2022 Oregon Main Street Conference
Engage - Inspire - Empower
Photo credit: Kamrin Nielsen
October 5-7, Klamath Falls
Through inspired leadership, our main street programs throughout the Oregon are helping to sustain and enhance the vitality of traditional commercial districts. The 2022 Oregon Main Street Conference is a great way to look at the “big picture” of why our main street districts are so incredibly important to the health and well-being of local communities – physically, economically, and socially.
Our conference theme this year is Engage, Inspire, Empower which reflects the goals of our Oregon Main Street communities to engage people from all walks for life, inspire their communities towards revitalization, and empower leaders to make a difference.
Sessions cover a variety of topics for both beginners and those with experience. The format includes keynotes, interactive workshops, and networking time. Join us for this very special, one-of-a-kind conference!
Registration is now open!
Opening Keynote - John Stover
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Jon Stover & Associates (JS&A) is an Economic Development Consulting firm specializing in place-based economic development. JS&A has worked with Main Street America™ as well as local Main Streets and Coordinating Programs across the country in quantifying the impacts and value Main Streets bring to the economy and community. In this special presentation Jon will share the results of the recently complete Oregon Main Street Impact Analysis. The report highlights the success of the Oregon Main Street network through qualitative stories of how the network preserves, sustains, and enhances communities and the quantitative impacts this success has brought to the state's economy. In doing so, this report serves as a tool for both Oregon Main Street, local programs, and state partners to better communicate the many ways in which Main Streets generate value and play a pivotal role in your communities.
Main Idea Plenary: Andrew Howard
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Your town has all the talent and resources to be vibrant, it may just need an invitation for people to get engaged. Andrew will bring examples of how Better Block projects and other quick-build actions have revitalized communities from Sidney Australia to Bethel, Vermont. Be aware this keynote has led to people painting their own bike lanes, setting up pop-up shops and converting parking spaces to parklets.
Andrew Howard is internationally respected for his people focused design approach and rapid-implementation strategies that are being replicated around the world.
Howard’s overarching goal is to equip new leaders to take action in their communities. His simple three step method of give it a name, set a date and blackmail yourself into action has helped transform neighborhoods from blighted to thriving.
Before becoming a rabble rouser, Howard was a transportation planner at Kimley-Horn and Associates and the Houston-Galveston Area Council. He holds a Bachelor of Geography degree from Texas A&M University and is a Loeb Fellow of the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Some session highlights:
- James Rojas with Place It! just co-wrote a book about inclusive community engagement processes, “Dream Play Build:Hands-On Community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places." The book combines art, creative expression, and storytelling to shake up community meetings and get people previously underrepresented or unrepresented in planning processes engaged.
- Keynote speaker Andrew Howard with Team Better Block will do a deep dive into his simple three step
method of give it a name, set a date and blackmail yourself into action has
helped transform neighborhoods from blighted to thriving.
- Assistant Attorney General Susan Bower with the Charitable Activities Section of the Oregon Department of Justice will walk us through understanding the roles, responsibilities, and legal duties of a nonprofit board critical to its success in carrying out its important mission. This session will provide an overview of board governance while also honing in on the financial responsibilities of the board. With the influx of COVID-19 recovery funds combined with remote meetings, finances may see hard to keep track of and manage but it is more important than ever to put some systems and processes in place to manage your nonprofit’s finances. Learn about financial controls that small nonprofit organizations can put in place in order to be compliant but also to be more effective.
See the conference schedule at a glance and session descriptions.
Registration is now open!
Register Here
Lodging information can be found on the registration page.
We will conclude the 2022 Main Street Conference with the Oregon Main Street “Open Door" Pitch Contest. Our Oregon Main Street Network organizations help create inclusive and welcoming environments that make all feel that they belong and are invited into the community. Come hear from local organizations about a project or idea on their work plan to make their downtown or organization more welcoming but haven't been able to move forward due to a lack of funding resources. You can help us select the organization who will walk away with $5,000 to implement their dream project!
Round 1 – Idea submission due by Thursday, September 1, 2022, 5:00 p.m. Click Here to apply.
We are looking forward to gathering together in person for the Oregon Main Street Conference in Klamath Falls! Oregon Main Street has been paying close attention to the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and have set some precautions in place for the safety of all who attend.
We ask that you do not attend the Conference if within the 5 days prior to the conference:
You have been experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including:
- A fever of 100.4°F or higher.
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Respiratory Illness or difficulty breathing
- Loss of taste or smell
- You tested positive for COVID-19
Should you need to cancel your registration for these reasons we will be happy to refund your registration costs. If at any point during the conference you begin to feel symptoms we ask that you leave for the duration.
Masks, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies will be available for your use. We are working to ensure that there is adequate space to spread out. In addition, we ask that you respect others right to space and ask before going for that hug or handshake.
Our hope is to provide a safe and welcoming experience for our attendees. We know that Oregon Main Streeters care for one another and our communities. We ask that you give grace to one another as we navigate this time of uncertainty.