Tying In To Downtown Events: Ideas to Help Your Merchants

Tying In To Downtown Tying In To Downtown Events: Ideas to Help Your Events: Ideas to Help Your

MerchantsMerchants

Presented by

Todd Noon, Executive Director

Main Street Vineland, NJ

Competition is Tough…Competition is Tough…

Be Smart!Be Smart!

Do Your Downtown Business Do Your Downtown Business Owners….Owners….

fight you when you want to close the street fight you when you want to close the street for a special event?for a special event?

view special events as an inconvenience view special events as an inconvenience rather than an opportunity?rather than an opportunity?

close for business during a special event?close for business during a special event? complain that special events hurt their complain that special events hurt their

business?business?

The Bad News is….The Bad News is….

Your downtown, just like mine and just like Your downtown, just like mine and just like almost every other downtown across the almost every other downtown across the nation, is filled with merchants who arenation, is filled with merchants who are

““BUSINESS PREVENTION BUSINESS PREVENTION EXPERTS”EXPERTS”

Vineland’s Business Vineland’s Business Prevention LowlightsPrevention Lowlights



The Good News is….The Good News is….

By the end of this session, you’ll have lots of By the end of this session, you’ll have lots of ideas to put into action.ideas to put into action.

Ideas that will help your business owners Ideas that will help your business owners get get “more through the door”“more through the door” when there when there

are lots of are lots of “feet on the street.”“feet on the street.”

““Welcome to Downtown Vineland. Welcome to Downtown Vineland. Now Get Out!”Now Get Out!”

Meet Al.Meet Al.

Al hated Main Street.Al hated Main Street.

No one knew why.No one knew why.

Frankly, we wereFrankly, we were

scared of Al. scared of Al.


This is Jeannine This is Jeannine MacDonald, our ER MacDonald, our ER Committee Chair.Committee Chair.

This is Vineland This is Vineland Mayor Robert Mayor Robert Romano.Romano.


Today, Al is happy.Today, Al is happy.

Well, happier.Well, happier.

So what’s the moral ofSo what’s the moral of

the story?the story?


Meet Brian.Meet Brian.

Brian is on the MainBrian is on the MainStreet Vineland BoardStreet Vineland Boardof Directors.of Directors.

Brian Brian hatedhated downtown downtownevents (we thought).events (we thought).


Downtown Vineland Downtown Vineland Seafood FestivalSeafood Festival

Held in mid-JulyHeld in mid-July

Brings about 4,000Brings about 4,000 people to a 1-blockpeople to a 1-blockarea over 4 hoursarea over 4 hours


SeafoodSeafoodandand

Shoes?Shoes?

No way!No way!


SeafoodSeafood

andand

Shoes?Shoes?

Way!Way!

““Welcome to Downtown Vineland. Welcome to Downtown Vineland. We’re Glad You’re Here!”We’re Glad You’re Here!”

Why Special Events are ImportantWhy Special Events are Important

Reason 1: OpportunityReason 1: Opportunity

Reason 2: Residual businessReason 2: Residual business

Reason 3: DestinationReason 3: Destination

Do Events That Make SenseDo Events That Make Sense

Show the Value of Your Main Show the Value of Your Main Street ProgramStreet Program

Pre-Event IdeasPre-Event Ideas

““Plant the Seed”Plant the Seed”

Print fliersPrint fliers

Work a contact listWork a contact list

More Pre-Event IdeasMore Pre-Event Ideas

Prepare couponsPrepare coupons

Set up cross-Set up cross-promotionspromotions

Send press releasesSend press releases

Day-of-the-Event IdeasDay-of-the-Event Ideas

Make sure Make sure businesses remain businesses remain openopen

Have a sidewalk saleHave a sidewalk sale

Have a special in-Have a special in-store salestore sale

More Day-of-the-Event IdeasMore Day-of-the-Event Ideas

Have a special in-Have a special in-store conteststore contest

Offer “Just Looking” Offer “Just Looking” couponscoupons


Hold customers’ Hold customers’ packagespackages

Have an open house Have an open house or in-store demoor in-store demo

Modify your service Modify your service and call it something and call it something else for the dayelse for the day


Watch the “curb Watch the “curb appeal”appeal”

Build your mailing listBuild your mailing list

Sometimes simple Sometimes simple worksworks

Sometimes Simple WorksSometimes Simple Works

Meet Frank and Lynn Meet Frank and Lynn MartiniMartini

Owner of Martini Owner of Martini ShoesShoes

90 years in business…90 years in business…

And still changing with And still changing with the times the times

After-Event IdeasAfter-Event Ideas

Follow upFollow up

Stay in contactStay in contact

Be part of planning Be part of planning other eventsother events

More After-Event IdeasMore After-Event Ideas

Don’t give upDon’t give up

Start working your Start working your pre-event ideas againpre-event ideas again

The Time Circle of an EventThe Time Circle of an Event

Day-of-event ideas

After-event ideas

Pre-event ideas

Pre-event ideas lead to Pre-event ideas lead to

Day-of-event ideas, which Day-of-event ideas, which lead to lead to

After-event ideas, which After-event ideas, which lead tolead to

Pre-event ideas, which Pre-event ideas, which lead to….lead to….

Points to RememberPoints to Remember

Get them to stop fighting you by Get them to stop fighting you by addressing their problemsaddressing their problems

Build on that successBuild on that success Your merchants may not know how they Your merchants may not know how they

can tie in to special events. Help them.can tie in to special events. Help them. Events are on a time circle, not a timelineEvents are on a time circle, not a timeline Any business, regardless of the product or Any business, regardless of the product or

service it sells, can effectively tie in to service it sells, can effectively tie in to special events.special events.

Now for our Now for our “Kumbayah” “Kumbayah”

Moment: Let’s ShareMoment: Let’s Share

What are some of your ideas for What are some of your ideas for tying in to downtown special tying in to downtown special

events?events?