Join us in Opelika for LAB 2022

Main Street Alabama is thrilled to announce the 2022 LAB in Opelika on August 17-19. We look forward to getting "Back on Track" with downtown and commercial district revitalization experts from across the state.

Session topics will cover all Four Points of the Main Street Approach and will benefit communities that are ready to advance or just starting their redevelopment efforts.

The Keynote/Opening Plenary will be given by Nathan Norris, a founding principal of the CityBuilding Partnership, LLC. Nathan's vision was to create an organization that would partner with communities as well as developers so that they can avoid the common mistakes that undermine or under leverage most planning or development initiatives.

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REGISTRATION CLOSES AUGUST 10TH AT NOON

Agenda (Subject to Change)

Wednesday, August 17 (Bottling Plant Event Center, 614 North Railroad Avenue)

8:30 AM Registration Opens

9 - 9:30 AM Rapid Fire Breakfast with ADEM (Brownfield funding, Clean Up, etc.)

9:30 - 10 AM Welcome

10 - 10:15 AM Break

10:15 - 11:15 AM So the Garden Club Got a Grant, Brantley Snipes, Main Street Greenwood (MS) Executive Director

11:15 - 12:15 PM Small Scale Producers, ALFA Panel to include Russ Durrance, ALFA, Vickie Watkins Whipporwill Vineyards, Michaela Sanders, Blue Ribbon Dairy

12:15 - 2 PM Lunch and Retail Therapy

2 - 3:45 PM Developer/Planner How to: Incentives, Codes, Zones, Panel to include Jerry Lathan, Matt Mosley, John Marsh and Deke Hilyer

3:45 - 4 PM Break

4 - 5 PM Opening Plenary/Keynote: Designing Streets for Walking, Biking & Driving, Nathan Norris, CityBuilding Partnership, LLC

Description: Designing streets is complicated because: (1) they serve a wide range of users who oftentimes have competing interests; (2) they have a wide range of design details that can help or hurt a community depending upon how they are calibrated. In this session, we will explore how to design streets to match the needs of your community by focusing on the purpose of streets, the design elements that impact the functionality of streets for multiple users, and the most important street design mistakes to avoid.

5 - 7 PM Social: Opelika Main Street, Railroad Area

Thursday, August 18 (Bottling Plant Event Center, 614 North Railroad Avenue)

8:00 AM Registration Opens

8:30 - 9 AM Rapid Fire Breakfast with Rain Works

9 - 10 AM Placemaking and the Main Street Approach, Lisa Thompson, Main Street America

10 - 10:15 AM Break

10:15 - 11:15 AM How to Enhance a Sense of Place, Gina Clifford, DesignAlabama

11:15 - 12:15 PM Public Art Walking Tour and Business Incubator Tour (Dual Session)

12:15 - 2 PM Lunch and Retail Therapy

2 - 3:30 PM So Main Street is Buying a Building (Protection & Development), Alex Flachsbart, Opportunity Alabama

3:30 - 3:45 PM Break

3:45 - 4:45 PM Fundraising (How Do We Afford All of This?), Mary Helmer Wirth, Main Street Alabama President and State Coordinator

6 - 7:00 PM Pre-Banquet: Cocktail Hour Presented by Regions Bank, Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa at Grand National, 3700 Robert Treet Jones Trail, Opelika

7 - 9:00 PM BANQUET: Awards for Excellence

DESCRIPTION: Join Alabama Municipal Electric Authority, Main Street Alabama and our special guests as we celebrate the successes of our Main Street programs with a dinner and awards program.

*Separate Ticket Required - Limited Seating*

Friday, August 19, 2021 (Bottling Plant Event Center 614 North Railroad Avenue)

8:00 AM Registration Opens

8:30 - 9 AM Rapid Fire Breakfast: Livable Communities; 8 Domains of Liveability, AARP

9 - 10:30 AM Marketing Your Main Street; Kirsten Borgstrom, Place + Main Advisors

10:30 - 10:45 AM BREAK

10:45 - 12:00 PM Redevelopment Planning is Easy-People are Hard; Joe Borgstrom Place + Main Advisors

12 - 12:15 PM Closing Session