The annual conference was held at the Ft. Worth Convention Center and over 1,000 individuals attended from regional municipalities and organizations. The purpose of the Communication Award is to recognize outstanding communication efforts of a park and recreation or leisure agency for the past year through the use of social media.Each award recipient is chosen by a panel of their peers through an application process.
The Cedar Hill Parks and Recreation Department currently uses three different social media channels; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In 2015 the department saw an 800% increase in Facebook followers and a daily increase in interaction among its users. Special Event/Marketing Coordinator Dianna Lawrence said "Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have provided our department with great communication tools. They allow us to not only stay engaged with our community, but also advertise to a larger audience beyond Cedar Hill. We feel honored to be recognized by TRAPS North Region for such a prestigious award."
The North Region of the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) geographically includes communities from the Dallas/Fort Worth area all the way east to Texarkana. The parent organization, the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS), is a nonprofit educational and professional organization founded over 75 years ago to advance the profession of parks, recreation, and leisure services in Texas.