The Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA) Summer Meeting will be held in Danville, VA next month on Monday, June 3rd and Tuesday, June 4th. This year’s VEDA theme is “Exploring the Intersection of Community and Economic Development” which is right up our alley – and given that Danville is a recent Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winner, it felt like the right time and place to partner!
The afternoon of Monday, June 3rd will feature a series of sessions that will help you to “Level Up Your Downtown.” Matt Wagner (Main Street America) will kick things off with “Downtown: The Intersection of Community and Economic Development” – a discussion of how downtowns act as a recruitment tool for job creators, workforce and developers. Next up is a panel that will provide real world examples of how Danville’s local Main Street program and Economic Development team partnered on district improvements that catalyzed private investment in the form of building rehabs and job creation. Finally, attendees will have the opportunity to experience some of this investment for themselves with walking tours of the River District – featuring a peek inside some of the early and recent developments that are propelling Danville into the national spotlight, as well as a unique opportunity to see the in-progress Dan River Falls (aka the White Mill). And every VEDA meeting wraps up with a chance to socialize with an evening reception!
Tuesday, June 4th will feature speakers that include Clark Casteel, Executive Director of the Danville Regional Foundation (DRF) and Ted Abernathy of Economic Leadership. Also on the agenda is a panel representing the winners of the Spring 2024 Community Economic Development Awards such as Kathy Stewart of St. Paul Tomorrow (SPT) talking about the newly rehabbed Lyric Theater and Greg Hitchens of Waynesboro telling the story of their highly successful Community Business Launch (CBL) program – Wayne and Main. Real stories from real projects that you can use in your community!
The luncheon on Tuesday will also feature the 2024 Virginia Main Street (VMS) Merit and Milestone Awards, including:
- Main Street Champion (aka Partner of the Year);
- Main Street Change Maker (aka Local Leader of the Year);
- Impactful Placemaking;
- Entrepreneurship Gamechanger;
- Promotional Innovation; and
- Power of Preservation
You won’t want to miss this opportunity to connect with Main Streeters from around the state and to network with our partners in Economic Development!
Registration and Scholarship Information
Online registration is open and will close on May 28th. Scholarships will be provided to Advancing Virginia Main Street (AVMS) and Mobilizing Main Street (MMS) communities to cover the cost of either 1 person attending both days or 2 people attending only one day. If applicable, please RSVP with your organization’s scholarship preference and attendee contact information to mainstreet@dhcd.virginia.gov.
If you request a scholarship, no further action is required, and VMS will register you directly.
Image Credit (Danville): American National Bank & Trust Company
Virginia Main Street 