Burlington receives award for innovative program that pairs food with feedback

The City of Burlington has been awarded for launching a program that exchanges a free meal for feedback.

Today (Sept. 13), the city announced that it received the 2023 Granicus Digital Government Award for its ‘Food for Feedback’ event, an annual initiative that invites residents to enjoy a free meal in exchange for sharing their thoughts on city projects. 

The annual event, which typically features more than 30 booths and four food trucks, asks residents to share their thoughts on everything from transit to customer experience and rewards them with complimentary food. The project was launched in 2019 and in 2023, close to 2,000 people attended. 

“We’re thrilled to win this award for Food for Feedback,” said Michelle Dwyer, manager of engagement and volunteers, in a news release. 

“To be able to engage with over 2000 residents in one event on 30 different city projects is incredible. Thank you to all the food trucks, staff, council and of course all the residents who came out to provide their feedback.”

As part of the 13th annual Digital Government Awards, the city won first place in the ‘Changemaker – Community Engagement Award’ category for demonstrating a commitment to finding innovative ways to engage and support the local community.

Granicus, a company that specializes in customer engagement and experience technologies, has been recognizing government entities and employees who use technology to drive engagement since 2010. 

The honorees will be featured at Granicus’ Digital Transformation Summit on Oct. 25, 2023.