That's A Wrap! What an incredible Bender we've all been on these last 3 days. Join Ben Muldrow, Joe Borgstrom, & Jeff Siegler as they close out the final day of 2021's 3 Day Bender and discuss all of the amazing speakers we had the privilege of hearing. See you next year!!! (and by see, I really hope we actually see each other next year!) Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

In an effort to better ensure that real estate developers truly reflect their city’s diversity and that minority real estate developers are able to participate in growth and revitalization efforts, the Equitable Development Initiative was launched. Archive Design Studio’s Vice President Dorian Moore, AIA will explain how to chart a new path toward inclusive economic opportunity and how this program combines our local knowledge, partnerships, and key strengths – including program design and project financing – to support minority developers to grow their careers and support communities. Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

Hear a series of inspirational stories about people who fought apathy and made a difference. Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

Over the last decade co-working spaces large and small have popped up across the country and it seems to be the next hip thing to pursue in the world of downtown management. All too often projects are pursued before contemplating the most important question: is it right for your downtown? This session will explore how one town's leap of faith into the co-working world went and how Covid-19 is changing the face of the industry and real-estate use. Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

Your Newest Business Owner Just Got Their Temps: How We Inspire Teens to Become entrepreneurs. Telling stories of how we've building a network of business idea competitions to help high schoolers do more than just their required service time. Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

Let's escape to our happy place. How would our cities, towns, and public spaces look if we created them to be happy places—if they took the emotional, psychological, and social needs of communities into account? The spaces that surround us—through their design, programming, and social characteristics—impact our physical and mental well-being. So when mental health—already a rising and leading cause of death and disability—is seen by many as the underlying crisis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, shouldn't we be doing more to create responsive, livelier, and happier places?

If you have ears, enjoy adult beverages, and live in a community then do yourself the favor of listening to the wrap-up discussion of Day 2! Join Ben Muldrow, Joe Borgstrom, & Jeff Siegler as they discuss what they learned during the second day of 2021's 3 Day Bender. Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

Instead of going on expensive "fishing" trips for prospects elsewhere, learn how Marion tended to their own economic garden. Learn how this 8 week program created true success and cultivated a business community! Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

Main Street managers are awesome. I did it a while back, did it again as interim, loved it, got sued, still loved it, won’t do it again. Unless you ask nicely. Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!

Get a better understanding of what a wayfinding system is (and is NOT) and how it benefits your community. This discussion will cover many of the different components that make up a robust and effective wayfinding system, from the interstate to the parking lot and beyond. We will also discuss what goes into the planning process, including destination selection, traffic patterns, and sign design, as well as things to look for during the implementation phase. Please, take some time to give this a listen and visit the Downtown Happy Hour Facebook page for the full video, as well as all the other sessions and a very lively community!