Knowledge Center
Marketing, Communications and Events
Place managers narrate and communicate the identity and outward facing mission of the place to residents, tourists, businesses, and other stakeholder groups, thereby communicating the place’s unique brand. By expressing the identity of the place, the brand should invoke a sense of place, leaving individuals with the intangible feelings that one gets when engaging with the authenticity of the place.
The brand is used to market the place to these various stakeholder groups, attracting and inviting them to live, work, play and invest in the place. A diversity of tactics are used to market a place ranging from events, messaging, online engagement, street-level activation and more.
Downtown Houston’s Top 20
The Top 20 Agenda for Action’s purpose is to achieve consensus, accountability and broad support for key organizational priorities. Its development begins with annual budgeting and strategic planning, while its relevancy is sustained through robust engagement and commitment all year.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Coliseum Central Sensory Activation Vehicle Initiative
Many individuals with invisible disabilities and sensory impairments are often excluded from festivals and events due to lack of accommodation. This exclusion prevents these individuals and their families from enjoying these community gatherings. To address this issue, Coliseum Central sought to purchase a branded Sensory Activation Vehicle (SAV) to create a more inclusive environment at such events.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Michael Robbins Master Talk
Michael Robbins is a social entrepreneur and cross-sector leader with more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of education, digital transformation and civil society. His work building citywide human-digital learning ecosystems revealed a revolutionary pathway for human-centric artificial intelligence and representative governance of the real-world metaverse—an emerging civic realm he calls Spatia. A former senior official in the Obama administration, Michael
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Big Deals: When Global Events Come to Local Downtowns
Large-scale events, such as international sporting competitions and national music festivals, are highly sought after for their potential to drive tourism, stimulate economic growth, increase jobs and spur infrastructure improvements. For downtown districts, these events present a unique opportunity to ensure that catalytic moments translate into long-term neighborhood prosperity.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Elevating University Districts and Partnerships Through Special Events
Colleges and BIDs often operate as distinct ecosystems, but rich with opportunities to experiment. These areas also host major institutions that can serve as powerful partners, or present unique challenges, when it comes to supporting commercial districts. This session explored how UPMOs can rally small businesses and stakeholders to participate in large-scale events that celebrate the character and strengths of their communities.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Launching and Elevating a Place Brand
Drawing on over a dozen brand launches nationwide, this session offers case studies and deep dives into place brands across various urban areas and sizes. Attendees will learn best practices, with a strong emphasis on community engagement through real-life examples.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Big Wins, Tight Budgets: Tackling Event Challenges
UPMO marketing and event teams are often the driving force behind increased foot traffic and local spending-a challenging responsibility when navigating limited resources, sprawling districts and shrinking budgets. But it’s these very challenges that spark innovation and fuel creativity. Learn from three districts that faced these challenges and overcame the odds to thrive and grow.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Harnessing Connections & AI for Authentic Hyper-Local Marketing
Want to transform your district with marketing that truly connects? This presentation is all about creating authentic connections that resonate with residents, businesses and visitors. Be inspired by successful hyper-local campaigns, community ambassadors, and interactive events that bring vibrancy to neighborhoods.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Breaking News – Navigating Media Relations
As downtowns and city centers continue to face perception challenges post-pandemic, the media is essential to addressing the way people see our cities – and that’s not always easy. Understand how to develop a proactive media relations strategy encompassing pitching, relationship building, story ownership, champion cultivation and positioning your organization as the go-to source for data.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
Tempe Blooms — A Flowerful Experience
Tempe Blooms continues as an annual event developed to support merchants and ratepayers by driving an influx of foot traffic and providing opportunities for local micro-businesses to engage the public with a placemaking takeover of our downtown. The event radically reimagines the downtown footprint with a profusion of flowers, custom-designed floral installations, floral artworks, music and bands, roaming street performers and botanically inspired specials offered by downtown merchants.
We’d love for you to see this member-only resource to help make a difference in your district. Make sure you are logged in or join IDA to learn more about how members get sh*t done!
