Who we are
ChatterBox Projects is a highly regarded specialist engagement consultancy that brings creativity, inclusivity and strategy to every project. Since 2013, we’ve delivered hundreds of engagement projects across Victoria, partnering with local and state government agencies, community organisations, and the education and retail sectors.
Our expertise lies in creating meaningful conversations that inform better decisions. From large-scale deliberative panels and strategic planning workshops to place-based pop-up engagements in local parks and town centres, we take engagement out into the community, not just online. We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to shape the places where they live, work and play.
Our team is made up of highly experienced professionals from across the local and state government, arts and cultural planning, communications, urban planning and facilitation sectors. We are curious, practical, and people-focused and we bring our whole selves to the work we do. We all hold the Certificate of Engagement from the Engagement Institute (formally IAP2) and all have Working with Children’s Checks.
We never offer cookie-cutter solutions, every engagement is tailored, every method is chosen with care and every voice matters. Whether we’re co-designing solutions to complex problems or capturing feedback through street-based pop-ups, we ensure the process is clear, inclusive and impactful from start to finish.
The Team
Sam Walsh
Owner/Director
Sam created ChatterBox Projects back in 2013 after realising engagement was going online and a big part of the community were missing out on influencing decisions that affected them as online wasn't accessible for many.
It started with building just one pop-up engagement trailer to take engagement to the streets, however, engagement planning, facilitation, issues management and data analysis and reporting is just as much a part of the business as the engagement trailers are.
Sam has extensive knowledge and experience in community engagement strategy, planning and delivery, workshop design and facilitation, development of engagement methods and tools, engagement training, stakeholder engagement and management, major projects management, place making, activations, arts and culture and leisure service planning.
Up until 2015, Sam worked within the Local Government and not for profit sector for 25 years in a range of positions, all requiring extensive engagement with communities to develop high level policies, programs and services.
Angela Walter
Principal Consultant
Angela has been a big part of the ChatterBox team since ChatterBox Projects were asked to partner with Angela and Activate Consutling for the Mornington Peninsula 2021 Plan back in 2016.
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Angela has extensive experience and knowledge in engagement and communication strategy and planning, issues management, engagement and communications content development, social media, project management, corporate and strategic planning.
Angela has over 20 years experience and has built her career in both State and Local Government in Sydney and Melbourne. She held a range of senior leadership roles across communications, engagement, corporate planning and customer service.
Angela has been consulting for the last eight years, working with ChatterBox Projects and partner Activate Consulting to deliver engagement and communications programs across the Local and State Government sectors.
Emily Physick
Senior Engagement Consultant
Emily has been working with ChatterBox Projects since 2019.
Emily has expertise in Community engagement design and delivery, facilitation, training and evaluation.
Emily has over 15 years’ experience in community engagement at the local government level, working with communities, staff and Councillors to better understand, deliver and participate in community engagement.
Her most recent role was the Senior Community Engagement Advisor at Nillumbik Shire Council.
Emily has provided advice and project managed a variety of strategic and infrastructure projects, devised policy and guidelines, and set up online engagement platforms. Her experience includes the use of co-design, deliberative panels, online engagement, workshops and focus groups.
Alice Park
Senior Engagement Consultant
Alice has been a part of the ChatterBox Team since 2019.
Alice has extensive expertise in Arts and cultural planning, strategic planning, project management, grant program design and management, marketing and audience development, focus group facilitation, qualitative and quantitative research design.
Alice spent over 20 years working across local government, state government and the private sector as both an Urban Planner and Arts Manager. Her most recent role was managing the state government public art portfolio, overseeing large scale commissions and advocating for the inclusion of public art in infrastructure projects such as Metro Tunnel and the Level Crossings Removal projects.
Alice brings to ChatterBox her extensive experience in stakeholder management and her work has always been deeply rooted in community and focused on extending broad and inclusive access to services and programs.