2021 Main Street Now Conference - Main Street America

Main Street Now 2021

Renew. Recharge. Reimagine.

Join us April 12-14 as we go virtual for the 2021 Main Street Now Conference! With three days of immersive online content and networking opportunities, the conference will provide us with the opportunity to reflect on how the events of the past year have changed our work and how we can rebuild stronger, more equitable Main Streets for the future. You’ll hear from national thought leaders, leading Main Street experts, and local practitioners on strategies for strengthening your organization, supporting your small businesses, telling your story, and so much more.

Registration

Registration is now open! View FAQs here. Early bird rates (closing on March 22 at 11:59pm CDT) are listed below.

REGISTER >

Main Street America Member	$99
Non-Member	$149
Civic Leader	$50
Student	$50
Small Business	$25*
Exhibitor Member	$699
Exhibitor Non-Member	$999

*Limited access to Small Business Day content and special plenaries only. Small businesses located in a Main Street America or UrbanMain district are eligible for free registration to the conference’s small business content. Contact your local director contact for the coupon code.

Registering a group? Main Street America members are eligible for a discounted rate of $75/person for groups of 5 or more attendees representing the same organization.

Sponsorship

Sponsoring the Main Street Now Conference is a highly visible, cost-effective way to reach community leaders and partners as they foster new ideas and solutions for preservation-based revitalization.

View prospectus here. Please contact Katie Eckstein at keckstein@savingplaces.org for more details.

Exhibit Hall

The 2021 Main Street Now Conference will feature a virtual exhibit hall. Exhibitor booths have lead retrieval capabilities and will be fully customizable in terms of text, graphics, and materials. All exhibitors will also have a dedicated Zoom meeting room to interact with attendees. For more information on exhibiting, please contact Steve Amraen at samraen@savingplaces.org.

What You'll Learn

Main Street Now 2021 programming will be focused around a number of major themes including:

Recovery and Resilience: The pandemic has had immense impacts on all aspects of Main Street revitalization work. The conference will directly address the ways in which our communities can rebuild stronger, resilient, and more equitable local economies.
Equity and Inclusion: Main Street Now 2021 will feature a series of education sessions and keynotes on the topics of antiracism, equity, and inclusion on Main Street; community wealth-building; and supporting traditionally underserved populations.
Small Business and Entrepreneurship: For the first time, Main Street Now will host “Small Business Day” on the second day of the conference, inviting small business owners to join us for sessions and workshops offering real time solutions as they look ahead to recovery. Other conference content will address ways in which communities can better support, retain, and recruit entrepreneurs. Learn more.

The Experience

Main Street Now 2021 will offer a range of ways to engage:

Listen & Learn (Main Idea General Sessions, Education Sessions, and Tactical Solution Sessions)
Participate & Share (Mini-workshops, Q&As with speakers and participants)
Engage & Connect (Networking Events, Celebratory Events, Virtual Expo Hall)

Schedule at a Glance

Below is a broad overview of the 2021 Main Street Now Conference schedule. A more detailed schedule will be forthcoming with session descriptions and additional events and opportunities. Please note that session times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time.

Attendees can look forward to the following:

Our content addresses the broad range of issues that impact Main Street, including community economic development, placemaking and design, marketing and promotions, organizational development and capacity building, and more. A detailed schedule will be coming soon.
As a participant, you will have the opportunity to interact with peers across the country in educational sessions and networking events.
The majority of session content along with supplemental materials will be available for one year following the conference. Participants are encouraged to return to the materials as you develop strategies and workplans to navigate the next stages of pandemic response.

Our attendees hail from commercial corridors in the largest cities to Main Streets in some of America’s smallest towns, and everywhere in between. Our content will directly address the experience and perspectives of:

Main Street program staff, volunteers, and board members
Small Business Owners
Civic Leaders (elected officials and municipal staff)
Economic Development Practitioners
Historic Preservation Professionals
Urban Planners and Architects (CEUs anticipated available for AIA/AICP members)