation, demonstrating strong resident adoption.
Nearly 2,000 events were hosted through the platform, covering everything from university programming to pool registrations to holiday events.
85 local organizations now contribute to and benefit from the centralized calendar, creating a comprehensive community resource.
The Santa Zephyr Express revealed 70% of riders came from outside Macomb and 85% were first-time participants, turning a local event into a proven tourism driver.
Pool registration went fully digital. Finance gets organized transactions by budget line. Daily calendar admin takes about 5 minutes.
The calendar was formalized into the municipal Event Permit process, ensuring every permitted event gains visibility through the platform.
“The way that we split our calendars into several hubs, but they’re still on the same platform, has been a great resource. There’s separate spots visually integrated and all parties are happy.”
SBSavannah BallardMarketing and Downtown Development Director
Next year, confirmation texts for Santa Zephyr Express ticket holders will include links to additional downtown activities, serving as a holiday guide. The goal is to extend the visitor experience and increase engagement by leveraging the platform's communication tools to act on tourism insights. The calendar continues to bridge the gap between the university and the broader community, creating a single, trusted place for discovery.
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