Virginia Downtown Development Association's 25th Annual Conference

25th Annual Conference 
October 29, 2009

'Uniquing' Your Downtown!

Marriott Courtyard Hotel
Fredericksburg, VA

Join VDDA as they explore the concept of 'uniquing' as a critical element to the health and success of a historic downtown and learn some very practical ways to enhance, promote and capitalize on the special character Virginia's downtowns have to offer.

VDDA's 25th Annual Conference and Annual Awards of Excellence will be held in Fredericksburg , Virginia on October 29, 2009, with an opening reception and site tour on October 28th.  This year’s program, “'Uniquing' Your Downtown!” will provide city managers, planners, economic development officers, preservationists, downtown managers, developers, engineers and other committed downtown stakeholders with information to maximize the unique features each community offers!

Historic sites, buildings with architectural interest, riverfronts, greenways, mom-and-pop stores, destination retail and other unique assets populate our communities, but are we maximizing these resources as an important element of our economic development and revitalization plans?  David Holder, keynote speaker for VDDA’s 25th Annual Conference, will present the concept of ‘uniquing’ as a critical element to the health and success of a historic downtown.  Our keynote will offer solid techniques to determine the uniqueness of your product and your marketing efforts.  Examining how your customers feel about your name, design, program or story are just a few steps towards making certain your efforts are compellingly unique.  To complement this keynote address, other conference sessions will include recruiting downtown lodging facilities, capturing the recreational market and developing a river front plan, design standards to manage infill, using GIS to catalogue historic resources, and trends in downtown parking management and design.  The conference will also feature a tour of downtown Fredericksburg’s revitalization efforts, a welcome reception, and VDDA’s Annual Awards of Excellence Dinner followed by a ghost tour! 

Keynote Speaker:  Over the past 15 years, David Holder has led destination marketing efforts in Texas, Virginia, and New York.  Constant work to address the competitive environment and stimulate product development opportunities sparked a concept that uniqueness is not limited to being one-of-a-kind.  This concept has helped the marketing efforts of places like Syracuse, Fredericksburg, and the Finger Lakes Region of New York produce staggering return on investment results. Join us as Mr. Holder presents his concept of ‘uniquing!’