Event
Innovation Meets Main Street: 2012 Maine Downtown Conference
Date: | May 18th, 2012 |
Location: | Downtown Farmington, University of Maine - Farmington |
 |
Register Online
On-line Registration is Closed - Conference Day Walk-Ins Welcome | Campus Map
May 17th Reception and "The Greenest Building" Film - 6:15 PM.
May 18th Conference 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Registration and breakfast start at 7:00 AM)
The Maine Development Foundation’s Downtown Center announces Innovation Meets Main Street, the 12th annual Maine Downtown Conference on Friday, May 18th from 8:00-5:00 in Farmington. This dynamic conference showcases the economic and community values of downtown and village center revitalization. Registration and breakfast open at 7:00 a.m. at UMF’s Merrill Hall.
Special pre-Conference Reception and film screening: The conference kicks off the previous evening, May 17th at 6:15 p.m. with a free reception and screening of the 60 minute national award-winning film, The Greenest Building. Following the film, dessert is included in the Question and Answer conversation with producer and film maker, Jane Turville, from Portland, Oregon. A $5 donation is suggested. Location: Roberts Learning Center, Lincoln Auditorium, UMF campus.
This year’s featured conference speaker is inventor, entrepreneur and author, Doug Hall. A Maine native, Doug is the internationally-recognized founder of Eureka! Ranch and Innovation Engineering, a partnership between Eureka! Ranch and Doug’s alma mater, the University of Maine through the Foster Center for Student Innovation. Doug’s high energy whole-brain presentation will stimulate and challenge us to rethink and embrace our downtowns as potential centers of innovation.
The conference features 12 concurrent sessions and three specialized walking tours providing exceptional training, idea sharing and real solutions for Maine. Topics are organized in four tracks:
- Business Entrepreneurship
- Green Downtowns and Heritage Conservation
- Healthy Communities and Local Food
- Organization Leadership and Education
Sessions include a variety of hot and timely topics such as successful small business case studies, organizational leadership, economic partnerships with local foods and historic buildings, compelling graphics and video ideas, worksite wellness for downtowns, sustainable/walkable design, adaptive use of historic buildings, building redevelopment strategies and much more.
Included in the conference are the highly-anticipated Downtown Achievement Awards, the announcement of Maine’s newest Main Street community and four new Maine Downtown Network communities. A special celebration will also be held to honor Main Street Bath – a 2012 winner of a Great American Main Street Award, one of five nationwide and a first for Maine. And new this year, the conference concludes at the National Register-listed Franklin County Courthouse with a reception and announcement of the Downtown Pitch Contest winners!
Pricing includes conference tote bag with all materials (and a few surprises), continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, all sessions, complimentary van service to and from session locations, great opportunities for networking and inspiration!
$90 Non-Member
$65 Member of Maine Development Foundation, a Main Street Maine or a Maine Downtown Network Community
Important:
All special needs requests must be made by Friday, May 4, 2012. Please call or email requests to Amanda Roggio at 622-6345 or aroggio@mdf.org.
Pre-registration is required. Please note that on-line registration closes at noon on Wednesday, May 16. We are unable to provide refunds on cancellations after May 10. Should you need to pay with a check, please complete the registration form and when you arrive at the payment screen simply close the page. Your registration information will be received which we will confirm via email. Please make your check payable to "Maine Development Foundation" and mail to:
Maine Development Foundation
295 Water Street, STE 5
Augusta ME 04330
Please note: Since we must provide a headcount to the facility for meals, it is our policy to charge meeting participants who register but do not show. No shows will be charged the full amount of the registration fee. Sorry, no refunds on cancellations after May 10.
Accommodations: All reservations must be made by Friday, May 4th to receive the discounted group rate of $110.50 (plus tax).
Comfort Inn & Suites - 4 Miles – 10-minute drive to Downtown Farmington
1026 US Route 2 East
Wilton, ME 04294
Phone: (207) 645-5155
Thank you to our conference sponsors and partners!
PRIMARY SPONSORS:
AUDIO/VISUAL SPONSOR:
LUNCHEON SPONSOR:
Vital Sponsors:
- Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
- Developers Collaborative
- R.H. Reny, Inc.
- Wright-Pierce
- FIORE Artisan Olive Oils & Vinegars
Conference Supporters:
- Bicycle Coalition of Maine
- Eleanor Kinney
- Kennebec Valley Council of Governments
- Maine Association of Planners
- Maine Community Development Association
- Maine State Planning Office
- Sutherland Conservation and Consulting
PARTNERS:
- Farmington Downtown Association
- University of Maine Farmington
- Town of Farmington
- Maine Preservation
