Modernizing Visitor Engagement With Digital Signage A case study on implementation at Kensico Dam Plaza By Ivan Bellotto I Background and Challenges Kensico Dam Plaza, a 98-acre park featuring scenic reservoir views, walking trails and major seasonal events, had relied on vinyl banners for visitor information. These signs required frequent printing and manual installation, diverting staff resources and preventing timely updates on programs, closures or emergency notices. The team rec-ognized that modernizing commu-nication at high-visibility locations like Kensico was critical to serving a growing visitor base. Solution and Implementation Working in partnership with the nonprofit Westchester Parks Foundation and outdoor ad-vertising specialists, the depart-ment installed a full-color LED digital billboard at the Kensico Dam entrance. The display ded-icates 50 percent of screen time to park events and public-service messaging and 50 percent to sponsorships, with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital serving as the inaugural sponsor. Liquid Outdoor secured sponsorship commitments, while Smart Out-door Inc. managed contract pro-curement, fabrication and instal-lation. County staff now update content remotely from any laptop, with the billboard operating 24/7 for real-time communication. Commissioner Kathleen O’Con-nor, the department’s first female leader and a 2022 Women in Busi-ness Award recipient for innova-tive programming, championed the shift to agile digital tools. First Deputy Commissioner Peter Tarta-glia, known for spearheading trail-way expansions and environmen-tal initiatives, ensured the project aligned with broader conservation and resilience goals. Upgrading print signage to digital sig-nage can increase operational efficiency. Lessons Learned The Kensico Dam Plaza project illustrates how strategic public-private partnerships can modern-ize infrastructure without straining municipal budgets. For park and recreation agencies nationwide, it offers a replicable framework: bal-anced content governance, remote management capabilities and col-laboration with experienced firms. Even modest investments in dig-ital signage can yield significant gains in visitor engagement, op-erational efficiency and financial sustainability across large park systems serving millions of users each year. Outcomes and Impacts Initial data show an increase in visitor awareness of park pro-gramming, staff hours saved on signage tasks and a new quarterly revenue stream that helps offset operating costs. By eliminating disposable banners, the initiative also advances sustainability objec-tives consistent with the depart-ment’s four-time NRPA national accreditation, most recently reaf-firmed in 2018. Ivan Bellotto is Founder and President of Smart Outdoor Inc. PHOTOS COURTESY OF IVAN BELLOTTO n public parks management, effective visitor communication is essen-tial for community involvement and operational efficiency. Westches-ter County (New York) Parks’ recent upgrade at Kensico Dam Plaza — one of its flagship destinations — demonstrates how targeted tech-nology investments can address longstanding challenges while supporting a system that collectively attracts more than 3 million park users annually. PARKSANDRECREATION.ORG | APRIL 2026 | Parks & Recreation 11
Parks Recreation Magazine April 2026: Page 11
