Do you have an idea for a new Main Street revitalization project idea you would like to start?  Are you positive it’s something that will be a slam-dunk success? Then you won’t want to miss Virginia Main Street’s first annual Main Street Idea Pitch! competition.

Main Street Idea Pitch! is a downtown revitalization idea competition during Virginia Main Street’s Downtown Intersections multi-day training, July 16-18, 2018, Harrisonburg (registration open soon). It is an opportunity to win a $5,000 grant award to implement the idea. Presenter applications are due May 7, 2018.  The competition will begin the morning of Wednesday, July 18, and culminate with the winner announcement during the Virginia Main Street Merit Awards Luncheon.

The Main Street Idea Pitch! competition is geared towards stimulating the Virginia Main Street network of communities and professionals to craft imaginative Main Street project ideas.  Projects should:

1. Connect to the community’s vision to create vibrant, people-centered places to live, work, and invest.
2. Support the four key areas Main Street programs have been using as a guiding framework for over 35 years: Economic Vitality, effective Promotion, quality Design, and sustainable Organization.
3. Focus on highly visible changes, measuring progress, and results that demonstrate the revitalization effort is under way and succeeding.

Potential project ideas can include, but are not limited to:

• Non-profit organizational development
• Market studies and strategy development
• Downtown organization website development
• Design and place-making
• Destination development
• Entrepreneur support programs
• Buy local and extended store hours programs

Find out more to become a pitch presenter and make your idea happen >>>

VMS Idea Pitch Presenter Application>>>