The Largest Statewide Downtown Revitalization Conference in the Nation Will Meet In-Person in 2023
From North Carolina Department of Commerce
The 2023 North Carolina Main Street Conference is bringing community and economic development leaders back together in-person March 14-16 in downtown Statesville. The three-day annual conference, which is organized by the North Carolina Department of Commerce and its N.C. Main Street and Rural Planning Center, explores downtown revitalization and economic development strategies.
This year’s conference theme, “Trek on Down to Main Street”, will focus on creating strong and healthy downtown destinations that provide the daily needs and indulgences for its residents, businesses, and tourists. Each Main Street program, along with its stakeholders and partners, are creating activities and physical enhancements to develop and grow its central business districts.
The Year of the Trail
The N.C. Main Street Conference will also join the statewide celebration of the Year of the Trail, a travel and tourism initiative that promotes North Carolina’s outdoor recreation industry and its stunning natural assets. Main Street communities from across the state are creating pedestrian and bicycle-friendly downtown districts that connect businesses, neighborhoods, and city, county, and state trail systems to encourage residents and visitors to trek on down to Main Street.
This year’s conference will feature the following keynote speakers:
- Brent Leggs, Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and Senior Vice President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Brandi Horton, Vice President of Communications for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
- Phil Eich, Founder of Storyville.
Leggs will discuss the power of community preservation, while Horton will present on leveraging outdoor infrastructure for thriving downtowns on Tuesday, March 14. On Wednesday, March 15, Eich will begin the conference with a keynote on the art of community storytelling.
In addition to the keynotes, a plenary session is will be led by Dr. Matthew Wagner, Main Street America’s Chief Program Officer, who will lead a presentation on activating third places for customer engagement. The conference will include eight toolkit sessions and 15 breakout sessions on March 14-15, that cover a wide range of downtown revitalization topics, and six tours of downtown Statesville on March 15-16, for first-hand look at the Main Street community’s vibrancy.
The annual North Carolina Main Street Awards Dinner and Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, March 15 and the Main Street Champions Recognition Ceremony will be held on Thursday, March 16. These two events recognize outstanding projects completed in Main Street downtowns throughout the state and honor individuals dedicated to making their downtowns thriving places.
Early bird pricing for the conference ends Feb. 17. For more information or to register, visit the N.C. Main Street Conference website.
