Schedule


Schedule At-a-Glance

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

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