Special Preview: Vibrant Colorado Downtowns Conference 2016

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NRC's Angelica Wedell met up with the team at Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) to talk about the upcoming Vibrant Colorado Downtowns Conference this September.

“We have our Vibrant Downtowns Conference in Pueblo, September 20-23^rd,” said DCI Executive Director Katherine Correll.  “We’re really excited about our hosts and all of the fabulous things we have going on.”

A hub of Colorado culture, DCI has chosen the City of Pueblo for this year’s annual conference.  “Pueblo is the heart of southern Colorado, and in 2017, DCI is launching our Southern Colorado Leadership Initiative,” said DCI Rural Outreach Specialist Jamie Shapiro.

Correll said downtown areas are vital to communities as gathering places for residents and visitors.  “[The downtown] is the face that you show to your tourists and the home for your locals.  It also is the economic driver for small towns and large,” Correll explained.  “In Colorado, it’s such an important piece of the fabric in showing off the character that makes our state so incredible.”

“We have a whole host of sessions, speakers and workshops at the conference this year,” said Will Cundiff, communications and technology specialist.  Featured speakers include Joe Minicozzi from Urban 3, author Charles Montgomery of Happy City and several others.

“One of our big highlights is our annual Governor’s Awards for Downtown Excellence,” said Caitlin Hale, DCI Membership Manager.  “That’s where we highlight some of the innovative projects, inspiring people and their work to make our state such a vibrant place.”

National Research Center (NRC) is looking forward to speaking at the Vibrant Colorado Downtowns Conference on Wednesday, September 21^st.  Michelle Kobayashi, NRC Vice President, will talk about Using Data to Support Downtown Businesses and Angelica Wedell, NRC Marketing and Business Development Coord., will present the Top Ten Things that Residents Want in Their Communities.

Visit the Downtown Colorado, Inc. website for more information on the Vibrant Colorado Downtowns Conference.   

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