1. Art and Diseño

Sunday, March 29
7:00am-6:00pm
8:00am-4:00pm
Registration
Mobile Workshops
Monday, March 30
7am-6pm
8:00am-3:00pm
9:00pm-12:00pm
9:00am-9:45m
9:00pm-3:00pm
10:00am-11:15am
Registration Available
Main Street 101's
8am-9:45am-Organization
10:00-11:15am-Promotion
12:15-1:30pm Economic Restructuring
1:45pm-3:00 Design
Deep Dive
Placemaking
Crash Courses
Why Downtowns Matter--How to Create Authentic Brands that Connect
with Community
Problem Properties on Main Street: Strategies and Action Items
Attracting and Retaining Millennial Talent for the New Economy
Control Your Message - Staying Ahead of Negative Publicity
Historic District? What Does That Mean?
The Museum on Main Street: The Smithsonian Comes to Town
Mobile Workshops
America Saves! In Action
10:00am-10:45am
11:00am-1:00pm
12:30pm-3:00pm
12:30-3:00pm
1:00pm-1:45pm
2:00pm-2:45pm
4:00pm-6:00pm
6:00pm-9:00pm
Crash Courses
Using What You Have: Why Old Buildings Are Perfect Candidates for Going
Green
Telling the Story of Main Street: Assessing Commercial Districts for Listing
on the National Register
Designing a Partnership for Creativity
“Pop Up Your Community”: How to Revitalize Your Downtown on a Budget
What the Heck is a CLG (Certified Local Government) and How Can It
Benefit My Main Street?
Economic Reboot: Getting Back to Business After a Disaster
Lunch on own
Managers Roundtable Discussions
12:30-3pm Managers Roundtable
12:30-3pm Board Members Roundtable
Deep Dive
Tactical Urbanism: 10 Ways to Restore Your Downtown for $500 or Less
Crash Courses
People Power: Engaging Your Community Members
Revealing History Through Interpretive Media
Activating Available Space with Community Partnerships
5 Website Strategies That Work To Increase Membership Acquisition &
Retention
Exiled from Main Street: Reconsidering Business Signs on Historic
Architecture
Saving Historic Windows: Identifying Wood Window Conditions and Best
Practice Preservation and Maintenance
Building Relationships is the Key to Building Funds!
Crash Courses
Harnessing the Power: Partnering with Utilities and Energy Efficiency
Programs
Restoring Atlanta’s Historic Fox Theater
Creative Business Development Partnerships: The “Art & Clay” Story
Junior Main Street: Harness Youth's Energy Strengthen Team Main Street
Slipcovers and Cheese Graters: What About Those Covered Buildings?
A Rulebreaker's Guide to Accessible, Sustainable and Economical Brick
Streetscapes
How to Train Your Elected Officials: What They Want to Know; What They
Need to Know and What to Leave Out
Creating Urban Villages
Opening Plenary Session at The Fox Theatre
Opening Reception at The Fox Theatre
Tuesday, March 31
07:30am-04:00pm
8:00am-6:00pm
8:00am-5:00pm
9:00am-10:15am
9:00am-12:00pm
10:15am-10:45am
10:45am-12:00pm
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Noon-3pm
1:00pm-1:45pm
Registration Available
Expo Hall Open
Mobile Workshops
Classroom Sessions
Techno Top 10: 2015's Top Digital Tools for Assisting Local Programs
Creating Your Downtown Marketing Strategy
How TEAMWORK Expanded Entrepreneurial Impact in Delaware
Are You Ready for New Business? Practical Tips for Building a Strong and
Effective Business Retention Program
Innovation Architecture Hackathon: Using Hacker/Maker/Coworking
Spaces to Revitalize the Urban Core
Living on Main Street: New Strategies from Connecticut and Iowa
Understanding Today’s Sponsors: Matching Their Expectations to Your
Needs
Create a Community Legacy Through Entrepreneur and Leadership
Development Strategies
Deep Dive
Healthy Communities
Refreshments break in exhibit hall
Classroom Sessions
Instagram: The Power of Visual Storytelling
Using Revolving Funds to Revitalize Downtown Properties
Creating the Go-To Place: Strategies to Take an Ordinary District to
Extraordinary
The Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership: Encouraging Downtown
Entrepreneurship via Teamwork
Rearranging Deck Chairs: Don’t Sit on That Raft While Your Retailers Drown
Reversing One-Way Streets for Main Street Communities
Bantam Towns: Small-Town Revitalization Priorities
Crowdfundamentals: Are Next-Gen Fundraising Platforms the Future of
Downtown Revitalization
Catalyzing Change: What really works in urban commercial corridors?
Lunch on own
Deep Dive
Crash Courses
Pop-Up Performance Spaces: Big Impact - Low Cost
EarthCraft: New Green Certification for Historic Buildings
A National Chinatown: Preservation or Continuation?
Tuesday, March 31 (cont.)
2:00pm-2:45pm
2:45pm-3:15am
3:15pm-4:30pm
4:30pm-6:00pm
6:00pm-7:30pm
Bringing Crowdfunding to the Local Level: Let's Revitalize the Way Main
Street Businesses & Nonprofits Raise Funds
Best Practices for Revitalizing Older Suburban Retail Districts
Empowering your Employees: How to Lead your Team to Success
Crash Courses
Hungry Anyone?! Let Restaurant Week Promote your Culinary Community
Tips for Understanding the Economic Impact of your Main Street
Sell Yourself: This Ain't Just for Businesses and Professionals
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Establishing Special Tax Districts!
Refreshment break Exhibit Hall
General Session: Placemaking
Exhibitor Reception
VIP Reception
Wednesday, April 1
7:30am-12:30pm
8:00am-5:00pm
8:00am-2:00pm
9:00am-10:15am
9am-noon
10:15am-10:45am
10:45am-12:00pm
Registration Available
Mobile Workshops
Expo Hall Open
Classroom Sessions
Local Incentives for Real Estate Development
Financial Tools Every Main Street Organization Should Have in Its ER
Toolkit
Essentials for Transforming a Business District into a Vibrant Place
Crowdfunding Our Main Streets: Harnessing and Building Community
Interest Through Crowdfunding
You’ve Attracted New Retail. Now What?
Inspire, Ignite, Excite
Special Event Planning 101: From Concept to Conclusion
The Rule of 3 Ms: Manpower, Money, and Mission
Storytelling and Technology: Market and Edu-Tain Online and On Site
Deep Dive
Balance Your Budget with a Matrix Map
Refreshment break in Exhibit hall
Classroom Sessions
Leveraging Your Town’s Cultural Resources
Sweet Auburn Case Study
What’s the Skinny on Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits?
Wednesday, April 1 (cont.)
12:00pm-1pm
1:00pm-1:45PM
2:00pm-3:15pm
4:00pm-5:00pm
6:00pm-9:00pm
Positioning Programs for Success: Engaging Your Local Colleges and
Universities
More Than Elephant Ears and Rock Bands: Defining Value in Downtown
Festivals and Events
The Perfect Board in 12 Acts
Reducing Crime in Urban Areas
Small Town Developers Changing Communities and Preserving Heritage
Creating an Exceptional Customer Experience: How Businesses Stand Out
Today
More Than Elephant Ears and Rock Bands: Defining Value in Downtown
Festivals and Events
Lunch on own
Crash courses
Pop-Up Performance Spaces: Big Impact - Low Cost
EarthCraft: New Green Certification for Historic Buildings
A National Chinatown: Preservation or Continuation?
Bringing Crowdfunding to the Local Level: Let's Revitalize the Way Main
Street Businesses & Nonprofits Raise Funds
Best Practices for Revitalizing Older Suburban Retail Districts
Empowering your Employees: How to Lead your Team to Success
Hungry Anyone?! Let Restaurant Week Promote your Culinary Community
Tips for Understanding the Economic Impact of your Main Street
Sell Yourself: This Ain't Just for Businesses and Professionals
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Establishing Special Tax Districts!
Classroom Sessions
Saving Historic Theaters
Activating Underutilized Spaces: Cross-Sector Partnerships in Creative
Placemaking
Helping Your Prospective Businesses Get the Funding They Need
Community-Initiated Development: Creating Real Change on a Budget
Is a BID Right for You? The Ins and Outs, and Ups and Downs, of Creating a
BID
Developing a Pop-Up Retail Program: From Idea to Execution
You’ve Attracted New Retail. Now What?
Putting Historic Tax Credits to Work on Main Streets
Catastrophes on Main Street: The Psychology of Dealing with Disasters
He Who Owns the Big Scissors
Closing Plenary Session
The Great American Tailgate (Big Bash)
Monday, March 30
8:00 am – 3:00 pm Main Street Overviews
(Organization)
This session explains the use of the Four-Point Main Street Approach and the
program’s underlying principles; provides information on building a broad-based
coalition; describes roles and responsibilities for board, committee members, and
staff; and defines the appropriate organizational structure for the program. How does
the Main Street organization present itself to the public, gain and keep volunteers, and
create viable funding strategies for the program? All of these activities are the work
of the organization committee. Learn the roles and responsibilities of the organization
committee members and the role staff plays in the committee’s work.
(Promotion)
An important part of revitalizing your district is changing public perceptions of the
area and using special events and business promotions to bring people back to the
community. Learn how to identify the target audiences, create promotions that
appeal to them, and build awareness about what the commercial district has to offer.
Find out how to create a balanced calendar of events and glean ideas for imagebuilding promotions and festivals that other Main Street communities have found
successful.
(Economic Restructuring)
The primary responsibility of a Main Street economic restructuring committee is to
reverse the cycle of disinvestment by increasing investment in infrastructure,
property, and businesses. Improving the commercial dynamics of the Main Street
district requires activities such as as retail market analysis, business and real estate
development, financial incentive programs, and planning. The overview will provide
analysis of current economic trends and share successful economic restructuring case
studies.
(Design)
Design improvements show the public that positive change is happening. Come to the
sessions and get a firm grounding in the fundamental design goals and strategies
used to bring life back to the pedestrian-oriented commercial district. Find out how to
get visual improvements rolling, how to put together a first-year work plan, and how
to assign roles and responsibilities to staff and committee members.
8:30 – 9:45 am America Saves! In Action
Join fellow Main Street managers, community leaders, and members of the America
Saves! team to learn more about how the project works on the ground in the first set
of pilot communities across the country. In this pecha kucha format, you will hear the
experiences and innovative applications in these early adopter communities and learn
how America Saves! could work for your community, too.
9:00 – 9:45 am Crash Courses
Attracting and Retaining Millennial Talent for the New Economy
Talent is the currency of the new economy. The millennial generation is the key to our
future. Every community is faced with a question: How do we recruit and retain talent
of the millennial generation? The answer lies in engagement. Explore two case studies
of unique and innovative projects conducted for millennial engagement for talent
recruitment in Rock Hill, SC, that have contributed to a radical redevelopment ($150
million in private monies scheduled by 2020) and a cultural shift in the historic city
center—a success that is a poster child and model for other communities, regardless
of size.
Control Your Message: Staying Ahead of Negative Publicity
It is important to tell your community's Main Street Story "Loud & Proud," especially
when it comes to staying ahead of potentially negative press coverage. The story
shared in popular media outlets is often the only one heard by many stakeholders in
our downtowns. Do you have the tools and volunteers needed to help spread your
positive message before it becomes a PR nightmare? Put all of the tools in your
communications tool box to work to create positive relationships with media
personnel and other community stakeholders when it is the most important.
Takeaways from this session include how to build and empower a public relations
team and how to convince your board and partners to take a proactive approach to
messaging.
Historic District? What Does That Mean?
Getting properties or districts designated as “historic” can be a great boon for the
local economy and an important step to preserving a communities’ distinct character,
but navigating the designation process can be tricky. This session will detail the
difference between local historic district designation and National Register of Historic
Places designation. Attendees will learn what benefits, responsibilities, and potential
restrictions come with each type of designation and will come away with a clear
understanding of the processes for achieving each level of historic district.
The Museum on Main Street: The Smithsonian Comes to Town
“In 6 weeks we had an amazing 27,525 visitors, raised $12,000, had 175 volunteers and
12 community partners. Everyone was involved, the best experience our town ever
had.” —Bremen, GA town leader. When a traveling Smithsonian exhibit stops in a
small, faltering community, magic can happen. This session will share past tour
experiences and offer ideas and suggestions on how the Smithsonian Museum on
Main Street program can transform your community.
10:00 am – 10 :45 am Crash Courses
Using What You Have: Why Old Buildings Are Perfect Candidates for Going
Green
Older, smaller buildings offer immense energy savings potential for commercial
districts everywhere. Representatives from the America Saves! team and pilot
communities will share how they messaged the inherent energy savings potential of
older and historic buildings to galvanize their commercial districts.
Telling the Story of Main Street: Assessing Commercial Districts for Listing on the
National Register
Commercial buildings present special challenges in assessing integrity and
significance for district nominations, especially as mid-to-late 20th Century buildings
become eligible for the National Register. This applied study takes examples from
districts ranging in size from 35 to 150 resources to illustrate the basics of assessing
resources in commercial districts. Get answers to these questions and more: Where to
start? (Defining the survey area); What to look for? (Levels of integrity in commercial
districts); What is the story? (Researching events and people); How do the buildings
tell the story? (Assessing significance); How to present the story? (Using architecture
and history to tell the story of a commercial district). Building types include 19th- and
20th-century commercial structures, with special attention to assessing mid-century
buildings or older buildings with mid-century facades.
What Is a CLG (Certified Local Government) and How Can It Benefit My Main
Street?
Never heard of a CLG? It's a community certified by the State and National Park
Service (NPS) as having a commitment to preservation of its history. This certification
makes communities eligible for a special pot of funding provided to the states each
year, as well as technical assistance. In fact, more than 400 Main Streets are also
CLGs! Learn from NPS how to be "certified" to receive the benefits of the program
while providing protection to the historic resources that make Main Street a special
place in your community.
Economic Reboot: Getting Back to Business After a Disaster
According to Ready.Gov, the Federal forum for disaster preparation, 40 per cent of
businesses do not reopen after a disaster. To a Main Street community this secondary
impact can be devastating. Disaster planning and threat analysis is more than just
figuring out what the immediate risk and/or response should be. It must include steps
to form important relationships and viable economic arguments that enable a
business to come back quickly and weather the economic storm that will follow any
disaster.
11:00 am – 1:00 pm Lunch on Your Own
1:00 – 1:45 pm Crash Courses
People Power: Engaging Your Community Members
Every Main Street manager knows how important community participation is for the
success of any initiative. Achieving it can be challenging, however; marketing new
ideas to people with busy schedules often takes time and continued dialogue. Hear
experiences and tips from two Main Street managers on how they were able to utilize
their communities’ greatest resources—people—to disseminate information, gather
data, and more fully document their districts.
Revealing History Through Interpretive Media
Every Main Street has a great history - sometimes you just have to dig deep to find it.
A Main Street manager and a senior exhibit planner will explain how to use historical
research, community collaboration, and professional design skills to create new visitor
destinations. They will share the success in taking a little known historic fact about
Middletown Maryland's history, connecting it to national history, and setting the bar
high for interpretation and design. Participants will also see examples of other exhibit
projects around the country, and will learn the essential steps in creating professional
media, as well as specific advice on how to interpret hidden heritage stories on Main
Street.
Five Website Strategies That Work To Increase Membership Acquisition &
Retention
Your website is the hub of your marketing wheel. Though visitors to your site may fall
into several categories looking for different types of information, the sole purpose of
your home page is to tell one powerful story in 10 seconds, create curiosity, and move
the visitor to another page for additional information. The challenge is that we rarely
navigate our own websites, and yet placing ourselves in the center of the “customer
experience” is exactly what leads to a better connection, and will yield greater results.
So whether you're looking to increase your membership, increase your visibility in the
community or increase your sales, the overarching goal is to address the "who, what,
and why" of your business: who this is for, what they should be doing, and why they
should bother.
Exiled from Main Street: Reconsidering Business Signs on Historic Architecture
Business signs are essential components of a Main Street, but are often
misunderstood, feared, minimized, or banished outright. The 200-plus year design
relationship of commercial, on-site signs to architecture must be better understood if
Main Street's history is to be properly honored when decisions are made about its
future. This session will explore the evolution of signs on Main Street and present case
studies that illustrate different approaches to architectural historic preservation
relative to signs.
Saving Historic Windows: Identifying Wood Window Conditions and Best Practice
Preservation and Maintenance
Wood windows can last for hundreds of years when taken care of; however, lack of
maintenance can cause unsightly aesthetic damage which then leads to irreparable
decay. This session will help equip downtown managers, designers, and building
caretakers with the know-how to identify whether their windows have purely visual
damage which can be repaired cheaply, or whether they should consider calling a
specialist before damage is irreparable. Presenters will also share original research on
the efficiency improvements proffered by installing historic metal weatherstripping
still manufactured by the family run company that began making it in 1898.
Building Relationships is the Key to Building Funds!
College Park Partnership is famous in Orlando for throwing big street parties. In fact,
all you have to say to people in the district is having a "street party" and, magically,
thousands of people appear. Well, we all wish it were that easy! Come learn from the
promotions committee of the College Park Partnership and learn about the legwork
required to orchestrate a successful and impactful street festival and the importance
of developing year-round relationships with businesses so that when it comes time to
ask for money, they just hand it over. (it’s not quite so easy, but almost!)
2:00 – 2:45 pm Crash Courses
Harnessing the Power: Partnering with Utilities and Energy Efficiency Programs
In the energy efficiency world, small businesses are referred to as the “hard-to-reach”
market. Owners maintain busy schedules, and utilizing existing energy incentive
programs may seem tedious and time-consuming. America Saves! connects existing,
local energy incentive programs with participating communities to make the
processes simpler and more streamlined. Hear how community leaders and
representatives from the energy efficiency and community economic development
worlds have built partnerships that help businesses realize the potential of programs
in their area.
Junior Main Street: Harness Youth's Energy Strengthen Team Main Street
Young people are a tremendous untapped resource in the revitalization process.
Learn how you can organize youth groups in your community and strengthen Team
Main Street. Junior Main Street groups can mobilize volunteers for community events,
clean-up projects and can plan engaging communitywide events. Learn how to create
Junior Main Street organizations and how to reach out to the youth in your area
through schools and churches. The session will examine the successes and challenges
faced by Main Street Hammonton as they organized Junior Main Street organizations
at two local high schools and a "Mini-Main Street" club for kids from 4th through 8th
grades. Participants will receive access to template work plans to help them establish
their own Junior Main Street programs at home.
Slipcovers and Cheese Graters: What About Those Covered Buildings?
Covered buildings in historic districts present a number of quandaries. Do buildings
with covered facades contribute to districts? Can they? Is it necessary to remove
covers from buildings? When should covers be removed and when should they not?
Using examples and case studies, staff from the National Park Service's Technical
Preservation Services and National Register of Historic Places programs will provide
some answers and direction to some if these tricky questions.
A Rulebreaker's Guide to Accessible, Sustainable and Economical Brick
Streetscapes
Participants will receive practical guidance that promotes the durability, sustainability
and safety of a popular Main Street paving material. Research-based
recommendations on materials and systems that are best for disabled pedestrians are
provided, and money-saving "green" features of clay paving systems are
demonstrated. At the end of this session, attendees will be able to confidently
consider or defend clay brick surfaces for streetscape applications.
How to Train Your Elected Officials: What They Want to Know; What They Need
to Know and What to Leave Out
Using case studies of trainings uniquely geared towards elected officials, this session
will explore the differences between local elected officials and Main Street directors,
staff and volunteers. Training classes for elected officials must focus on budgetary
and policy implications, concepts,and visions. Case studies will focus on three classes
specifically developed for elected officials: Planning and Zoning; Managing Growth;
and Revitalizing Neighborhoods. These classes provide the policy and budgetary and
process information that engages elected officials in the realm of what they
implement and is often applied specifically to downtowns.
4:00 – 6:00 pm Opening Plenary at Fox Theatre
Georgia officials will be on hand to welcome attendees to this special Conference
opening session in Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre. Enjoy the unique ambiance of the
theatre and listen to our featured speaker, Carol Coletta, Vice President of Community
and National Initiatives, Knight Foundation. Carol is an expert on the development of
cities and was director of ArtPlace, a unique public-private collaboration to accelerate
creative placemaking in communities across the United States.
For seven years, Coletta was president and CEO of CEOs for Cities, a national
network of urban leaders. Previously, she served as executive director of the Mayors’
Institute on City Design, and also ran a Memphis-based public affairs consulting firm,
Coletta & Company, focused on civic issues.
6:00 – 9:00 pm Opening Reception Fox Theatre
Enjoy the many beautiful spaces of the Fox Theatre as you meet your colleagues and
partake of delicious Georgia food and drink specialties. Docents will also be on hand
to answer questions and explain the many special architectural features of the
building, join us for this unique experience.
Tuesday, March 31
9:00 – 10:15 am Classroom Sessions
Techno Top 10: 2015’s Top Digital Tools for Assisting Local Programs
When used correctly, digital resources can help streamline the event process, simplify
financial practices, facilitate better communication and help fill the gap when
additional staff isn't an option. In this session, learn about new ways to integrate
more technology into your program as a way to promote better communication
between the merchants, the board and the community. Attendees will leave with a
working knowledge of 2015's top 10 current free or low-cost digital resources that can
be utilized in their day-to-day job.
Creating Your Downtown Marketing Strategy
When you are thinking about more ways to attract visitors to your community, the
answer always seems to be “add more events.” But is that really the best use of your
dollars and time? This session will help you take inventory of your entire marketing
effort and give you the tools to integrate public relations, promotions, press coverage,
multiple social media platforms and more for little or no impact on your budget. The
result will be a comprehensive marketing strategy that will give your downtown brand
awareness not just during events, but throughout the entire year.
Are You Ready for New Business? Practical Tips for Building a Strong and
Effective Business Retention Program
While the economic slowdown seems to be behind us, many communities are still
struggling with a new economic reality that includes a more volatile employment
base, challenging demographic and retail trends and tightened credit markets. As
communities attempt to rebuild their tax base and create jobs, downtown programs
are rethinking how downtown functions and what it means be healthy and successful.
What is the best approach to take to support small businesses? How can we build a
more entrepreneur-friendly business district? What financial tools will attract new
investors to downtown? Are there better ways to identify new business opportunities
or increase sales from existing markets? During this fast paced session, participants
will explore how the Main Street program can start to build a more effective business
retention program and avoid mistakes that could derail the best efforts.
Innovation Architecture Hackathon: Using Hacker/Maker/Coworking Spaces to
Revitalize the Urban Core
Promoting entrepreneurialism on your Main Street requires “outside the box” thinking.
This session will explore exciting models for innovation, including hackathons,
coworking spaces, and collaborative maker spaces, which can turn a community or
district into a true 21st century hub for development. The success story in Augusta,
Georgia, will provide a starting point for exploring how these new approaches to
economic development can enhance traditional downtown revitalization strategies.
Attendees will learn about community building, event planning, architectural needs,
and financial models to ensure successful cultivation of community innovation
centers.
Living on Main Street: New Strategies from Connecticut and Iowa
This session is designed for communities who are interested in bringing upper story
residential development back to their Main Streets. A Connecticut program, Come
Home to Downtown, and the Main Street Iowa program have been developing new
strategies to promote redevelopment of vacant upper floors. Join this lively
discussion and come prepared to consider your community's opportunities.
Participants will leave with a better understanding of important steps needed to make
downtowns and village centers livable for the next generation.
Understanding Today’s Sponsors: Matching Their Expectations to Your Needs
Every year sponsorship changes ... like trying to corral mercury! The purpose of this
workshop is to bring attendees up to speed on current trends in sponsorship, what
sponsors want, how to add new things to communities that appeal to sponsors, and
how to generate the greatest amount of revenue while returning the greatest value to
the sponsors.
Create a Community Legacy Through Entrepreneur and Leadership Development
Strategies
This session will inspire attendees to return to their communities with a greater
understanding of how leadership and entrepreneurship are critical to success on Main
Street. Topics will include thoughtful planning, creative partnerships, “economic
gardening,” and fresh ideas for gaining merchant support. The relationship between
community and economic development will be explored. Specific examples will be
shared on how having the right leaders engaged can bring about a new Main Street
fan base—and on how “economic gardening” can be more powerful than other more
traditional downtown economic development strategies.
9:00 am – 12:00 Noon Deep Dive
Healthy Maine Streets: Creating a Culture of Health and Vibrant Downtowns
Join this “deep dive” to learn what health and wellness have to do with your
downtown, sense of place, and economic development and how this creative work
can forge new partnerships, integrate into the Four-Point Approach, reveal new
funding sources, and change the culture of downtown. Specifically, this session will
share strategies that can be implemented at the community level to benefit everyone
who lives, works and plays downtown. Healthy Maine Streets is an innovative cross
sector project that was funded by the Centers for Disease Control, Community
Transformation Grant Program from 2012-2014. Public Health has never had a better
or more creative delivery system than Main Street organizations. By sharing 2 years of
data from Healthy Maine Streets, session attendees will see what was implemented in
19 Main Street communities and over 200 small businesses in Maine. Attendees will
see the connection between long-term sustainable economic development and health
and wellness. Think yoga in a pocket park, a walking train, public art demonstrating
the state tobacco law and a cash mob at the Farmer’s Market.
10:15 – 10:45 am Enjoy light refreshments in the exhibit hall
10:45 am – 12:00 Noon Classroom Sessions
The Power of the Picture
It’s time Main Streets took the power of the picture and transformed their marketing
with epic images, strong stories, and tools that makes that easy. Now that we all have
the most powerful cameras we have ever had in our pockets (on our phones), we
have the opportunity to create and share images and video like no other. We can use
our communities photos and leverage their view of our Main Street districts to
captivate investors, visitors, and the press. Learn how to take better images, leverage
social media with the right photos, graphics and videos, and create a marketing
campaign where everyone else does the work. The power of Instagram, Pinterest,
Hyperlapse, Facebook, YouTube and more will be explored.
How TEAMWORK Expanded Entrepreneurial Impact in Delaware
How do communities support Main Street's needs for necessary goods and services,
provide innovative, entrepreneurial solutions, and increase outreach and impact—all in
the midst of financial uncertainties, reduced staffing and other budgetary constraints?
Learn how Delaware's low-budget, high-impact Project Pop Up engages local
partnerships and interagency alliances, fosters innovative collaborations, and attends
to unique needs of entrepreneurs, resulting in long-term solutions to vacancy issues
and recruitment of sustainable businesses. Video testimonials, case studies from
urban districts as well as traditional downtowns, the "Pop Up Timeline," and program
templates will provide participants with a package from which to immediately launch
their own successful program. Presenters will share victories and challenges of this
program, now three-years running with a strong success rate.
Creating the Go-To Place: Strategies to Take an Ordinary District to
Extraordinary
Jon Schallert is the only business speaker in the world specializing in teaching
businesses and communities how to turn themselves into Consumer Destinations. In
this new session, Jon illustrates 10 proactive steps any downtown can implement to
make its businesses individually and collectively “the Place” that everyone wants to go
to! With fresh examples of downtown successes and entrepreneurial victories,
attendees will walk away feeling inspired and empowered to take on even the biggest
development challenges.
The Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership: Encouraging Downtown
Entrepreneurship via Teamwork
Downtowns can be more than nostalgic places of yesteryear; they can be engines
bringing about real economic healing and prosperity for our communities and our
states. The recent economic recession and years of economic development policies
incentivized unsustainable sprawl and negatively impacted downtowns. For present
and future economic growth and prosperity, our country needs healthy and viable
downtowns that are safe, aesthetically pleasing places that draw people and
commerce. Learn how the Downtown Renaissance Partnership, created to foster
vibrant downtowns, combines professionals from the University of Georgia, the
Georgia Municipal Association, the Georgia Cities Foundation, and the Department of
Community Affairs to provide customized technical assistance necessary for local
governments’ downtown revitalization efforts. Partners and city representatives will
explore current examples of how re-imaged and re-created downtowns once again
are the hearts of communities and an integral part of a state's brand.
Rearranging Deck Chairs: Don’t Sit on That Raft While Your Retailers Drown
Downtown retailers have been hearing for years that they need to clean up, fix up,
and glam up—all in the name of making more money. But, what if putting lipstick on
your pig isn't bringing home more bacon? This session will investigate new strategies
in microretail and technology, pushing the limits of the tried but not so true ideal of
the past. Creative, small-now-big-later space planning, combined with real time data
collection, and a little lipstick—can add up to big changes ahead.
Reversing One-Way Streets for Main Street Communities
Pontiac, Michigan, the town for which General Motors named its famous line of cars
and trucks, is an economically distressed city of approximately 66,095 people, down
from a peak of 85,000 in 1970. The downtown core of Pontiac has become
depopulated in favor of the surrounding suburbs in the county. The Pontiac Livability
Study developed a strategy for reconnecting the downtown to the suburbs and
created a framework to revitalize the downtown itself. The session will describe
changes and improvements to transform this once auto-dominated community in
Southeast Michigan and also explore best practices for road diets in Main Street
communities.
Bantam Towns: Small-Town Revitalization Priorities
This presentation discusses recent research that identified 3 essential investment
areas for stabilization and future growth of small towns: economic drivers, leadership
capacity, and built environment. Examining these factors in 65 communities provided
a deeper understanding of revitalization opportunities beyond enticing business. The
conclusion: No matter how strong a town is in one or two areas, it will not reach the
level of success of a town strong in all three. A town that has incredible form assets
will not see much success without employment and education opportunities in the
area, as well as strong leadership to protect those assets and proactively plan for the
future. Significantly, a town with a major employer is not as well-positioned for future
stability as one also with strong built character. The important lessons from this
research will be readily transferable to larger cities and suburban communities.
Catalyzing Change: What Really Works in Urban Commercial Corridors?
Philadelphia has invested heavily in its neighborhood commercial corridors in the last
five years, providing technical assistance and matching grant funds to spur façade
improvements and attract new businesses. Hear about the variety of incentive
programs and what works to create real change in inner city commercial districts
from different perspectives: a commercial corridor manager, two funders responsible
for 19 different Community Development Block Grant eligible commercial corridors,
and a local revitalization consultant. Presenters will talk about the variety of "sparks
that ignited real change" in urban corridors. They will share stories about successes
with select building purchases, start up technical assistance, and starting business
associations, among others, to answer the question: What does the most good to
improve urban commercial corridors?
Helping Your Prospective Businesses Get the Funding They Need
What do lenders look for when evaluating loan requests? How can you help owners of
prospective businesses or expanding businesses be better prepared to approach
lenders, thereby improving their chances of obtaining funding and moving forward
with their plans? The session includes a discussion of how lenders think and how they
evaluate key aspects of the loan decision, including business plan, credit history,
owner's equity injection, and collateral. Participants will receive a questionnaire and
other useful tools to guide them through a discussion with owners of startup or
expanding businesses to help the owners evaluate their funding potential and
discover ways to strengthen their position.
12:00 Noon – 2:00 pm Lunch on Your Own
12:00 Noon – 3:00 pm Deep Dive
Creating a Dynamic Customer Experience Through Design, Visual, and Digital
Looking for new ways to draw visitors, shoppers, and diners to your downtown? This
“deep dive” session, filled with practical tips, case studies, and real-life examples, will
cover retail design, visual merchandising, and digital engagement. With decades of
combined Main Street and retail experience, the presenters will help participants
understand how well-planned interior displays and signage can increase traffic,
provide creative ideas for building effective window/store displays on a small budget,
and share the latest tech trends impacting retail and street experience. Participants
will leave with tools to implement affordable solutions for working with businesses in
their Main Streets.
1:00 – 1:45 pm
Pop-Up Performance Spaces: Big Impact - Low Cost
Creating vibrant public spaces doesn’t have to be expensive or take years to pull-off.
This session will explore the various elements of creating a pop-up performance and
gathering space in your historic downtown including partnerships, funding, design
elements, execution, overcoming challenges and programming. We'll cover several
case studies that explore a variety of space activation approaches and then engage
session attendees in a hands-on activity to develop a model based on a case and
materials that we present.
EarthCraft: New Green Certification for Historic Buildings
EarthCraft Sustainable Preservation is the nation’s first green building certification
program for historic buildings, designed to evaluate and highlight what is inherently
sustainable about historic buildings, while providing guidance on appropriate
alterations to make them more energy and water efficient. Hear from the developers
of this new designation system about the criteria and applicability for historic
commercial districts.
Preserving the Authenticity of Unique Cultural Districts
Chinatown in Washington DC is a well-known cultural landmark and tourist
destination—and a perfect lens through which to examine issues surrounding
preserving and promoting cultural legacies in communities. This session will explore
the particular significance and preservation-related issues surrounding DC’s
Chinatown, and examine the many social, cultural, and economic factors involved in
designating a cultural district, including gentrification, commercialization, and
displacement of businesses and residents.
Bringing Crowdfunding to the Local Level: Let's Revitalize the Way Main Street
Businesses & Nonprofits Raise Funds
Considering using crowdfunding to support your local economy? Come hear about
two Wyoming communities that have used this new fundraising approach to support
entrepreneurs and local organizations— and measured the impact. The session will
detail the projects and their impacts, and share recommendations for those interested
in bringing crowdfunding to their own communities.
Empowering your Employees: How to Lead your Team to Success
Employee empowerment creates an environment that encourages, advises, motivates
and develops individuals as well as the team. This type of leadership provides staff
with the training and assistance needed for them to take charge and contribute to a
thriving organization. This presentation will provide Main Street managers with the
tools to become the type of leader who can set a roadmap for team success.
2:00 – 2:45 pm Crash Courses
Hungry Anyone?! Let Restaurant Week Promote your Culinary Community
In today's economy, street festivals are challenging, cost money and have less impact
than driving people into a restaurant to ring a register. How do you bring the street
festival inside, fill chairs, and promote your local food community? Restaurant Week—
a nationally-known program that highlights locally-owned restaurants—can truly
promote your city, celebrate your unique dining offerings and generate revenues for
local businesses. Social media, free food promotions, wine and beer tastings, and
more add up to encourage local dining and boost revenues for local restaurants.
Learn from the pros who coordinated Birmingham’s successful Restaurant Week, and
bring this fun event home to your community!
Tips for Understanding the Economic Impact of your Main Street
How many additional sales has your Main Street program generated for area
businesses? How many new jobs have been supported? How much tax revenue has
been generated? These are some of the ways in which a Main Street organization
affects a business, a neighborhood, or a town. Quantifying these impacts can help
your organization make more informed decisions about how to allocate resources as
well as strengthen fundraising efforts by better communicating the return on
investment for area business, public officials, and other investors. This session will
offer practical tips for assessing and communicating a Main Street organization's
economic impact.
Entrepreneurship: This Ain't Just for Businesses and Professionals
Many communities and Main Street organizations face challenges and budget
constraints when it comes to keeping citizens and decision makers informed and
supportive of revitalization progress, projects, and programs. Learn effective and
creative strategies to build and maintain excitement and engagement from a 2014
Great American Main Street Award winning community. This session covers the five
"P's" equation to communicate your success story and generate revenue for
downtown revitalization: Promotion + Partnerships + Products = Passion & Profit.
Specific examples of best practices that embody the Main Street entrepreneurial spirit
will be presented and discussed.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Establishing Special Tax Districts!
Downtown development programs are constantly in need of funding for operations
and capital improvements. Special tax districts are a great option for programs
looking for stable sources of funding and resources to support critical capital projects.
This session will provide participants with information on how to develop board
leadership and capacity to implement a special tax district. Participants will learn best
management practices and potential pitfalls to avoid to ensure success. They will walk
through the process from inception to implementation and management of special
tax districts, including an actual case study.
Best Practices for Revitalizing Older Suburban Retail Districts
Highlighting results from a 2013 comprehensive report, ”Revitalizing Suburban
Downtown Retail Districts: Strategies and Best Practices,” about the 71 older
suburban/exurban commercial districts in the five counties surrounding Philadelphia
in both NJ and PA. This research identified 18 common elements found in all the
commercial districts, whether wealthy or struggling. The study’s author will use a
series of case studies to describe the seven elements found in the ten most successful
downtown districts in Greater Philadelphia, two of which are Main Street communities.
She will further highlight what elements communities can influence and describe how
communities can develop smart and targeted retail strategies for their downtown
retail district. The session concludes with thoughts about what these success factors
mean for the future of the commercial revitalization movement.
2:45 – 3:15 pm Refreshment Break
3:15 – 4:30 Special Session on Healthy Communities for all attendees
4:30 – 6:00 pm Exhibitor Reception
6:00 – 7:30 pm VIP Reception
Wednesday, April 1
9:00 – 10:15 am Classroom Sessions
Making Downtown Revitalization Happen: Incentives at the Local Level
Many communities rely on local incentives to take downtown revitalization from a
great idea into reality, but designing incentives that work and are well-utilized remains
a challenge in communities across the country. A recent survey-based research
collaboration between the National Main Street Center and PlaceEconomics sought to
discover how communities are encouraging preservation. The results illustrate that
communities across the country are taking creative approaches to make
preservation-based downtown revitalization happen. This session will provide an indepth case on why incentives matter, present new research from the national survey,
and demonstrate how communities use a range of tools to encourage preservation.
Financial Tools Every Main Street Organization Should Have in Its ER Toolkit
While the economy is rebounding, small businesses continue to struggle to secure
funding for expansion or investment in new technology and inventory. With banks
and investment funds focused on serving large corporate clients, small businesses are
increasingly looking for alternative funding to build their businesses. In today's
changing economic climate, it is important to stay ahead of the curve in
understanding the resources and tools that are available to support property owners
and small businesses. Using examples from Main Street communities across the
country, this session will review basic tools that should be in your program's
development toolbox as well as new innovative options that can be used to
encourage entrepreneurs and help small businesses flourish downtown. From new
SBA and USDA loan programs to crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo, this session
will explore what works in today's economy.
Essentials for Transforming a Business District into a Vibrant Place
In 2012, an economic prosperity initiative was implemented in New Haven's 9th
Square. Since that time, 32 new businesses have been welcomed and an ongoing
monthly event regularly attracts 300-500 attendees to the district. Learn how you
can replicate this in your own community by understanding how to use available data,
identifying additional resources, and determining what businesses and consumers
your district could potentially attract and support. Reshaping a district's negative
reputation is a challenge, but through strategic brand development and well-targeted
special events, it can be done.
Crowdfunding Our Main Streets: Harnessing and Building Community Interest
Through Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is expected to raise over $10 billion in 2014, and is getting a lot of buzz
these days. Join ioby to hear about this growing field, bust some common myths, and
learn how crowdfunding can be both an important fundraising and community
engagement tool for our Main Streets. ioby is a 501(c)3 mission driven, national crowd
funding platform designed to support community-led, neighbor-funded projects that
make neighborhoods stronger and more sustainable. ioby's vision of crowdfunding
makes it relevant to a wide variety of project leaders, whether your project involves
creative placemaking, tactical urbanism, green infrastructure or commercial
revitalization. Through case studies of successfully-funded projects from both dense
urban and small town communities, this session will give attendees a firm
understanding of when and how to use crowdfunding to support their neighborhoodtransforming work.
You’ve Attracted New Retail. Now What?
Getting store and restaurant operators interested in opening in your downtown is
only half the battle. The next all-important piece is ensuring they open well so they
can be successful. What does opening well mean, and why is it so important? What
guidance can BIDs/downtown organizations offer operators, especially first-timers?
What's important to operators once they open, and how can the activities of your
organization support, not hinder, their efforts? Join this session to get answers to
these questions and more from two successful retail operators and a retail strategist
and a trends expert, who see examples, both good and bad, in cities across North
America. Topics will include design & branding, business operations, and fostering a
friendly retail environment.
Inspire, Ignite, Excite
This session will to share inspiring and doable projects collected from Main Street
communities across the country that get community members engaged and create
positive change in a short period of time. When an organization is just getting started,
or has stagnated, these types of fun, visible, affordable projects can be just the thing
to ignite the community into action and build credibility for the organization to tackle
larger projects in the future.
Special Event Planning 101: From Concept to Conclusion
Join a veteran Main Street program manager for a step-by-step outline of planning
special events. Using the successful Medina International Fest as a case example, this
session will walk through the process from beginning to end, including how to create
the event, how to attract vendors, sponsors, restaurants, how to contract entertainers,
how to market and promote the event, how to make early adjustments to the event
for bigger success, how to engage community partners to share the work load, and
how to integrate an event into the fabric of your community. Finally, participants will
learn how to evaluate the event for success and get feedback to make it bigger and
better the next time.
The Rule of 3 Ms: Manpower, Money, and Mission
This session will incorporate the Main Street 4 Point Approach© into a “dollars and
sense" strategy for promoting the arts and culture of a community. Participants will
learn how to capitalize on the quality of markets, merchants, and music while
preserving, promoting and protecting their historic district and Main Street
community. The panel, composed of 3 experienced Tennessee Main Street directors
will provide the information and inspiration needed to leverage farmers markets,
musical events, and merchant retail by applying the rule of the 3 M’s: Manpower,
Money, and Mission to strengthen and broaden the economic base of the a downtown
district.
Storytelling and Technology: Market and Edu-Tain Online and On Site
Everyone loves a good story, but with tight budgets and limited staff, how do you
brand your Main Street and build your downtown's tourism economy? Using multimedia storytelling, real-life applications and audience interaction, this "edu-taining"
session will explore ways to use and implement your unique story to spark visitors'
imaginations online before they even begin their journey, and "edu-tain" them once
they arrive. It will also introduce various delivery platforms that will embrace your
story, your audience and your venue to make your downtown stand out.
9:00 am – 12:00 Noon Deep Dive
Balance Your Budget with a Matrix Map
How do you organize for success? Using a Matrix Map, Main Street directors and
board members can hone in on critical strategic choices and face them head-on:
Should we cut, maintain or increase personnel and financial investment in our major
events and programs? In this session, participants will learn how to use a Matrix Map
by actually creating one. Participants will plot relative program impact and cash flow
using a lively Main Street scenario. They will then confront tough choices—both those
revealed in the scenario and also those raised by the audience based on reality back
home.
10:15 – 10:45 am Refreshment Break in Exhibit Hall
10:45 – 12Noon Classroom Sessions
Leveraging Your Community’s Cultural Assets: Research and Development-Based
Revitalization
Learn how Main Street communities are leveraging their cultural assets; found in their
authentic stories, ethnicity and traditions; through uniquely local public art programs
and promotional events. Presenters will walk you through the steps to conduct a
cultural asset inventory in your town then share with you examples of how others
have utilized their heritage and human assets to create innovative revitalization
strategies. Leave with new tools to expand your local movement by moving your
downtown from rip-off and duplicate to asset based research and development.
Positioning Programs for Success: Engaging Your Local Colleges and Universities
Is having a university in your town a double-edged sword? Don't let it be. This
session will show you how to engage your university or college and at the same time
bring people downtown to spend money. By looking at two successful case studies
with different approaches and outcomes, presenters will illustrate how to make the
most of the situation. Participants will walk away with practical ways to engage
students, faculty and administration at their college or university, and they will have
an understanding of how to turn this engagement into an economic development tool
for the community.
More Than Elephant Ears and Rock Bands: Defining Value in Downtown Festivals
and Events
True vibrant communities require a balance of many key components, including social
engagement. However, festivals and events are often disregarded as fluff for many
community and economic development professionals. This session will includes case
studies demonstrating how to build value through basic event evaluation techniques,
targeting specific markets, identifying hidden or untapped values of festivals and
events. It will also review current efforts by the State of Michigan to define
placemaking and festivals' role in creating an attractive community.
The Perfect Board in 12 Acts
The downtown program board . . . what could be more important than fine tuning and
developing the leadership of your downtown revitalization program? Come learn
from two Main Street coordinators with years of experience working with downtown
boards and a variety of organizational structures and personalities. This session will
focus on people, including choosing the right board members and avoiding or
correcting problems that board members can create. Facilitators will delve deep into
some common challenges that can slow a board down to a halt and suggest solutions.
The session will also examine appropriate roles of downtown board members and
their relationship to the downtown director. Who should raise money? Who should
make project decisions? Who should blow up balloons? And, let's take a look at those
dreaded two-hour meetings. How can board members work together to make them
more productive and efficient?
Reducing Crime in Urban Areas
Across the country, cities of all sizes are on the rise and more dynamic than ever. But
many urban areas are still blighted with crime and the perception of crime. This
session will share strategies to address crime, promote safety, and educate the police,
politicians and the public about reducing crime and improved safety. A Main Street
practitioner will share case studies that have worked to reduce crime by up to 16% in
some areas of Washington DC. Attendees will walk away with a big-picture approach
as well as small steps they can tackle day to day to improve public safety.
Creating an Exceptional Customer Experience: How Businesses Stand Out Today
Successful Main Street programs position themselves as small business resource
centers, connecting entrepreneurs to resources and providing valued expertise. This
session will equip you with tools and techniques to share with your small businesses,
helping them understand where the opportunity for sales growth lies in the face of an
ever-increasing technological era. This is a 360-degree look at what customers desire
before they will give lasting loyalty to a business. Participants will uncover the
common mistakes that most businesses make with their customer care, and how by
changing the rules of engagement, they can create a tipping point in their referral
marketing strategies that increases profits. They’ll learn how to dive deep with
business owners in exploring "The Customer Manifesto,” a directive to business
owners from consumers about what matters to them; how to design it for the
business; and then how to implement it with staff so that everyone understands how
to grow profits by providing an exceptional customer experience.
Saving Historic Theaters
Traditionally the local movie theater or opera house was one of the social anchors for
historic downtowns. Unfortunately in too main street communities that historic
theater is now either closed or underutilized. How do we go about saving these
important buildings and putting them back into viable use so that they may once
again contribute to the vitality of downtowns? The speakers will discuss case studies
of real success stories and also learn some of the tools developed as part of a 3 year
program in Iowa geared towards saving historic theaters.
1:00 – 1:45 pm Crash Courses
Why Downtowns Matter--How to Create Authentic Brands that Connect with
Community
Retail brands and products are part of our lives. From Apple to BMW to Walmart, we
all have clear perceptions and experiences. But what about our downtowns? They
each have a distinct history, a personality and assets that make each one its own
unique brand. Learn how you can use a systematic methodology to develop a
branding and marketing strategy that best leverages your downtown's brand and
makes it the most valued to the widest range of consumers in your community. Case
studies will include Downtown Berkeley, California, and Oakland's new waterfront
development, Brooklyn Basin.
“Pop Up Your Community”: How to Revitalize Your Downtown on a Budget
A Virginia Main Street Community since 1995, Marion has seen its share of successes
and hurdles. Following "The Great Recession" of 2008, downtown Marion returned to
nearly 20% vacancy as the local economy followed the national trend. Determined to
bounce back, Marion put a twist on the traditional pop-up business model,
successfully navigating the pathway to truly revitalizing the economy of downtown.
Marion’s effective pop-up program does it all: training, mentorship, access to capital,
all while addressing community needs and helping shape business plans for long term
sustainability. This presentation is designed to get into the workings of successful pop
up initiatives that can be easily replicated in downtowns large and small with huge
success and minimal investment.
Designing a Partnership for Creativity
When it comes to marketing your Main Street, you can't do it all and that's okay. This
interactive session will help you determine what kind of creative partner you need,
highlight the importance of promoting a cohesive brand across city entities and offer
tips to get you thinking like a marketing entrepreneur. This highly interactive session
will equip you with the skills and entrepreneurial know-how needed to find the right
creative partner, bring big ideas to the table without the big price tag, and utilize
resources that will help your marketing strategy ahead of the curve.
Activating Available Space with Community Partnerships
Are you struggling with what to do with those vacant spaces on your Main Street?
Learn about successful models for activating and filling available space from Batavia,
IL. From an art space turned economic development engine to a co-working space
for home-based businesses to a downtown brokers tour that brings new investors to
the community, Batavia has developed a portfolio of truly innovative economic
development strategies that can be replicated in your community.
Creative Business Development Partnerships: The “Art & Clay” Story
Struggling to bring new life to downtown? Creative business development
partnerships are key. This session will use the story of Art & Clay on Main in Lancaster,
Ohio, as a case study through which to explore the impact of innovative partnerships
and community-driven action in creating a supportive business environment. Four
years ago, the business was slated to close, and one of the nicest buildings in
Downtown was about to be vacated. Downtown supporters and community leaders
came to the rescue and saved the business. Since then, it has expanded, added a fullservice coffee house, created additional jobs, and contributed to the vibrancy of the
community. Hear from a social entrepreneur and veteran downtown manager on how
these kinds of these kinds of partnerships can be replicated to support a dynamic
economy in your own community.
Creating Urban Villages
Seven years ago, neighborhood commercial districts that surrounded Downtown
Orlando were unnamed, unbranded and nondescript, with no plan in place and no
vision for the future. Implementing the Main Street approach has brought these areas
to life. Hear how Orlando Main Street came to be, how it works, how it has applied
Main Street to neighborhood commercial districts and how it transformed urban
centers into creative villages.
2:00 – 3:15pm Classroom Sessions
Activating Underutilized Spaces: Cross-Sector Partnerships in Creative
Placemaking
Since 2011, ArtPlace America has been investing in cross-sector partnerships that
unite local government, Main Street and civic organizations, artists and arts
institutions working to create immersive, successful corridors in cities and towns of all
sizes. Meet three of ArtPlace's grantees—Marion IA, Little Rock AR, and Lawrence
KS—and hear how they are locally deploying creative placemaking strategies, from
temporarily activating vacant alleyways during construction to developing interactive
art installations in storefronts along Main Street.
Community-Initiated Development: Creating Real Change on a Budget
Emporia, Kansas is a smaller rural community that has facilitated over $30 million in
redevelopment activities over the past five years through a variety of smaller projects
and larger redevelopment initiatives. Through historic district formation, infrastructure
planning, traffic initiatives, upper-story redevelopment, targeted infill, entrepreneurial
development and business recruitment measures, Emporia is achieving success in a
challenging market. This session will help you replicate that success in your own
community.
Is a BID Right for You? The Ins and Outs, and Ups and Downs, of Creating a BID
Business Improvement Districts, or BIDs, exist throughout North America, the UK,
South Africa, and Germany. There are 1000 BIDs in the U.S. alone. BIDs provide a way
to make district improvements through locally-collected and locally-controlled
cooperative funding. This session will highlight the basic underlying structure of BIDs,
regardless of geography, and provide attendees with an understanding of how they
work, what typical programs and services are funded, and the general process for
creating a BID. Participants will look at examples of successful BIDs and talk about
projects that have gone horribly awry, so they can learn from others' mistakes.
Developing a Pop-Up Retail Program: From Idea to Execution
This session evaluates the opportunities and barriers to pop-up retail from three
perspectives: the entrepreneur, the property owner, and the regulatory
administration. Renaissance Covington is in its third year of execution of a successful
downtown holiday pop-up retail program and will share its process from idea to
execution including building community buy-in, identifying spaces, navigating code
issues, recruiting entrepreneurs, designing the spaces, programming, and evaluation.
Putting Historic Tax Credits to Work on Main Streets
Although 50% of historic tax credit projects are "small projects”—those under
$500,000 or less in qualified rehabilitation expenses—the process can be intimidating
and confusing. Historic Macon in Macon-Bibb County, Ga (pop. 91,234). has developed
an amazing system (including an app!) for promoting the tax credits to local property
owners. The conversion of a former Belk's department store into downtown housing
in Milledgeville, Ga. (pop. 19,401) took eight forms of financing and years of
persistence by the town's former Main Street manager and her husband. Hear from
two developers and Historic Macon, which led the state of Georgia in use of tax
credits in 2013 and 2014, on how to "unpack" the rehabilitation tax credit process for
property owners and decision-makers.
Catastrophes on Main Street: The Psychology of Dealing with Disasters
A devastating natural disaster is one of a Main Street director’s worst nightmares. This
session will examine the physical and psychological aspects of dealing with the
different stages of disaster: from preparedness to recovery. Can you be prepared for
the worst? What do you do when it happens? How do you plan for long term
recovery? What about the money? From working in hurricane, tornado, flood, oil spill
and personal tragedy disaster zones, expert panelists will discuss lessons learned and
best practices.
A Track for Every Interest
This year’s conference will be packed with cutting edge,
high-level content addressing a wide range of revitalization
issues and the line-up of speakers has an impressive wealth
of knowledge and experience to share.
To help you tailor the conference to your interests and needs, we have eight
tracks focusing on issues ranging from Urban Revitalization to Arts and
Culture. We encourage you to take a look at the list below and stay tuned for
additional session and speaker information in the coming weeks!
Economic Development – Main Street has been called “the most costeffective form of economic development of any kind anywhere in the country.”
How do you pull this off? This track will help; addressing issues ranging from
real estate develop to market analysis to forming business improvement
districts, all with goal of bringing partners together to foster new ideas for
building economic success on Main Street.
Urban Revitalization – While our experience has shown us that urban districts
thrive using a similar revitalization approach to more “traditional” Main Street
communities, this track will feature sessions that focus on the particular issues
facing urban communities, from density issues to diversity to gentrification.
Marketing – A successful Main Street must tell its story effectively. This track
will connect you with the tools you need to accomplish this, from launching a
strategy-oriented, high-impact advertising campaign to finding the right brand
for your district.
Promotional Events – Many Main Streets are great at putting on festivals and
celebrating holidays, but how do you make the most of these events, maximize
results, and measure impact? This track will help you put strategy first when
planning and executing promotional events by showcasing issues like effective
event management and economic impact measurement.
Arts and Culture – Arts and Culture help to bring Main Street to life, connect a
community to its distinct heritage, and promote tourism. This track will help
you translate your arts and cultural offerings into economic engines with
sessions on the arts as business catalysts, innovative approaches to public art,
and the impact of cultural districts.
Placemaking and Design – Activating public places and preserving and
enlivening the physical elements of a downtown are critical pieces of
comprehensive community revitalization and serve as powerful visual
indicators to residents and leaders that change is under way. Sessions in this
track will provide you with tactics to make public spaces come alive as well as
practical advice on improving streetscapes and preserving the historic
buildings in your downtown district.
Organizational Development – Downtown practitioners know that a
successful revitalization initiative requires a strong organizational backbone to
serve as the driver of change. This track will provide attendees with tips and
tools on issues like board development, fundraising, and volunteer training.
Leadership Development – With budgets tight and staff time at a premium,
setting aside time for leadership development is challenging. This track will
equip you with important job-focused training – whether you are a new
director or a veteran - these sessions on topics like effective leadership
strategies, change management, and conflict resolution, will help you advance
in your career.
Mobile Tours:
Dahlonega: Gold, Goblets and Galleries
Sunday, March 29th 9:00am- 4pm
Cost $50
The Gold, Goblets, and Galleries Tour will introduce ideas about marketing to a
diverse customer base by using partnerships, tourism, history, and historic
preservation. The tour includes visiting the Dahlonega Gold Museum, brunch,
and a guided wine tasting and art
gallery walking tour. All stops along the walking tour, as well as downtown’s 65
unique retail stores, are within 5 short blocks of each other in Historic
Downtown Dahlonega. *wine tasting included in ticket price*
Tour of Atlanta
Sunday, March 29th 10:00am-3pm
Cost $45
The tour tells the story of our city, Atlanta’s growth and evolution, as shown
through its landmarks and historic neighborhoods. It provides a broad
overview of Atlanta and is not limited to specific neighborhoods. The tour
goes beyond architecture; it encompasses the historical moments, individuals,
and cultures that have shaped the City.
*This tour is primarily by bus with limited stops* *Lunch is on your own*
Atlanta: Inman Park Tour
Sunday, March 29th 9:30am – Noon
Cost: $35
Visit Atlanta's first planned residential development. Dating from 1889, Inman
Park has become a nationally celebrated example of neighborhood
preservation. See the elegant homes built by Coca-Cola magnates Asa
Candler and Ernest Woodruff. Discover the distinctive features that make up
Victorian period architecture: turrets, sweeping porches and elaborate
gingerbread woodwork. Also enjoy a variety of other home styles, from
Craftsman to post World War II to architecturally compatible infill.
Atlanta: Ansley Park Tour
Sunday, March 29 1:30-4:00pm
Cost: $35
Tour Atlanta’s first driving suburb, developed in 1904 as the dream of Edwin P.
Ansley who envisioned a new motorcar-oriented suburb of wide, winding
streets and green parks designed to attract Atlanta's wealthiest and most
prestigious families. In fact, Ansley Park was home to Georgia's Governor’s
Mansion for many decades and to Margaret Mitchell for most of her life.
Ansley's vision of a gracious, harmonious neighborhood as an oasis in the
midst of the bustling city of Atlanta lives on today in this National Register
District.
Suwanee: Placemaking in Suwanee Town Center
Monday, March 30th 9:30am- 1:45pm
Cost $30
The City of Suwanee is a dynamic community of approximately 16,000 people
located in metropolitan Atlanta. Town Center, Suwanee’s signature civic
gathering place, integrates both public and private uses and includes Town
Center Park, City Hall, mixed use development, and public art. Town Center is
the heart of the community. It offers active and passive recreation
opportunities, including an interactive fountain, outdoor amphitheater, and
serves as the cultural center of the City.
Hapeville: A Collaborative Approach to Using the Arts as an Economic
Development Tool
Monday, March 30th 9:00am- 11:30am
Cost $25
Hapeville is a small but progressive city located 10 minutes south of Atlanta
and adjacent to the Atlanta airport. Similar to many older inner city suburbs,
Hapeville has faced a battle against blight. The City has partnered with nonprofits to utilize the arts as a foundation of the Main Street Program’s broader
efforts to revitalize the downtown. Tour highlights include renovated historic
buildings repurposed as arts venues, and public art installations.
Atlanta: Sweet Auburn Tour
Monday, March 30th 10:00-12:30pm
Cost $35
Stroll down Sweet Auburn Avenue, the heart of African-American commerce
and culture in Atlanta at the turn of the century. Discover landmarks of the
Civil Rights Movement, and several historic African-American churches
including Big Bethel AME Church, the first African-American church in Atlanta,
and Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Atlanta: Historic Downtown Tour
Monday, March 30th 12:30-3:00pm
Cost $35
See Atlanta’s first skyscrapers and learn how this early business district
developed through efforts of the businessmen, architects and prominent
families of the 19th and 20th centuries. Tour the interiors and exteriors of
several of Atlanta’s Landmark structures and their environs. Atlanta's
downtown architecture includes styles from the Victorian period to Art Deco
to contemporary.
Newnan: Planning for a Town and Gown Environment
Tuesday, March 31st 9:00am- 2:30pm
Cost $10
This mobile tour will provide participants with a better understanding of how
to create a “Town &
Gown” environment in your community utilizing public, private and nonprofit
partnerships. The tour will introduce participants to downtown Newnan, where
they will explore a very unique adaptive reuse project, which entailed
transforming an early 20th century hospital into the Newnan campus of the
University of West Georgia.
Cabbagetown-Revitalizing a Mill Village
Tuesday, March 31st 9:30am-1:00pm
Cost $45
Come learn about how one of Atlanta’s most unique neighborhoods has used
historic preservation as a revitalization strategy within the context of a large
urban area. Learn about how historic preservation is an economic
development strategy in one of Atlanta’s intact mill villages.
Madison: Green Infrastructure: Open space as a Catalyst for Public-Private
Investment
Tuesday, March 31st 9:00am – 2:30pm
Cost $30
Madison Town Park is the small town version of New York’s Central Park or
New Orleans’ Jackson Square. This greenspace led to the redevelopment of
nine city blocks in the heart of one of Georgia’s most renowned historic
districts. Learn the “art of the deal” from local leaders who leveraged
significant private investment with public infrastructure. See creative
commercial infill, adaptive use, and redevelopment projects surrounding this
new community gathering ground.
Atlanta: Ponce de Leon Corridor
Tuesday, March 31st 10:00-12:30pm
Cost $35
Come and explore one of Atlanta's most diverse avenues. Delve through the
many layers of history that make Ponce de Leon Avenue a rich cultural
treasure as we view and visit sites that have attracted visitors since the 19th
century. Experience the crossroads where Atlanta's social and economic
classes have overlapped, exposing Atlanta's struggles while at the same time
creating a robust and unique culture that defines our city.
Atlanta: Historic Downtown Tour
Tuesday, March 31st 1:00-3:30pm
Cost $30
See Atlanta’s first skyscrapers and learn how this early business district
developed through efforts of the businessmen, architects and prominent
families of the 19th and 20th centuries. Tour the interiors and exteriors of
several of Atlanta’s Landmark structures and their environs. Atlanta's
downtown architecture includes styles from the Victorian period to Art Deco
to contemporary.
Griffin: From Mill Town to Main Street
Wednesday, April 1st 9:00am-2:30pm
Cost $45
The City of Griffin grew to be a prosperous mill town during much of the 20th
century.
Since the closing of the mill, grand buildings have been transformed to drive
modern economic growth integrating historic preservation, the arts, small
business development, and tourism amidst vacant properties. Visitors will learn
how the city is transforming these spaces into spaces for economic and
cultural growth.
Monroe: Creating a Downtown Destination through Local Investors
Wednesday, April 1st 8:30am- 2:00pm
Cost $40
Monroe is the Antique Capital of Georgia and a highly sought after wedding
destination. Come see small town solutions for event spaces, downtown living,
and keyless lodging that all use local investors and restored historic properties.
We believe that these examples of development are ones that can happen in
any town through partnerships with local investors, financing tools, local
banks, volunteer work, and city support.
Atlanta: Ponce de Leon Corridor
Wednesday, April 1st 10:00-12:30pm
Cost $35
Come and explore one of Atlanta's most diverse avenues. Delve through the
many layers of history that make Ponce de Leon Avenue a rich cultural
treasure as we view and visit sites that have attracted visitors since the 19th
century. Experience the crossroads where Atlanta's social and economic
classes have overlapped, exposing Atlanta's struggles while at the same time
creating a robust and unique culture that defines our city.
Atlanta: Sweet Auburn Tour
Wednesday, April 1st 1:00-3:30pm
Cost $35
Stroll down Sweet Auburn Avenue, the heart of African-American commerce
and culture in Atlanta at the turn of the century. Discover landmarks of the
Civil Rights Movement, and several historic African-American churches
including Big Bethel AME Church, the first African-American church in Atlanta,
and Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.