The Isle of Palms is a special place. If you’ve stayed here in one of our luxury beach homes, you know what I’m talking about.
A lot of things go on year-round, right here on the island. I cover local island happenings in the Events section of our website; check it out for what’s going each month.
The City of the Isle of Palms sponsors many of these programs/events, and it seems like each year they’re adding more. Events are open for residents and visitors alike, and most are free. Some of the most popular ones include…
Front Beach Fest (March)
Easter Egg Hunt (March/April)
IOP Annual Yard Sale (April)
Isle of Paws Music Fest/formerly Doggie Day at the Rec (May)
Sand Sculpting Competition (June)
IOP Farmers Market (June through October)
IOP Beach Run (July)
IOP Connector Run for the Child (October)
Community Wellness Fair (October)
Ghostly Tide Tales (October)
Halloween Costume Golf Cart Parade and Drive-Thru Haunted House (October)
Holiday Street Festival (December)
Santa’s Cookie Workshop (December)
Like I mentioned, you can find out more info about all of these on our Events page, or on the IOP’s official website.
The City has recently been upgrading their tech game, especially in regards to how they communicate with the public. In one of their cooler moves, they just launched a fun new service…
Meet Sunnie, your IOP Virtual Assistant!
The City of Isle of Palms has partnered with Citibot to launch a new customer service platform that helps them communicate with us, and vice versa. It’s a great way to stay up to date on what’s happening on the IOP.
Her name is Sunnie, and she’s extremely user friendly. Sunnie is available to reach in two ways…
Sunnie – Web Chat Assistance
The first way Sunnie can help is through a web chat service you can find on the City’s official website. Using the latest AI technology, she’s at the ready to answer your questions.
Just head to the IOP website, either on a desktop or mobile device. Look in the lower right corner of the screen, for the “LET’S CHAT” icon. Click on that, and it launches a chat with Sunnie.
By the way, she will greet you with this message, a useful reminder… Hello I’m Sunnie, the City of Isle of Palms’ virtual assistant! This chat service should not be used to report suspicious activity, criminal activity or other safety issues (including vehicles). Any activity requiring a response from Law Enforcement or Fire Service should be reported to dispatch by calling 911 or Charleston County Dispatch at (843) 743-7200.
But she is quite helpful and friendly to use for just about anything else. She will also have a member of City staff follow up with you, if need be.
Sunnie – Text Messaging
The second way Sunnie can connect with you is via text messages.
Just text the word, “Hello” to (877) 607-6467.
Sunnie will text you back a message about what’s available – you can ask a question, report an issue, leave a message for City staff, and more. She’ll also send you a link where you can log in and set your chat preferences. You can opt in or out of receiving the following types of text messages and alerts:
City News;
City Events & Recreation;
Emergency Updates & Road Closures;
Resident Notices.
I signed up as soon as the service launched, and she’s been so helpful alerting or reminding me of IOP happenings.
Both ways of reaching Sunnie are easy and convenient. The Mayor of IOP, Phillip Pounds, explained it this way: “Providing different options to connect with the City is paramount since everyone has different communication preferences. We want to ensure we reach people in the way that suits them best.”
Citibot – a local company
Citibot, the company who created Sunnie for the City, is actually based right here in Charleston. Started back in 2016, Citibot specializes in providing local governments with interactive chat solutions, by tapping into the power of AI technology. Their goal is to help make both cities and counties easily accessible for all people.
Government can be notoriously bureaucratic and difficult to reach. Citibot aims to change that.
Bratton Riley, the CEO and co-founder of Citibot, had this to say: “People’s expectations of high-quality customer service are ever-increasing. Cities like the Isle of Palms are leading the way by delivering powerful solutions to maximize efficiency and enhance access to information and vital services.”
So connect with Sunnie, and you’ll have the insider’s scoop of what’s happening here on the IOP.
All best,
Lowcountry Lisa
your Isle of Palms vacation blogger