The National Main Streets Conference is the premiere conference on commercial district revitalization. Small and rural towns, suburban-ring communities, large and midsized cities, and urban neighborhood business districts can all benefit from the ideas, solutions, issues, and networking opportunities this conference has to offer.

Chicago, Illinois, will host the 2009 National Main Streets Conference on March 1 – 4, 2009, where we will emphasize the opportunities technology offers Main Street programs. In addition to sessions focused on innovative technology and web-based solutions to running a revitalization organization and building a vibrant commercial district, attendees will find sessions and mobile workshops that explore successful strategies in applying the Main Street Four-Point Approach™.

What are the tech tools Main Street programs need to succeed in the 21st century?
The 2009 conference will focus on the use of technology to implement all four points of the Main Street approach. How do you use new technologies to manage your program and engage your constituents? What is social networking and how does it apply to Main Street? How can you get your local businesses to take advantage of e-commerce? How do you recruit volunteers online? From “MySpace” to office systems, Main Street conference attendees will find basic technology solutions for managing financial records better as well as more advanced strategies and new technologies that can take their revitalization program to the next level.

About the conference:
What does the conference offer you?
People from small and rural towns, suburban communities, large and midsized cities, and urban neighborhood business districts can all benefit from ideas, solutions, issue discussion, and networking opportunities that only we offer.

• Four full days of learning and networking opportunities;
• Day-long Main Street Four-Point Approach™ training;
• Mobil workshops where attendees learn from revitalization successes in our host city and surrounding Main Street communities;
• Expo Hall filled with product and service providers specializing in commercial district revitalization; and
• Opportunities to network with colleagues who are experiencing similar successes and challenges in their communities.