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There are places I’ll remember, All my life, but some have changed, Some forever, not for better, Some have gone, and some remain. So sang The Beatles in 1965 as part of their hit, In My Life. John Lennon said the piece reflects upon past friends and relationships, and these words convey the link between […]

When planning a community engagement workshop, it’s easy to focus on the big picture: the keynote speakers, the activities you will run, and even the catering (because we all know that if you don’t have good snacks, you’ll hear about it on the feedback form). However, there is another detail which you may want to

Residents in a beautiful residential suburb were initially less than thrilled earlier this year when one of our clients installed a small piece of infrastructure in a reserve nestled behind their homes. However, when the complaint came through to Spectrum Comms’ community engagement team, we saw that this wasn’t just a case of sour lemons;

Managing stakeholder and community expectations is a critical aspect of any project. When we’re developing key messages as communicators, we agonise at great length over the words we use to ensure we are not over promising on project deliverables and under selling project impacts. It’s a fine line between being transparent but not alarming, and

We’re thrilled to announce Spectrum Comms has been named a finalist in the Lake Macquarie Business Excellence Awards! Spectrum Comms were selected as a finalist from a large number of applications that were received across 15 different categories. We have been included in the category for Excellence in Small Business which recognises businesses that have

As engagement practitioners, we talk a lot about the benefits of engaging early but too often the focus can be on securing community buy-in. That much sought-after idea of social license when a project has the approval and broad social acceptance of the community and other stakeholders. What we don’t do well is espouse the

The importance of consultation, or more significantly, the lack of consultation, has been in the news this week when it was announced the US Open would go ahead without wheelchair tennis. Australian player and world number one in wheelchair tennis, Dylan Alcott, led the backlash against the US Tennis Association calling it “disgusting discrimination”. Part

Congratulations, you’ve made it through consultation and secured planning approval for your infrastructure project! But now, as you delve into project delivery, brace yourself for the inevitable: complaints. They come in all shapes and sizes, from minor grumbles to major grievances, but with the right approach, you can navigate them like a seasoned pro. Engage

Spectrum Comms recently worked with Lake Mac Council to develop and facilitate their 100 Voices community summit which will be used to inform their Community Strategic Plan 2025-2035, Local Strategic Planning Statement and other core documents. This was the second time we have joined forced with Micromex Research and the engagement gurus at Lake Mac

Have you ever wondered how big is Australia, geographically speaking when compared to our population and land mass? In 2024 the population density of Australia is 3.45 people per square kilometre. That figure highlights a relatively small population and large land mass, in essence we are country that is very spread out – especially when