Back to Roots, Back to Basics
It’s the annual National Trust for Historic Preservation Main Street Conference. This year, it’s in not-so-far away Chicago.
The theme for this year’s version is Web 2.0. There are a number of sessions discussing getting more economic leverage from web-based tools. However, I thought I’d start off with a little old school action: Economic Restructuring.
The presenter, Elise Tinsley, outlined three goals for your organization’s “E R Committee”: 1) identify new market opportunities, 2) support existing businesses, and 3) stimulate development investment. Her points struck me as potential guiding principles for any group pursuing economic vitality in Northfield.
Elise said that you attract customers by communicating your community’s image honestly and accurately. Your message must be built on your existing assets, not your envisioned assets. Every community is different and its message should be unique. Perhaps most importantly, your image must be deliverable.
She then talked about gathering market data…and verifying that data. But more on that topic later.
Elise suggested that once you know your community and its assets, as well as your current market and your potential market, you should capture it in a simple and straight-forward Market Position Statement. You position your community within your wider trade area by using this statement to brand, assist and recruit your mix of businesses.
Your statement helps to focus your community’s efforts and helps to draw people to your community. If you’ve accurately captured your assets in your statement, when people visit your community, their experience will match your message.
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 am
[...] in Chicago on bidniz. It’s my second return to the Mother Ship in three years. This sure ain’t [...]
March 2nd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
[...] Downtown Development Corporation (Ross Currier): Back to Roots, Back to Basics Courtesy of nddc.org It’s the annual National Trust for Historic Preservation Main Street [...]
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:07 pm
[...] social media and on-line communication to promote your main street, or downtown district, at the Main Street 2.0 Conference. He works at Community Media Workshop, also found at “newstips.org“. I guess if I were [...]
March 5th, 2009 at 7:45 am
[...] did during the conference. Ross has posted to his NDDC blog about the conference here, here, and here. and here on LG re: [...]
April 29th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
[...] my discussion with peers from around the country at the annual Main Street Conference, I’ve seen how a state-wide program can support our older commercial districts. I’m [...]
April 26th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
[...] for the second time in three years, I attended the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Conference in Chicago. There I learned about the CommunityWalk tool for creating interactive [...]