Schedule
Sunday, June 26th
Registration opens at the Hilton Harrisburg @ 12 noon
Classroom sessions at the Hilton Harrisburg:
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Community Revitalization 101: Free workshop
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Leadership Forum for program organization board and committee members
Mobile Tours (registration required):
12:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Capital Greenbelt Bike Tour (with options to rent a bike or e-bike)
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. | The Natural Features & Historic Factors That Have Created a Livable & Walkable Downtown Walking Tour
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. | Public Art, Renovation & Utilization of Unused Spaces Walking Tour Sponsored by WCI Partners
PDC Welcome Event
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Welcome Event | Ain’t Just Milling Around: The Millworks Historic Rehabilitation along with an Urban Picnic (join the 4:00 pm tour and walk from hotel, or transportation provided) Sponsored by Gina M. Douty Historic Preservation Consulting
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. | Midtown Scholar presents Michelle Wilde Anderson, “The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America”
Monday, June 27th
8:00 – 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast & Host City Welcome at Hilton Harrisburg
Classroom sessions at Hilton Harrisburg & Tours:
9:45 to 11:45 a.m.
- Mobile tour | Downtown Bike/Ped Infrastructure with a Walking Audit Overview of Pedestrian Safety & Accessibility (walking tour leaving from hotel)
- How to Prepare a DCED Single Application for Program Funding
- Nature-Based Placemaking & Outdoor Towns – Revitalization through Natural Asset-Based Economic Development
- Re-growing the Pedestrian Grid + Other programs (Designing for Distance)
- Strategic Economic Development for Main Street Organizations
Visit Vendor Marketplace
12:15 – 2:00 p.m. | Lunch & Opening Keynote – Garry Gilliam presents “Investing in Urban Communities is Key to Achieving Sustainability Targets”
2:15 to 3:30 p.m.
- Mobile tour | The Bridge Ecovillage (departs Hilton at 2:00)
- Advantages of Active Transportation
- Enhancing Downtowns-One Element at a Time
- Catalysts for Downtown Enhancement
- Simple Marketing & Content Plan for Main Streets & Downtown Associations
3:45 to 5:00 p.m.
- Mobile tour | SoMA Neighborhood (Walking tour departs Hilton at 4:00 p.m. and arrives at Block Party evening event)
- Experimental Pop-ups: Testing Street Redesign via Tactical Urbanism
- Leveraging the Fringe: Downtown Vitality & Outward Connections
- Inspiring Storefronts & Vibrant Downtown Places
- The Stourbridge Project & Greater Honesdale Partnership: Rural Incubator
Host City Welcome Event
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Welcome Event | International House Block Party Sponsored by Harristown Development
Tuesday, June 28th
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast & DEI Panel on Minority-Owned Businesses
9:00 – 9:30 a.m. | Visit vendors
Classroom sessions at Hilton Harrisburg & Tours:
9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
- Mobile Tour | Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg
- Mobile Tour | Raingarden & Stormwater Management Tour
- Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
- A Living Downtown…Harristown: The Next Chapter
- Feeding the HUMAN Machine
- Gradual Groundwork: 40 Years & Counting
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- Marketing Hometown American: Exploring a Community’s Potential for Attracting New Residents
- Brownfields on Main Street
- SBDC & Main Street Collaboration
- Off the Beaten Path
Lunch on own: Explore the city!
Classroom sessions at Hilton Harrisburg:
1:30 to 2:45 p.m.
- DCED Manager’s Meeting and PDC Updates*
- Small Scale Revitalization: Balancing Cost, Codes, & Preservation
- Building Better Bus Stops
3:00 to 4:15 p.m.
- DCED Manager’s Meeting and PDC Updates (cont’d)*
- Property Activation Process
- Who Are We Really? A Practical Model for Building a Community Brand
Visit Vendors/Networking/Free Time
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Townie Awards Reception
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Townie Awards Gala Registration required
*Required for DCED designated Keystone Communities Program managers and for PDC Recognized program members seeking national accreditation with the National Main Street Center.
Wednesday, June 29th
8:00 – 9:15 a.m. | Breakfast & Closing Keynote | Philip J. Merrill presents “Telling the Fuller Story”
Lightning Round sessions at Hilton Harrisburg:
9:30 to 10:15 a.m.
- Turning Supporters into Donors
- Retail Trends
- Discover, Promote, Protect: PA-SHARE
10:15 – 11:00 a.m.
- Creating New & Innovative Partnerships
- The Fuller Story Continued with Philip J. Merrill
- Attracting Visitors with Recreation-Based Events
11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
- Boosting Net Income of Fundraising Events
- Fostering Public/Private Partnerships
- Hollywood on Main
12:00 – 1:30 p.m. | Closing Luncheon featuring the Gubernatorial Candidates