More Than 1,300 Katrina Victims Use iDNA Information Systems to Add Final Input on Plans to Rebuild New Orleans
January 24 2007 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Displaced New Orleanians Vote Future Category 5 Flood Protection as
Top Rebuilding Priority NEW YORK, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
iDNA (OTC:IDAI.OB) (BULLETIN BOARD: IDAI.OB) , a leading strategic
communications and technology company again lent its innovative
audience response technology to the last in a series of multi-site
town hall meetings, held on Saturday, January 20. The meeting,
titled "Community Congress III" connected participants in New
Orleans with those in the cities with the largest number of
Hurricane Katrina evacuees -- Atlanta, Dallas and Houston -- to
review recommendations for rebuilding the city and to put finishing
touches on the Unified New Orleans Plan. Utilizing iDNA's software,
Community Congress organizers were able to immediately rank New
Orleanians priorities within four topics: safety from future
flooding, safe and stable neighborhoods, affordable housing and
public services. Participants were divided into small groups of
8-10, each with facilitators, in order to arrive at common themes.
Once determined, participants, using iDNA keypads, reviewed and
prioritized these ideas to develop a clear plan of action.
According to the keypad prioritization voting: * 80% of
participants said emphasis on Category 5 Flood protection was top
priority * 59% were concerned that bad governance could undercut
the speed and fairness of implementation * 38% said mitigating
gentrification was the top concern they had about rebuilding * 61%
would like to see more health centers and clinics after rebuilding
Based on early feedback, with more than 90% of participants
expressing support for the draft plan and wishing to stay engaged
throughout the planning, approval and implementation process, these
groundbreaking meetings were exceptionally productive and
well-received. Throughout the series, iDNA has partnered with
AmericaSpeaks, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to engage
citizens in key decision-making, by supplying its OptionFinder IQ
keypads to all participants at every site, connected via broadband.
iDNA has a long history with AmericaSpeaks. The two groups also
successfully partnered on a 5,000 person meeting in New York City
to enlist input from citizens for the redevelopment of the World
Trade Center after 9/11. According to iDNA Senior Strategist, Mark
Fite, "At events like this, it becomes clear early on how
invaluable our technology is to the overall process. That's why we
worked so hard to accommodate the request to offer our keypads and
software throughout the series, despite a severely limited budget."
Vera Triplett, the Chairperson of the Community Support
Organization (CSO), a 9 member advisory committee that guides the
UNOP Recovery Plan summed up the meetings nicely. "In a fairly
condensed time frame, the UNOP process has engaged thousands of New
Orleans citizens to construct a comprehensive recovery plan for the
entire community. This plan will provide a vehicle for us to pursue
the funding our city needs to make a meaningful recovery." About
iDNA iDNA (IDAI.OB) is a leading strategic communications,
technology and entertainment company, headquartered in New York
City. The company provides a broad range of targeted communication
services that create, build and connect businesses with their
target audiences and is the only company of its kind that builds a
quantitative ROI system into its communication events. iDNA's depth
of communication services include the design, development and
production of media, collateral content and data collection and
market research services for corporate events, meetings, training
and symposiums held at single or multiple sites worldwide. iDNA has
developed a loyal clientele in industries as diverse as
biotechnology, health care, finance, telecommunications,
manufacturing and energy. For more information, visit
http://www.idnausa.com/ DATASOURCE: iDNA CONTACT: Wendi Tush, , or
Kevin DeLeon, , both of The Lexicomm Group, +1-212-300-2142; or Tim
Clemensen of Rubenstein Investor Relations, +1-212-843-9337, , all
for iDNA Web site: http://www.idnausa.com/
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