Waterfront park peninsula with gazebo, town buildings, and colorful sunset.

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TUESDAY SCHEDULE

Downtown New Bern is excited to welcome you during the NC Main Street Conference. From scenic waterfront walks to charming historic streets, this is the perfect place to relax and recharge. To make this a week to remember, the community has come together to offer everything from private tours to its most popular improv night, which is sure to give you an evening full of entertainment.

To help you make the most of your visit, a dedicated conference week webpage has been created just for you.

If you are interested in special tours or evening events, please keep in mind that these experiences require a ticket. They fill quickly, so take a moment to reserve your spot today.

Check out the dedicated conference week page and get ready for a great week!

Registration

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Location: Riverfront Convention Center

203 S. Front Street

Toolkit Sessions

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Designed to provide attendees with best practices to build a highly effective

downtown revitalization program and operation.

Benjamin Briggs, President & CEO, Preservation North Carolina 

Charles Halsall, Jr., MSARP, Main Street Program Specialist, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center 

Lisa Rueh, Main Street Grants Administrator, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center

1 | The Art of Crafting
Smart Incentives 

Economic Vitality

Location: Ballroom C, Main Floor | Convention Center

In rural communities, a thriving downtown is more than a destination; it's a symbol of resilience, identity, and future growth. Learn how to craft and manage targeted incentive programs, like building improvement grants, business recruitment packages, and tax tools, that are grounded in your community’s strategic economic development goals. Learn how to align revitalization efforts with broader plans, build public-private partnerships, and avoid common pitfalls. Whether you're just starting or refining an existing program, you'll leave with actionable strategies to spark investment and reinvigorate your rural downtown for the long haul. 

Jennifer Herbert, Downtown Development Director, Town of Wake Forest

Amanda Ronan, Senior Director of Programs, Research Triangle Park

Theresa Thompson, Assistant Planning Director & Downtown Director, Town of Pittsboro

2 | Pop-Ups, Placemaking, and Temporary Activation for Economic Bursts 

Design, Economic Vitality

Location: Grand Ballroom | DoubleTree

Short-term strategies can create long-term impact—especially when it comes to energizing vacant downtown spaces. This session explores creative approaches like pop-up shops, temporary art installations, interactive signage, and placemaking projects that breathe life into underused buildings, lots, and streetscapes. Learn from communities that have sparked economic activity and community pride through temporary activation. Get inspired by memorable examples and discover how to turn empty spaces into opportunities.  

Nicole Bentley, Executive Director, Heart of Brevard 

Debbie Malenfant, Executive Director, Elizabeth City Downtown

Bernadette Peters, Economic Development Director, Town of Sylva 

3 | How to Gracefully Retire an Event: Knowing When and How to Move On   

Promotion

Location: Berne, Upper Floor | Convention Center

Sometimes events run their course, and it’s time to reevaluate their impact or retire them altogether. This session explores when and how to make that transition thoughtfully, including strategies for reorganizing or ending events without alienating your community. Learn how to effectively communicate changes, measure return on investment (ROI), and shift focus toward smaller, more impactful retail or community events that better serve your downtown’s current needs. Gain tools to ensure your event lineup remains fresh, relevant, and sustainable.   

Carly Bostic, Executive Director, Uptown Shelby Association

Ashley Nowell, Business Development Director, Town of Waxhaw

Irene Dumas Tyson, AICP, Associate AIA, Director of Planning, BOUDREAUX

4 | Mapping the Future: Integrating Strong Planning for Downtown

Organization, Design

Location: Ballroom A/B, Main Floor | Convention Center

A strong planning framework, rooted in both a Comprehensive Plan and a Downtown Master Plan, is crucial for guiding short-term and long-term growth, public and private investments, new development, and preservation. This session examines how these plans collaborate to shape your community’s future, with a focus on the distinctive role of downtown. Discover the key elements of community engagement, land use, infrastructure, and economic development. Learn from communities that have recently completed plans and how they’re using them to create and leverage public-private partnerships, build community and political support, attract funding, and align stakeholders towards a common vision. Walk away with actionable steps to start or update plans that reflect your downtown’s identity and your community’s long-term goals for sustained prosperity and vitality. 

Jamie Carpenter, Downtown Manager, City of Hendersonville

Leah Hardesty, Executive Director, Downtown Morehead City, Inc. 

April Spencer, Executive Director, Uptown Roxboro Group 

5 | Creating a ‘Friends of Downtown’ Movement That Matters

Organization

Location: Tryon A/B, Upper Floor | Convention Center

Your Main Street needs more than just helpers- it needs believers, doers, and donors. This session will walk you through building a Friends of Downtown program that turns passive interest into passionate involvement. Whether you're starting from scratch or refreshing an old model, you'll learn how to define your "friends," structure memberships, build real value, and rally support that lasts. This panel will help you walk away with tools, templates, and a game plan to build a strong, sustainable network of supporters who are committed to the long haul. 

Tradeshow

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

During conference week, take the time to visit each exhibitor to learn about products

and services that can help with downtown revitalization and community development efforts.

Location: Riverfront Convention Center

Toolkit Sessions

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Designed to provide attendees with best practices to build a highly effective

downtown revitalization program and operation.

Kista Mansell, AP Assistant Professor, Main Street Fellows Director, Historic Preservation Programs Coordinator, Department of Interior Architecture, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro 

Main Street Fellows

6 | Curb Appeal Counts: The Power of Storefront Design

Design 

Location: Tryon A/B, Upper Floor | Convention Center

Peeling paint? Faded signs? Your storefront might be saying "stay away" when it should say "come on in!" This fun, idea-packed session explores how thoughtful facade design and simple curb appeal upgrades can transform downtown buildings into customer magnets.  This session will cover low-cost improvements, smart design, and creative curb appeal. Walk away with practical tips to get your downtown and businesses noticed, without breaking the bank!

Joy Almond, Main Street Program Specialist, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center

Paige Grochoske, Downtown Development Manager, City of Concord 

Makenzie McGinnis, Main Street Manager, City of Morganton

7 | Retail Promotion Strategies: Driving Downtown Sales and Engagement 

Promotion

Location: Grand Ballroom | DoubleTree

Explore effective retail promotion tactics that energize downtown shopping and support local businesses. This session will highlight a variety of strategies—including Downtown Dollars programs—as tools to boost customer engagement and increase sales. Hear from Main Street communities that have successfully launched and sustained promotional campaigns, sharing lessons learned and best practices. Gain practical ideas to create compelling promotions that attract shoppers and strengthen your downtown retail economy. 

Jason Epley, AICP President, Benchmark Planning, and Executive Director, NCDDA 

Ray Gibbs, PLA, Principal, Gibbs Urban Advisors

8 | Decoding Downtown:
Codes and Ordinances
for Revitalization   

Economic Vitality

Location: Ballroom A/B, Main Floor | Convention Center

Zoning, building codes, and local ordinances can be powerful tools for downtown transformation. This session will break down regulatory barriers and highlight strategies communities are using to attract investment, encourage mixed-use development, and preserve historic character. Learn how Main Street communities are enacting thoughtful code updates that are leveraging economic growth and renewed vitality in downtown districts. 

Sherry B. Adams, CMSM, Main Street Program Manager, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center 

Samantha Darlington, Community Economic Development Planner, NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center

9 | Be Strategic - 
Real Plans for Real Progress 

Organization

Location: Ballroom C, Main Floor | Convention Center

Learn how to move your community from ideas to impact with a focused, achievable economic development plan. This session will guide local leaders, Main Street Directors, and stakeholders through the process of creating a Strategic Economic Development Plan tailored to your community’s assets and opportunities. Attendees will explore best practices for stakeholder engagement, goal setting, and aligning projects with available resources. The session emphasizes creating a practical 12–18 month implementation roadmap that prioritizes high-impact, realistic initiatives to drive visible results. Leave with tools, templates, and confidence to lead your community forward. 

Tasha Sams, Director of Education, Main Street America

10 | The Four Points: A Crash Course Without the Crash 

Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, Organization

Location: Berne, Upper Floor | Convention Center

New to Main Street or just need a refresher? This fast-paced, no-fluff session introduces you to the Basic Four Points courses in the Main Street America Academy - your official entry point to understanding the building blocks of Main Street success.  This session will break down the Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Vitality points in plain language, show you how they work together in real life, and guide you to the Academy course that ties it all together. You’ll leave with a better grasp of what makes the Main Street Approach® tick and how it will help you and your community leverage growth, quality of life, and investment! 

Tradeshow / Lunch on Your Own

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

During conference week, take the time to visit each exhibitor to learn about products

and services that can help with downtown revitalization and community development efforts.

Location: Riverfront Convention Center & Downtown New Bern

Opening Remarks

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Liz Parham, Director

NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center

Location: Ballroom A/B, Main Floor | Convention Center

Keynote Address

2:30 PM - 3:15 PM

Strong Communities Begin Downtown

Resilient, prosperous communities start with strong downtowns. This session explores how Main Street revitalization and Strong Towns principles work together to build financially sustainable, people-centered places. Learn how small, incremental changes in your downtown can yield big returns—supporting local businesses, reducing liabilities, and strengthening community connections.  Whether you're a civic leader, planner, or community advocate, this keynote will give you practical tools and inspiring examples to help your downtown lead the way toward a stronger future. 

Edward Erfurt

Chief Technical Advisor, Strong Towns

Location:

Ballroom A/B, Main Floor | Convention Center

Break

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM

Keynote Address

3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

The Economics of a City and the Power of Downtowns! 

In the effort to build strong downtowns, we often hear familiar counterarguments: 

“People like driving.” 
“No one wants to park two blocks from their destination.” 
“Suburbs exist because that’s how people prefer to live.” 

So how do we respond? With math! 

Joe Minicozzi, founder of Urban3, will break down the true costs of sprawl-highways, subdivisions, and big-box stores - and show why the numbers don’t add up. Attendees will learn how to use this data to shift conversations with local leaders and make a compelling case for the economic power of downtowns. 

Joe Minicozzi, AICP

Founder & Principal, Urban3 

Location:

Ballroom A/B, Main Floor | Convention Center

Plenary

4:15 PM - 4:45 PM

A Community Conversation:

Moderated by Assistant Secretary Reginald Speight,

with Edward Erfurt and Joe Minicozzi

Dollars & Density: Unpacking the Price of Place

Join Strong Towns and Urban3 for a provocative conversation on the hidden math behind how we build our communities - and who really pays. Moderated by NC Commerce Assistant Secretary Reginald Speight, this session dives into the economics of land use, infrastructure, and the fiscal traps cities fall into when growth outpaces value. Expect sharp insights, hard truths, and a challenge to rethink everything you thought you knew about development. 

Edward Erfurt, Chief Technical Advisor, Strong Towns

Joe Minicozzi, AICP, Founder & Principal, Urban3 

Reginald Speight, Assistant Secretary for Rural Economic Development, N.C. Department of Commerce

Location:

Ballroom A/B, Main Floor | Convention Center

Break
4:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Welcome Reception with Exhibitor
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location: Riverfront Convention Center

Dinner on Your Own

6:30 PM

Location: Downtown New Bern

Tuesday at a Glance

Day	Start	End	Description	Location
Tues	8:00	5:30	Registration	Convention Center
Tues	9:30	10:30	TK #1 \| The Art of Crafting Smart Incentives	Ballroom C - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	9:30	10:30	TK #2 \| Pop-Ups, Placemaking, and Temporary Activation for Economic Bursts	DoubleTree - Grand Ballroom
Tues	9:30	10:30	TK #3 \| How to Gracefully Retire an Event: Knowing When and How to Move On	Berne - Upper Floor - Convention Center
Tues	9:30	10:30	TK #4 \| Mapping the Future: Integrating Strong Planning for Downtown	Ballroom A/B - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	9:30	10:30	TK #5 \| Creating a ‘Friends of Downtown’ Movement That Matters	Tryon A/B - Upper Floor - Convention Center
Tues	10:30	11:00	Tradeshow	Convention Center
Tues	11:00	12:00	TK #6 \| Curb Appeal Counts: The Power of Storefront Design	Tryon A/B - Upper Floor - Convention Center
Tues	11:00	12:00	TK #7 \| Retail Promotion Strategies: Driving Downtown Sales and Engagement	DoubleTree - Grand Ballroom
Tues	11:00	12:00	TK #8 \| DeCoding Downtown: Codes and Ordinances for Revitalization	Ballroom A/B - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	11:00	12:00	TK #9 \| Be Strategic – Real Plans for Real Progress	Ballroom C - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	11:00	12:00	TK #10 \| The Four Points: A Crash Course Without the Crash	Berne - Upper Floor - Convention Center
Tues	12:00	2:00	Tradeshow / Lunch on You Own	Convention Center / Downtown New Bern
Tues	2:00	2:30	Opening Remarks	Ballroom A/B - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	2:30	3:15	Keynote \| Strong Communities Begin Downtown	Ballroom A/B - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	3:15	3:30	Break	Convention Center
Tues	3:30	4:15	Keynote \| The Economics of a City and the Power of Downtowns!	Ballroom A/B - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	4:15	4:45	Plenary \| Dollars & Density: Unpacking the Price of Place, A Community Conversation	Ballroom A/B - Main Floor - Convention Center
Tues	4:45	5:00	Break	Convention Center
Tues	5:00	6:30	Welcome Reception with Exhibitors	Convention Center
Tues	6:30		Dinner on Your Own	Downtown New Bern

Thank You to our Conference Partners

2026 Exhibitors & Sponsors

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Thank You To Our Heritage Sponsors

TUESDAY SCHEDULE

Registration

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Toolkit Sessions

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

1 | The Art of Crafting Smart Incentives

2 | Pop-Ups, Placemaking, and Temporary Activation for Economic Bursts

3 | How to Gracefully Retire an Event: Knowing When and How to Move On

4 | Mapping the Future: Integrating Strong Planning for Downtown

5 | Creating a ‘Friends of Downtown’ Movement That Matters

Tradeshow

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM​

​

Toolkit Sessions

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

6 | Curb Appeal Counts: The Power of Storefront Design

7 | Retail Promotion Strategies: Driving Downtown Sales and Engagement

8 | Decoding Downtown: Codes and Ordinances for Revitalization

9 | Be Strategic - Real Plans for Real Progress

10 | The Four Points: A Crash Course Without the Crash

Tradeshow / Lunch on Your Own

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

​

Opening Remarks

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Keynote Address

2:30 PM - 3:15 PM

Strong Communities Begin Downtown

Break

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM​​

Keynote Address

3:30 PM - 4:15 PM​

The Economics of a City and the Power of Downtowns!

Plenary

4:15 PM - 4:45 PM

A Community Conversation:

Moderated by Assistant Secretary Reginald Speight,

with Edward Erfurt and Joe Minicozzi ​

​

Dollars & Density: Unpacking the Price of Place

Break 4:45 PM - 5:00 PM ​​

Welcome Reception with Exhibitor 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM Location: Riverfront Convention Center ​​​

Dinner on Your Own

6:30 PM

Location: Downtown New Bern​​​

​

Tuesday at a Glance

Thank You to our Conference Partners

Thank You To Our Heritage Sponsors

2026 Heritage Sponsor

2026 Heritage Sponsor

2026 Heritage Sponsor

2026 Heritage Sponsor

1 | The Art of Crafting
Smart Incentives 

2 | Pop-Ups, Placemaking, and Temporary Activation for Economic Bursts 

3 | How to Gracefully Retire an Event: Knowing When and How to Move On   

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

7 | Retail Promotion Strategies: Driving Downtown Sales and Engagement 

8 | Decoding Downtown:
Codes and Ordinances
for Revitalization   

9 | Be Strategic - 
Real Plans for Real Progress 

10 | The Four Points: A Crash Course Without the Crash 

3:15 PM - 3:30 PM

3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

The Economics of a City and the Power of Downtowns! 

with Edward Erfurt and Joe Minicozzi

Break
4:45 PM - 5:00 PM

Welcome Reception with Exhibitor
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location: Riverfront Convention Center

Location: Downtown New Bern

2026
Heritage Sponsor

2026
Heritage Sponsor

2026
Heritage Sponsor

2026
Heritage Sponsor