Booz Allen Assists Gettysburg Foundation in Using the Internet to Broaden its Reach
The firm takes pride in helping to tell the story of the nation's historic struggles to a new generation.
In 1863, the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg ended one of the most ambitious Confederate assaults against the north. With 51,000 casualties, Gettysburg also earned the sobering distinction of being the Civil War’s bloodiest battle—the battle that definitively settled whether our states would be united.
Cannon at the Gettysburg National Military Park
Photo copyright: Bill Dowling for the Gettysburg Foundation
Today, the nearly two million people who visit Pennsylvania to see the battlefields each year—as well as numerous armchair travelers—are looking for a resource of information about Gettysburg and its historical significance. Booz Allen Hamilton, the National Park Service, and the Gettysburg Foundation worked together to craft a 21st-century communications strategy to provide this resource, including designing and implementing a website, www.gettysburgfoundation.org.
“The client had a Web presence already, but we helped them think about how to use the Internet as a platform to reach a broader audience that included visitors, and offer special site access for members,” says principal Joe Suarez.
The website will provide comprehensive content about the Battle of Gettysburg, news and events, and information on how the public can support and preserve Gettysburg and ensure the future of this part of our nation’s history. It will also promote the new, state-of-the-art museum and visitor center at Gettysburg National Military Park, scheduled to open April 14, 2008.
In later phases, the website will have a wide array of other information and uses, including an online store, educational resources, and lists of local accommodations, and users will be able to examine artifacts, says Booz Allen associate Eric Robbins, a member of the project team.
“Gettysburg represents a pivotal point in history,” says Robbins. “It became our nation’s common ground after the Civil War. Visiting the battlefields and learning about Gettysburg’s significance provide an important point of reflection to help remember our past and preserve our history for future generations.”
Suarez adds, “Gettysburg is an example of how Booz Allen shows leadership by getting involved in community-based programs of tremendous significance to the nation, and using its intellectual capital and expertise to support such causes.”
An Unprecedented Trove of Civil War History
The largest public collection of Civil War artifacts in the country will be housed at the museum and visitor center at Gettysburg National Military Park. When it opens this year, its theaters will feature a new film, “The Birth of Freedom,” and in September 2008, visitors will also be able to view the 377-foot Cyclorama painting-in-the-round in which Paul Philippoteaux recreated Pickett’s Charge, the pivotal conflict at the Battle of Gettysburg. The facility will also offer the Refreshment Saloon, where visitors can sample food inspired by the Civil War era, and a bookstore. The Gettysburg Foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service, built and will operate the new facility.
Users of the website, www.gettysburgfoundation.org, will soon be able to purchase tickets online to the film, the Cyclorama experience, and to battlefield tours with licensed guides. Booz Allen coordinated the technology for website hosting, worked with the foundation to integrate their online ticketing and reservation systems, and implemented the website into a content management system. The site is likely to attract even more visitors and revenue to Gettysburg.
In 2006, the Friends of the National Parks at Gettysburg and the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation merged to become the Gettysburg Foundation. The mission of the foundation, in partnership with the National Park Service, is to enhance the heritage and lasting significance of Gettysburg.
Vice president Mark Herman sits on the foundation’s board of directors, and has been the driving force behind the firm’s pro bono efforts to support this national landmark and treasure. He also helped shape the vision of what the website could be.
Suarez says, “Mark and his whole team of young designers enthusiastically jumped on this project, which provided opportunities involved with a world-class organization of historical significance. The team helped guide the project and shape its future, and the staff enjoyed doing something different and creative, as well as the opportunity to grow professionally.”
Booz Allen is now concluding its involvement in Phase 1 and working on a proposal to provide additional support and expand the capabilities of www.gettysburgfoundation.org.
story posted April 1, 2008
