California Main Street Annual Conference

February 22-24, 2017
Monterey, CA  

Conference Schedule

9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Registration Open – Hotel Pacific, 300 Pacific Street, Monterey
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. – Optional Pre-Conference Walking Tour – Join Old Monterey Business Association
executive director Rick Johnson for a guided walking tour of the Monterey Old Historic District. You will see and
learn the history of many buildings in this National Historic Landmark, includingthe Old Custom House, the Pacific House, Colton Hall (the first public building constructed under the American flag in California), the Royal Presidio Chapel and many other adobes and historic buildings. Free - limited to 25 participants
Noon – Arriving early? Have lunch in downtown Monterey!
1 p.m. – Welcome/Opening Session – Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Irvine Auditorium, 460 Pierce St, Monterey - A critical component for Main Street districts and downtowns across the country is the ability to tell both visitors and locals about the rich history of their communities. As new technology helps bring history to life in an informative and engaging way, Main Streets and downtowns need to embrace it to help tell that important story. Ron Cook, our keynote speaker, is co-founder of distrx, LLC. Prior to creating distrx, he was the Dean of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship degree program at Full Sail University. Ron is a frequent lecturer on the practical use of technology, the “Internet of Things” and beacon technologies, and also serves as a mentor for Starter Studio, Central Florida’s tech business accelerator.
2:30 p.m. – Refreshment Break
3:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Concurrent Sessions
Parking – The First and Last Impression of your Downtown – Parking is a visitor’s first and last impression of their downtown experience. It also seems to be what we get the most complaints about. Learn how to discover what that impression is, whether it is perception or reality, and how to make it positive through marketing, management, public/private partnerships and customer service. Nancy Hormann, Hormann & Associates
Street Fairs for Community & Profit – Street fairs raise visibility and awareness, literally putting your Main Street on the map! Learn leadership techniques to build community through events,
create enticing activities that gain publicity, find profit centers and maximize partner and sponsor engagement. This fast-paced presentation includes hands-on tools to develop outlines, timelines, task-lists, marketing and production. Bridget Bayer, Owner, BAM Business Association Management
4:45 p.m. – Daily sessions end
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Opening Reception (included in registration)
Join us for the conference's opening reception at the Ferrantes Bay Room at the top of the Monterey Marriott, 350 Calle Principal. We'll be celebrating the "summer of love" – the Monterey International Pop Festival was the first commercial American rockfestival, held on June 16-18, 1967, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey. The Pop Festival would later become the inspiration and model for subsequent music festivals including the iconic Woodstock Music Festival two years later. Catch up with downtown colleagues and make new friends and contacts at the event. Afterward, have dinner at one of downtown Monterey's fine restaurants.

Friday, February 24
8:00 a.m. –  Registration Opens –  Hotel Pacific, 300 Pacific Street, Monterey
8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
New Ways to Help Businesses to Raise Capital – Main Street managers need to stay current with different options to raise money for businesses, property owners and nonprofits within their districts. Real crowdsourced investment can raise millions! This session will be practical and interactive with many useful examples. Craig Scharton, Fund Manager and Founder, Fulton Street Investors LLC; Rachael Snedecor, Executive Director, Livermore Downtown, Inc.  
30 Low Cost / No Cost Family Activities – Include the whole family in all of your daytime events with the interactive projects presented in this fun, fast paced presentation by the founders of
Exhibits On The Go and Strong Families Equal Strong Towns. Never again wonder how to engage the young at your local events, they will be begging to attend. Frank Del Medico, Exhibits on the Go 
9:45 a.m. – Break
10 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
Managing Your Online Presence – How confident are you that your digital brand matches your in-person brand? You'll learn how to manage your online presence, important trends, how to maximize time and effort, plus get some easy to use tools that can help you put your best foot forward as you navigate the interwebs. Travis Brown, Director of Business Development, Rokusek 
Learning from an Experienced Main Street Program – North Park Main Street in San Diego has seen a dynamic revitalization of its commercial district over the past decade. In this interactive session, you'll learn about their collaborations with the community, partnerships with local government, support from corporations and creative staff ingenuity has transformed this business community. Angela Landsberg, Executive Director, North Park Main Street  
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Ending Plenary Session - Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Irvine Auditorium, 460 Pierce Street, Monterey  “Hope Inspires Vision: Leading Positive Downtown Change” Providing hope to a community is perhaps the greatest contribution community leaders can provide. This presentation unpacks the notion of hope in the context of creating a vision for positive community change. It includes moving stories of leaders who are creating hope by matching their residents' dreams with an inspiring vision and can-do attitude. Dr. David Ivan, Michigan State University, is internationally recognized for his research on successful community change.
12:30 p.m. – Conference ends

Conference session topics and/or speakers are subject to change.  Please check www.camainstreet.org for the current conference schedule.