Innovation Lab Webinar Series
Past Webinars
To purchase downloadable archived recordings of these webinars, visit our online Webinar store
Business Recruitment and Retention: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Where should you focus your valuable time…. attracting new retailers or saving old ones? There is a strategy that can turbo-charge both activities in a synergistic way. Effective recruitment also takes into account businesses that have already invested in downtown. Learn realistic recruitment strategies that will strengthen your retention efforts at the same time!
Presented: Thursday, November 13, 2008
Panelists:
Rick Ferrell, Retail Market Answers, LLC
Diane Laird, Delaware Main Street Program
Archive Fee: $10 Purchase
Brave New (Volunteer) Worlds: How Social Media Can Engage New Leaders
The paradigm for volunteerism is shifting rapidly. Old formats for engagement and recruitment will not work for future projects… or generations. Learn how some Main Streets are successfully using new media and technology “channels” to reach and energize a fresh group of community leaders.
Presented: Thursday, December 4th
Panelist:
Jamie Licko, Progressive Urban Management Associates, Inc.
Archive Fee: $10 Purchase
Design on a Dime, Main Street Style
Not an architect, and don’t have access to low-cost design assistance? Storefront design is vital to commercial district revitalization, but often confusing for Main Street managers without a design background. Adding to the challenge are the marketing needs and tastes of individual business owners. This webinar will provide the basics, plus great tools to help guide both merchants and contractors toward preservation-sensitive design.
Presented: Thursday, January 8, 2009
Panelist:
Tim Reinders, Main Street Iowa
Archive Fee: $10 Purchase
Why tourists Shop: How to Become a powerful Heritage travel Destination
Brochures and tourism agencies “introduce” our Main Streets to the traveler indirectly. But how can we reach them directly? Most importantly, how can we create an “authentic” visitor experience that will translate into more feet on the street and in the stores? Learn a new way of looking at the visitor experience, and explore marketing venues that can really put your town on the heritage travel map.
Presented: Thursday, February 5, 2009
Panelists:
Scott Gerloff, National Trust Heritage Travel Initiative
Barbara Wold, Wold International
Archive Fee: $10 Purchase
Upstairs Downtown: Successful Upper-floor Housing Development
Whether the goal is to increase investor returns, expand the district’s usage round-the-clock, or create a built-in market for retailers, upper-floor housing can be an effective solution for under-utilized space. Yet building codes, financing, and buyers’ attitudes often present challenges. Hear from national and state leaders who are making it happen in local Main Street districts.
Presented: Thursday, April 9, 2009
Panelists:
Linda Sorden, National Trust Loan Fund
Thom Guzman and Tim Reinders, Main Street Iowa
Archive Fee: $10 Purchase
Green Main Streets: Practical Steps You Can Take Now
Everyone is talking “green,” and the efficient design/density of downtowns can make Main Street the core of any sustainable community initiative. At the same time, our districts must retrofit buildings and rethink how we do business. But confusing terminology and competing technologies for green design make it hard to know where to begin. Let these leaders in the field of design and sustainability show you how it’s done.
Presented: Thursday, June 18, 2009
Panelists:
Patrice Frey, National Trust Sustainability Initiative
Carl Elefante, AIA, LEED AP, QUINN EVAN | ARCHITECTS
Mike Jackson, FAIA, Architect, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
Archive Fee: $10 Purchase
