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Pako Festa 2025 - highlights, from the Cultura Youtube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNPOvLinBkpftsUhjth2Yw

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Pako Festa is a nationally awarded multicultural street festival, attracting 100,000 people annually along a 1km stretch of Pakington Street, Geelong West, Victoria, Australia.

Presented by Cultura, the regions multicultural peak body, the festival has been running for 42 years and is a vibrant celebration of diversity, featuring approximately 50 nationalities expressing their cultures through food, dance, music, and art.

Pako Festa's audience is highly diverse, representing a broad range of cultural backgrounds, ages, languages, and abilities, making inclusivity a key focus for all aspects of the festival.

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

Cultura. (n.d.). Cultura YouTube Channel [YouTube Channel]. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNPOvLinBkpftsUhjth2Yw

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Video: Watch a 1 minute clip of the 2025 Pako Festa - Pako Festa 2025 - Highlights, from the Cultura Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNPOvLinBkpftsUhjth2Yw

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Image of Chatter-Cha-Cha created with ChatGPT 4,https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/ and the Pako Festa mascot Carmen Miranda (inset) courtesy of Pako Festa 

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Chatter-Cha-Cha Pako Festa's virtual guide

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Chatter-Cha-Cha Pako Festa's virtual guide

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Chatter-Cha-Cha, pictured, is the official Pako Festa chatbot, inspired by the festival mascot, Carmen Miranda (shown inset). Seen as Carmen’s ‘younger sister,’ she embodies the festival’s energy with the name, 'Chatter-Cha-Cha, based on a mix of talking and dancing fun.

Designed with an anime-style look to appeal to younger audiences, Chatter-Cha-Cha serves as an interactive and engaging resource, enhancing the festival experience.

How ‘Chatter-Cha-Cha’ Got her Name

The name Chatter-Cha-Cha was chosen through a mix of AI generation, community feedback, and organiser reflection.

1. AI-Generated Name Ideas
We fed AI key details about Pako Festa’s multicultural, lively, and community-focused nature. It suggested names like Pako Pal, Festa Friend, Cha-Cha Chat, and Street Speak.

2. User Feedback
Potential users—including regulars, first-timers, different age groups, and multilingual speakers—ranked their favourites. The most popular names had a fun, rhythmic feel, reflecting the festival’s energy.

3. Final Decision
Organisers combined user favourites with festival identity, landing on Chatter-Cha-Cha—a name that captures conversation, movement, and celebration.

This final choice reflected both user preferences and organiser vision, making Chatter-Cha-Cha a name that truly embodies Pako Festa’s vibrancy, inclusivity, and energy.

References and readings:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image of Chatter-Cha-Cha created with ChatGPT 4, https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/ and the Pako Festa mascot Carmen Miranda (inset) courtesy of Pako Festa

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Stylised anime version of Chatter-Cha-Cha, a vibrant young woman with a fruit head dress. 

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Hazaragi Tableau. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Pako Festa operates as a not-for-profit event with no year-round permanent full-time staff.

Organisers manage extensive planning, permit applications, emergency management, and legislative requirements, all within limited funding. Responding to public enquiries consumes valuable time, diverting attention from essential tasks.

Chatter-Cha-Cha will alleviate some of these pressures by providing immediate responses to common queries while identifying those requiring personalised assistance and directing them to a festival representative (a person).

While she will engage with different festival elements in the months prior, her primary use will be on the day of Pako Festa (the last Saturday in February). The festival spans a busy streetscape featuring thousands of stallholders, performances, street parade floats, traders, roving performers, art displays, film screenings, and more. With the festival’s scale and crowds, navigating the event can be challenging.

Printed programs for 120,000 attendees are neither cost-effective nor environmentally sustainable. Digital program downloads, while an alternative, are difficult to navigate on mobile devices, are only available in English, and do not comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Additionally, festival schedules often change between print and web design deadlines and the event day, making static programs unreliable.

Chatter-Cha-Cha will serve as a dynamic and real-time source of information, enhancing accessibility and navigation.

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image of Hazaragi Tableau. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Chinese Association of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Chatter-Cha-Cha will be extensively promoted in the lead-up to Pako Festa. She will appear alongside Carmen Miranda at pre-festival events and feature on posters, QR codes at festival locations, targeted news articles, and social media campaigns.

A soft launch will take place during Phase One, allowing organisers to test functionality, gather user feedback, and refine responses to ensure a seamless experience. This early rollout will help identify and resolve any technical issues before the festival.

On festival day, Chatter-Cha-Cha will serve as the primary information tool for attendees. Staff at information stalls will be trained to use Chatter-Cha-Cha and encouraged to demonstrate its features on attendees' devices, ensuring easy access to real-time updates and assistance.

Competitions will be put in place to encourage the audience to use Chatter-Cha-Cha, for example 'Use Chatter Cha-Cha to say Happy Pako Festa in these 5 languages, get your stamp at each stand and receive a Chatter-Cha-Cha sticker.'

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image Chinese Association of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Polish Community Association. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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1. Participant Engagement – 6 Months to Go

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1. Participant Engagement – 6 Months to Go

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The preparation phase begins with the engagement of performers, stallholders, and traders.

Chatter-Cha-Cha’s Role: Providing key information on applications, deadlines, and participation requirements.

Support: Directs complex enquiries to festival staff.

Example Question: “I’m in an Irish band. Can we play at Pako Festa?”

Answer : "That sounds fantastic! Pako Festa celebrates multiculturalism and features performances from diverse cultural backgrounds. Performance applications typically open several months before the festival. You can download the application form here: [Insert Download Link].

For more details on eligibility and deadlines, visit www.pakofesta.com.au or contact the organisers at [insert contact email]. Let me know if you need any other festival info!"

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image Polish Community Association. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Indonesian Association of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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2. Festival Promotion & Public Engagement – 3 Months to Go

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2. Festival Promotion & Public Engagement – 3 Months to Go

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Performer, stall holder, and trader applications have closed, and festival logistics are being refined.

Chatter-Cha-Cha’s Role: Answering questions about dates, times, and program details while encouraging attendees to learn cultural greetings and spread awareness.

Support: Directs further participation queries to organisers.

Example Question: “What date is Pako Festa on?”

Answer: "Pako Festa 2025 will take place on [insert exact date]! 🎉 The festival runs along Pakington Street, Geelong West, and features a full day of multicultural performances, food, and activities. You can find the full event schedule and updates at www.pakofesta.com.au. or check back with me. Let me know if you need any more details!"

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image I ndonesian Association of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Geelong Latin American Movement (GLAM). Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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3. Operational Readiness – One Week to Go & Festa Day

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3. Operational Readiness – One Week to Go & Festa Day

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Final preparations focus on operational logistics.

Chatter-Cha-Cha’s Role: Providing details on road closures, performer schedules, stall holder and shop locations.

Additional Features: Allows users to customise their festival experience by asking for tailored schedules based on their interests.

Survey Function: Automatically releases the festival feedback survey at 2 PM on the event day.

Remote Access: Enables individuals unable to attend (e.g., nursing home residents) to engage virtually.

Example Question: “Where are the Dutch Pancakes?”

Future example Question: “I want to see the Italian dance, the Chinese dragon, eat the Nigerian food and see the First Nations art exhibition. Can you program my day?”

Answer: "That sounds like an amazing day at Pako Festa! Here’s a program based on what you want to see and do: 🎉"

📍 10:00 AM – First Nations Art Exhibition
🖼️ Start your day at the First Nations Art Exhibition, featuring stunning works from local Indigenous artists. Location: West Town Hall, 153 Pakington St

📍 11:30 AM – Chinese Dragon Dance
🐉 Head over to watch the spectacular Chinese Dragon Dance, a highlight of the festival’s street performances. Location: Outside the Ukranian Hall, 50 Pakington St

📍 1:00 PM – Italian Dance Performance
💃 Enjoy the lively Italian folk dance performance, showcasing traditional music and vibrant costumes. Location: Channel 7 stage, West Park, Corner of Autumn and Pakington St

📍 2:30 PM – Nigerian Food Experience
🍛 Time for a delicious break! Visit Nigeria Treats for authentic Nigerian cuisine, including Jollof rice and suya skewers.

Location: outside 200 Pakington St

📍 4:00 PM – More Festival Fun!
🎭 Explore the festival further with roaming performers, workshops, and cultural displays before wrapping up your day!

"Would you like directions to each location or reminders throughout the day? Let me know how I can help!" 😊

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image Geelong Latin American Movement (GLAM). Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Nigerian Association of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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4. Post-Event Wrap-Up & Legacy – After Pako Festa

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4. Post-Event Wrap-Up & Legacy – After Pako Festa

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Attention shifts to event evaluation and future planning.

Chatter-Cha-Cha’s Role: Providing access to media coverage, official festival photos, post-event reports, and survey feedback opportunities.

Future Planning: Organisers can download chatbot analytics and question transcripts for strategic improvements.

Example Question: “My son had his picture taken in the parade with the Ukrainian float, where can I get a copy”

Answer: "That sounds like a wonderful memory! 📸 Official Pako Festa parade photos, including images from the Ukrainian float, are usually uploaded to the festival’s website and social media after the event.

You can check the photo gallery at www.pakofesta.com.au/photos or visit [Pako Festa’s Facebook/Instagram] for updates.

If you’re looking for a specific image, you can also contact the festival organisers at [insert contact email]. Let me know if you need any more help!"

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image Nigerian Association of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Lithuanian Community of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Chatter-Cha-Cha is more than just a chatbot; she is an innovative and practical solution to enhance the Pako Festa experience for both organisers and attendees.

By addressing accessibility, sustainability, and engagement challenges, she ensures that festival information is readily available in multiple languages and formats while reducing the reliance on printed materials.

As an interactive, real-time source of information, Chatter-Cha-Cha will not only streamline festival logistics but also foster deeper cultural appreciation through language and engagement.

With a strategic rollout across key festival milestones and a strong marketing presence, she will become an integral part of Pako Festa, embodying its energy, inclusivity, and community spirit.

References and readings:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Stanford University. (n.d.). Chatbot as a teaching tool. Stanford Teaching Resources. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://teachingresources.stanford.edu/resources/chatbot-as-a-teaching-tool/

SAP. (n.d.). What is a chatbot? Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.sap.com/resources/what-is-a-chatbot

AnyforSoft. (n.d.). How universities use AI chatbots. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://anyforsoft.com/blog/how-universities-use-ai-chatbots/

ScienceDirect. (2024). The impact of AI chatbots in education: A systematic review. Education and Artificial Intelligence, ₅, Article 100062. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X24000626

Image Lithuanian Community of Geelong. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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'Getting Started in Voiceflow' from Voiceflows Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@Voiceflow

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Why We Chose Voiceflow for Chatter-Cha-Cha

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Why We Chose Voiceflow for Chatter-Cha-Cha

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We selected Voiceflow for its ease of use, flexibility, and powerful AI-driven capabilities, making it the ideal platform for Chatter-Cha-Cha. With a diverse team of organisers, volunteers, and stakeholders involved in Pako Festa, we needed a no-code solution that allowed for collaborative design and easy updates without requiring extensive programming knowledge.

Key Features of Voiceflow:

Drag-and-Drop Interface – A visual conversation builder that simplifies chatbot creation, making it accessible for non-technical users.

Multi-Channel Deployment – Allows the chatbot to be integrated across websites, apps, and voice platforms, ensuring broad accessibility.

AI-Driven Responses – Leverages AI models like OpenAI’s GPT to provide intelligent, context-aware answers tailored to user queries.

Team Collaboration – Enables multiple users to design, test, and refine chatbot interactions, ensuring the best experience for festival-goers.

Knowledge Base Integration – Provides accurate and consistent responses by pulling from a structured information repository, updated in Microsoft Word format by Pako Festa organisers for ease of maintenance.

API & External Data Connectivity – Allows the chatbot to access external sources like CRMs, databases, and cloud storage, making responses more dynamic and useful.

Testing & Analytics – Built-in tools enable organisers to evaluate chatbot performance, review common questions, and refine responses over time.

By choosing Voiceflow, we ensured that Chatter-Cha-Cha is easy to manage, scalable, and accessible, supporting Pako Festa’s diverse audience and evolving event needs.

This 8 minute video gives a good understanding of Voiceflow and its accessibility in getting started.

References and readings:

Voiceflow. (n.d.). Voiceflow: The collaborative AI agent builder. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.voiceflow.com/

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Stanford University. (n.d.). Chatbot as a teaching tool. Stanford Teaching Resources. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://teachingresources.stanford.edu/resources/chatbot-as-a-teaching-tool/

SAP. (n.d.). What is a chatbot? Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.sap.com/resources/what-is-a-chatbot

AnyforSoft. (n.d.). How universities use AI chatbots. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://anyforsoft.com/blog/how-universities-use-ai-chatbots/

ScienceDirect. (2024). The impact of AI chatbots in education: A systematic review. Education and Artificial Intelligence, ₅, Article 100062. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X24000626

Video 'Getting Started in Voiceflow' from Voiceflows Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@Voiceflow

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Pako Festa Knowledge Base – A Microsoft Word plain text document compiled from interviews, surveys, and databases of Pako Festa and pakofesta.com.au, courtesy of Pako Festa.

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Chatter-Cha-Cha, the chatbot for Pako Festa, is designed to support event organisers, volunteers, and attendees with real-time information. Event organiser Luisa LaFornara provided insights into frequently asked questions and information at each stage of the festival rollout, ensuring the chatbot is well-informed in its knowledge base..

The knowledge base for Chatter-Cha-Cha will be maintained in Microsoft Word format, allowing organisers to update information as needed. Content will be released in stages, starting six months before the festival and continuing through post-event activities. This ensures that the chatbot delivers the most relevant and up-to-date details at each phase of the event.

You can view the first draft of the knowledge base for Chatter-Cha-Cha at right. The information was provided by Pako Festa website, FAQ's, and email scrap and interview of the event organiser. As you can see it's a simple text based document that information can be dumped and edited to and linked to a google docs file.

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Document Pako Festa Knowledge Base – A Microsoft Word plain text document compiled from interviews, surveys, and databases of Pako Festa and pakofesta.com.au, courtesy of Pako Festa.

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Co-Designing Chatter-Cha-Cha with the Community

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Co-Designing Chatter-Cha-Cha with the Community

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Chatter-Cha-Cha will be co-designed in collaboration with Pako Festa’s diverse community, ensuring it reflects the needs and experiences of its users.

Representatives from over 50 incorporated ethnic groups, who meet monthly, will play a key role in shaping the chatbot by sharing cultural insights and lived experiences. Through interactive testing sessions, regular festival-goers will provide refinements on common queries, while first-time attendees will help identify information gaps and improve user experience.

Input from diverse age groups will ensure accessibility across different digital literacy levels, while multilingual speakers will evaluate language diversity and inclusivity.

This collaborative, iterative process will guide Chatter-Cha-Cha’s development, making it a truly community-driven tool that enhances accessibility, engagement, and cultural representation at Pako Festa.

At right you can access the live Miro board to see inputs as they happen, you can even contribute yourself. What would you ask Chatter-Cha-Cha?

References and readings:

Miro. (n.d.). Miro: The visual collaboration platform. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://miro.com

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Website: Miro 'live' board for designing Chatter-Cha-Cha via https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVISp9cgk=/?share_link_id=790026370403

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Example image of Voiceflow Workflow from www.voiceflow.com/why-voiceflow

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User Testing for Inclusivity and Engagement

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User Testing for Inclusivity and Engagement

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To ensure Chatter-Cha-Cha meets the needs of all festival attendees, user testing will be conducted with a diverse range of audiences.

Representatives from over 50 incorporated ethnic groups associated with Pako Festa, who meet monthly, will provide cultural insights and lived experiences to enhance the chatbot’s relevance and inclusivity.

This testing will include:

Regular festival-goers who are familiar with Pako Festa and can provide insights into common questions and missing details.

First-time attendees who can identify gaps in information and user experience challenges.

Diverse age groups, from young festival attendees to older generations, ensuring accessibility across different digital literacy levels.

Multilingual speakers, reflecting Pako Festa’s multicultural audience, to evaluate how well the chatbot supports language diversity and cultural nuances.

Feedback from these groups will be used to refine chatbot responses, enhance clarity, and improve multilingual capabilities, ensuring Chatter-Cha-Cha is truly representative of Pako Festa’s diverse community.

References and readings:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image of example of Voiceflow Workflow from www.voiceflow.com/why-voiceflow

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Organisers will have access to question transcripts and chatbot analytics, enabling them to track common inquiries, identify gaps, and adjust responses accordingly.

This iterative feedback loop ensures that Chatter-Cha-Cha becomes more effective with each festival, addressing attendee concerns more efficiently and adapting to changing audience needs.

By leveraging Voiceflow’s AI-driven capabilities and a structured knowledge base, combined with inclusive user testing, Chatter-Cha-Cha will serve as an essential digital assistant for Pako Festa. It will provide accurate, culturally relevant, and accessible information, making festival planning and engagement smoother for everyone involved.

References and readings:

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image analytics example from Voiceflow - https://docs.voiceflow.com/docs/analytics

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Bangladesh Community. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Voiceflow. (n.d.). Voiceflow: The collaborative AI agent builder. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.voiceflow.com/

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

Mesquita, R. (2025). Pako Festa 2025 photos. Supplied by Pako Festa.

Miro. (n.d.). Miro: The visual collaboration platform. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://miro.com

ChatGPT. (n.d.). Customer Persona Researcher. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://chatgpt.com/g/g-APtyVMroc-customer-persona-researcher

Voiceflow. (n.d.). Getting started in Voiceflow [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/@Voiceflow

Cultura. (n.d.). Cultura YouTube Channel [YouTube Channel]. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNPOvLinBkpftsUhjth2Yw

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Stanford University. (n.d.). Chatbot as a teaching tool. Stanford Teaching Resources. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://teachingresources.stanford.edu/resources/chatbot-as-a-teaching-tool/

SAP. (n.d.). What is a chatbot? Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://www.sap.com/resources/what-is-a-chatbot

AnyforSoft. (n.d.). How universities use AI chatbots. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://anyforsoft.com/blog/how-universities-use-ai-chatbots/

ScienceDirect. (2024). The impact of AI chatbots in education: A systematic review. Education and Artificial Intelligence, 5, Article 100062. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666920X24000626

Image Bangladesh Community. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Primary Audience Persona: The Multicultural Festival-Goer

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Primary Audience Persona: The Multicultural Festival-Goer

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👤 Name: Maria Nguyen (Representative Persona)
Age: 35
Family Status: Married with two kids (ages 7 and 10)
Background: Second-generation Australian of Vietnamese heritage
Language: Fluent in English, speaks Vietnamese at home
Location: Geelong resident
Occupation: School teacher
Interests: Cultural events, community gatherings, and food exploration
Media Consumption: Follows local news, listens to the radio, and engages with community Facebook groups

🎉 Why She Attends Pako Festa:

To celebrate her Vietnamese heritage with her children

To introduce her kids to other cultures through food and performances

To support local businesses and artisans by shopping at market stalls

To enjoy a lively, community-driven event with a welcoming atmosphere

🛍️ Festival Behavior:

Shopping: Buys cultural souvenirs, handmade crafts, and traditional outfits

Eating: Tries different multicultural dishes with her family

Watching: Enjoys live music, cultural dance performances, and parades

Engagement: Takes photos, shares on social media, and invites extended family

References and readings:

ChatGPT. (n.d.). Customer Persona Researcher. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://chatgpt.com/g/g-APtyVMroc-customer-persona-researcher

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image of 'Maria Nguyen' created with Customer Persona Researcher, ChatGPT - https://chatgpt.com/g/g-APtyVMroc-customer-persona-researcher

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DALL·E 2025-03-11 19.13.17 - A 35-year-old Vietnamese-Australian woman with medium-length black hair, wearing a floral dress, holding her young daughter's hand at a multicultural 

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Secondary Audience Persona: The Curious Festival Explorer

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Secondary Audience Persona: The Curious Festival Explorer

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👤 Name: Liam O’Connor
Age: 22
Language: English, learning Spanish as a hobby
Location: University student in Geelong
Occupation: Part-time barista, studying international relations
Interests: Travel, global cultures, and food experiences
Media Consumption: Gets event info from local news and Instagram

🎉 Why He Attends Pako Festa:

To experience different cultures through performances and food

To hang out with friends in a vibrant street-festival setting

To try new street food and take Instagram-worthy photos

🛍️ Festival Behavior:

Shopping: Buys small cultural trinkets and artisan goods

Eating: Tries unique street food, especially dishes he hasn’t had before

Watching: Enjoys high-energy performances, especially dance and live music

Engagement: Shares food pics on Instagram, tags friends, and follows cultural groups online

References and readings:

ChatGPT. (n.d.). Customer Persona Researcher. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://chatgpt.com/g/g-APtyVMroc-customer-persona-researcher

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image of 'Liam O'Connor' created with Customer Persona Researcher, ChatGPT- https://chatgpt.com/g/g-APtyVMroc-customer-persona-researcher

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DALL·E 2025-03-11 19.13.14 - A 22-year-old university student with short brown hair, wearing a denim jacket and sneakers, holding a plate of exotic street food at a lively festiva

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Tertiary Audience Persona: The Cultural Storyteller

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Tertiary Audience Persona: The Cultural Storyteller

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👤 Name: Giuseppe “Joe” Romano
Age: 68
Family Status: Grandfather of four, retired chef
Background: First-generation Italian-Australian, migrated in the 1970s
Language: Fluent in Italian and English
Location: Long-time Geelong resident
Former Occupation: Owned a family-run Italian restaurant for 30 years
Interests: Cooking, storytelling, local community events, and mentoring younger generations
Media Consumption: Watches SBS, listens to AM radio, reads the local newspaper

🎉 Why He Attends Pako Festa:

To share Italian culture with his grandchildren and younger generations

To connect with old friends from the Italian community

To learn about other cultures and traditions through food and performances

To experience the pride of seeing multiculturalism thriving in Australia

🛍️ Festival Behavior:

Shopping: Buys traditional Italian goods, as well as crafts from other cultures

Eating: Loves tasting different cuisines while reminiscing about homemade meals

Watching: Enjoys traditional dance performances and historical storytelling

Engagement: Chats with stall owners, shares stories of migration, and participates in cultural discussions

References and readings:

ChatGPT. (n.d.). Customer Persona Researcher. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://chatgpt.com/g/g-APtyVMroc-customer-persona-researcher

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image of 'Giuseppe "Joe" Romano created with Customer Persona Researcher, ChatGPT- https://chatgpt.com/g/g-APtyVMroc-customer-persona-researcher

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DALL·E 2025-03-11 19.13.12 - A 68-year-old Italian man with silver hair, smile lines, and kind eyes, wearing a button-up shirt with a vest. He is standing near an Italian food sta

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Mardi Hirst is the creative mind behind Chatter-Cha-Cha, designing and developing the concept to enhance the Pako Festa experience through an interactive virtual assistant.

With a strong background in community engagement, design, digital learning, and user-centred design, Mardi envisioned a chatbot that would provide real-time festival information, support diverse audiences, and reflect Pako Festa’s multicultural spirit.

By incorporating insights from event organisers, cultural groups, and festival-goers, she ensures that Chatter-Cha-Cha is inclusive, accessible, and engaging.

Her expertise in AI-driven communication tools and user experience design has shaped a chatbot that not only answers questions but also enhances festival participation and engagement for thousands of attendees.

Experience: Current Victoria University Postgraduate student in Digital Learning and Teaching.

Portfolio Assignment 2

(ADL6001) Engaging Learners in Digital Environments - ORT

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Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Op. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa

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Chatter-Cha-Cha provides an accessible, cost-effective, and sustainable solution by offering festival information in 32 languages with both visual and audio options.

By reducing reliance on printed programs, she aligns with Pako Festa’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

Additionally, Chatter-Cha-Cha will encourage cultural engagement by teaching common greetings, including “Happy Pako Festa,” and expressions of thanks in the languages spoken at the festival. This initiative reinforces Pako Festa’s mission to promote inclusivity, respect, and celebration of Australia’s diverse cultures.

As of March 2025 the chosen product Voiceflow supports the following languages: Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, ChineseSimplified, ChineseTraditional, Czech, Danish, EnglishUS, Estonian, Flemish, FrenchCA, FrenchFR, German, Gujarati, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Marathi, Persian, Polish, PortugueseBR, PortuguesePT, Romanian, Russian, SpanishES, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. More information on Voiceflow in the following slides.

Note: While the chatbot platform ‘Voiceflow’ does not currently support Wadawurrung as a language, the local First Nations language of the Geelong area, this is a common limitation across most platforms. With Elder consent, a basic list of words can be incorporated into the knowledge base, with further collaboration directly with Voiceflow is possible in the future to expand First Nations language support.

References and readings:

La Fornara, L. (2025). Personal interview. Pako Festa Organiser.

Pako Festa Organisers. (2025). Knowledge base data: Past surveys, emails, and programming records. Retrieved from https://www.pakofesta.com.au

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT-4. Retrieved March 11, 2025, from https://openai.com/index/gpt-4/

Image of Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Op. Picture by Ricardo Mesquita for Pako Festa 2025, courtesy of Pako Festa