2021 VIRTUAL NC Main Street Conference

March 9-11, 2021

Join Us As A Sponsor and/or Virtual Tradeshow Exhibitor

The North Carolina economy has shifted and changed over the past three decades, leaving many communities struggling to regain their footing in the current market. Toss in a worldwide pandemic and you have a multitude of new challenges facing our communities and downtowns.  Our downtowns are resilient.  Community leaders understand that economic success can be found by embracing their authentic assets. Community assets come in many forms, such as cultural, institutional, governmental, community and human, natural, and recreational, and economic assets. These assets define strategic economic development directions that help communities focus and prioritize the projects that are important. When those projects are exceptional, they provide the perfect pitch that attracts consumers, entrepreneurs, and developers to their communities. 

The Main Street America™ Four-Point Approach® serves as the accompaniment to asset based economic development strategies. Economic Vitality, Organization, Design and Promotion initiatives are the melody that brings the strategy to life. Art partnerships and cultural amenities, trails that connect people to our downtowns, high quality curb appeal, local foods, and spirits and much more, are spurring renewed interest in downtown and its buildings and businesses.

This year the North Carolina Main Street conference will be held virtually, but remains the state’s largest downtown revitalization event, offering learning sessions and connecting with experts in their fields though our virtual tradeshow times.  We have contracted with a NC Based Virtual Events Company to manage the 2021 NC Main Street.  Since 1995, they have provided the conference and trade-show industry with proven technologies designed to improve and simplify every event. With unrivaled customer support, global reach, and an eye on innovation, they have powered over 12,000 events around the world. 

Although we will not have physical “booths”, our sponsors and exhibitors will be able to have zoom rooms where participants enter into your room, where they can be right in front of you … just like at the conference!   We are THRILLED with the online platform we will be using and feel that once you take a look at the tech sheet, you will see that you will obtain the same level of exposure that you have from our past conferences. 

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A few facts about the virtual conference:

• Our primary audience is downtown professionals, municipal elected officials, and their staff, property and business owners, downtown revitalization volunteers and other professionals interested in downtown development. 

• The conference is our major educational event and is the only downtown revitalization conference held in our state. It attracts approximately 700 attendees annually. 

• Typically, more than 140 communities from across the state and of all sizes are represented. Often, we have registrants from neighboring states.

• Many of our attendees are on restricted budgets and this is the one event that they plan on attending because of its educational and networking value. Our partners help us to produce a high-quality event at a reasonable cost for our attendees. 

• In 2021 we have reduced the cost of the conference.  We will encourage MORE people to attend, because now more than ever before … our communities need A LOT of people willing to roll up their sleeves and help sustain their downtown.

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