HI-New York's Community Engagement Work

1. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT @
HI-New YORK
new york
prepared by ari joseph, community engagement manager for
Hostelling international-new york
(community.newyork@hiusa.org)
facebook/hinyc
@hinewyork
hostlr.tumblr.com
hiusa.org/nyc

2. It means 3things:
“so what does
community engagement
mean at a hostel?”
1. INTEGRATing HOSTELLERS
into the local community
2. establishing and keeping
our local community
connected to the hostel
3.educating a new audience
about who we are and what
we do
*bonus points:
exceeding expectations of what a hostel can be.
slideluck bikeshow 2012

3. 1. integrating
hostellers into the
community
provide unique, local
experiences and
opportunities to spend time
with new yorkers
offer structured and
unstructured support for
hostellers
create opportunities both
in-house and in the city to
participate in the local
culture

4. 2. establishing and
keeping our local
community connected
to the hostel
support local organizations
in their work, and offer
them opportunities for
cross-cultural exchange
participate in community
organizations’activities
through volunteer
opportunities and
offer competitive cultural
programming that meets or
bests what NYC has to offer

5. 3. educating a new
audience about who
we are and what we
do
offer workshops, clinics,
classes, professional
development, skills and
leadership training
invite as many people as
possible into the hostel to
see what we’re all about
bring hostellers into the
community, and serve as
ambassadors for travel
meet, plan, go! 2012

6. hostelberfest

7. HOW DO WE DO WHAT WE DO?
FUN
activities
partnerships
events
tours
outings
discounts
opportunities
outreach
off-track planet launch

8. our partners
nomading film
festival
tripfilms.com
slideluck
newer sounds
gogobot
wehostels
meet, plan, go!
brooklyn
brewery
world up
matador network
nomading film festival

9. newer sounds
past events
•nomading film festival
•slideluck bikeshow
•meet, plan, go!
•gogobot presents
travel photography in
the age of instagram
•newer sounds presents
•the north face and
eastern mountain
sports presents conrad
anker and tim kemple
•nyc mountain biking
club screening series
•hostelberfest
•offtrack planet launch
party
•world up presents
Recess!
•tripfilms.com film
festival
•ny traveler’s guild

10. by the numbers
•72k travelers total in 2012
•35k participants in in-house
programming, activities and
community events including
tours, evening outings,
welcome parties, music and
variety shows, and
community events
•4k new yorkers attended
community events at the
hostel
•a total of 37 community
events in 2012
•an average of about 100
activities per month

11. OUR BHAG (BIG HAIRY ASS GOAL)
to be the foremost cultural institution in new york city
devoted to youth travel, exploration and exchange;
to offer competitive programming that rivals institutions
like the 92y, the new york public library, the Metropolitan
museum of art, and other NYC cultural organizations.
world up presents “Recess!”

12. how do we get there?
expanded institutional capacity
through upgraded programming
space
higher profile partnership
development and cultivation
expanding reach beyond travel-
only organizations and partners
being a platform and incubator for
other community-based
organizations and members

13. looking forward
unification
•developing
national
partnerships
•sharing best
practices
•better
offerings for
locals
Staffing
•community
engagement
manager and
coordinator
•community
intern
•volunteer
recruitment
resource
development
•new theater
space
•expanded
production
capacity
•event
production staff
community
profiling
•surveying
• visitor study
and audience
development
•quarterly needs
assessments

14. 2013 community survey preview
•73 respondents online, 84 in-house
•88% have more than a high school education
•36% have a college degree
•34% have some college or a 2-year degree
•29% students
•30% management or professional
•32% make less than $20k
•67% make less than $50K
70% travel alone
23% with one other person
77% travel for vacation
23% other (visiting friends/family, volunteering, work,
school)

15. is not a
hospital
hotel
flophouse
homeless shelter
horror movie
travel agency
bland corporate
place i’m too old
for
is
modern
friendly
quirky
high tech
low tech
old school
new school
the past
the future
an hi hostel

16. thank you!
new york
artwork by noelle buillion