Track 1: Doing More With Less

For Departments of One, Small Teams, and Volunteer-Driven Organizations

This was one of the strongest recurring themes from your member survey and conference conversations.

Potential Sessions:

• The Department of One Survival Guide
• Time Management for Downtown Professionals
• AI Tools for Downtown Development
• Leveraging Volunteers Without Burning Them Out
• Building Capacity Through Partnerships
• Getting Big Results on Small Budgets
• Creating Systems That Save Time
• Managing Multiple Projects Simultaneously

Audience:

• Small town Main Street managers
• Downtown directors
• Chambers and EDCs wearing multiple hats

Track 2: Building a Stronger Downtown Economy

Recruitment, Retention, Expansion & Entrepreneurship

Members consistently ask how to fill buildings, recruit businesses, and support existing merchants.

Potential Sessions:

• Business Recruitment That Actually Works
• Business Retention Strategies for Small Downtowns
• Building an Expansion Network Across Texas Downtowns
• Supporting Small Business Owners Beyond Ribbon Cuttings
• Opportunity Zones: What Works and What Doesn't
• Creating Entrepreneur Pipelines
• Downtown Market Analysis Made Simple
• Turning Vacant Buildings Into Productive Assets

Audience:

• Economic Development
• Main Street
• Chambers
• Downtown Associations

Track 3: Funding Downtown Success

Grants, Incentives, Partnerships & Fundraising

Funding remains one of the most requested topics every year.

Potential Sessions:

• Grants and Financing for Revitalization
• Fundraising for Downtown Organizations
• Creative Public-Private Partnerships
• Leveraging Local Foundations
• Funding Opportunities for Small Communities
• Downtown Incentive Programs
• Building a Sustainable Revenue Model
• Making the Case for Investment

Audience:

• Executive Directors
• Main Street Managers
• Board Members
• City Leadership

Track 4: Preservation, Development & Redevelopment

Protecting Character While Preparing for the Future

This combines many of the concerns around vacant buildings, affordability, ordinances, and redevelopment.

Potential Sessions:

• Building Ordinances for Smaller Cities
• Substandard Structures: Tools and Strategies
• Adaptive Reuse Success Stories
• Preservation vs. Progress: Finding Balance
• Affordable Downtowns
• Climate Resilience and Historic Downtowns
• Redeveloping Vacant and Underutilized Buildings
• Green Investments in Historic Districts

Audience:

• Planning
• Preservation
• City Managers
• Downtown Leaders

Track 5: Marketing, Storytelling & Destination Development

Creating Places People Want to Visit

Many members struggle with promotion, branding, and understanding today's audiences.

Potential Sessions:

• Telling Your Downtown's Story
• Social Media Demographics Explained
• Which Platform Reaches Which Audience?
• Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
• Destination Development Strategies
• Creating Experiences Worth Traveling For
• Building a Downtown Brand
• Measuring Marketing Success

Audience:

• Promotions Committees
• Marketing Staff
• Tourism Organizations

Track 6: Creating Vibrant Places

Public Spaces, Entertainment & Community Experience

Focused on making downtowns more active, engaging, and memorable.

Potential Sessions:

• Creating Entertainment Districts
• Developing Green Space in Historic Downtowns
• Activating Public Spaces
• Programming for More Foot Traffic
• Nighttime Economy Strategies
• Arts, Culture, and Downtown Activation
• Events That Drive Dwell Time
• Designing Places People Want to Stay

Audience:

• Planners
• Main Street
• Parks
• Tourism

Track 7: Leadership & Community Building

Building the Team Behind the Transformation

A recurring challenge is not projects—but people.

Potential Sessions:

• Leadership Development for Downtown Professionals
• Building Community Buy-In
• Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers
• Working with Boards Effectively
• Coalition Building Across Organizations
• Creating Downtown Champions
• Succession Planning
• Leading Through Change

Audience:

• Directors
• Board Members
• Emerging Leaders

Track 8: Advocacy & The Future of Downtowns

Policy, Partnerships & Statewide Impact

This is a uniquely Texas Downtown track and one that differentiates TXD from many conferences.

Potential Sessions:

• How TXD Advocates for Downtown Texas
• Building Relationships with Statewide Organizations
• Influencing Local Policy
• Legislative Issues Affecting Downtowns
• Main Street at the State Capitol
• Partnering with TML, TEDC, TAC, TCCE and Others
• Making Downtown Everyone's Business
• The Future of Downtown Revitalization in Texas

Audience:

• Executive Directors
• Board Members
• Community Leaders
• Elected Officials

Track 9: AI for Downtowns

Practical Tools for Today's Downtown Professional

Not theory.
Not "the future."

Real tools attendees can start using Monday morning.

Beginner Level

AI 101 for Downtown Professionals

• What AI is
• What it isn't
• Free vs Paid tools
• Where to start

Prompting Like a Pro

• How to get useful results
• Prompt templates
• Real downtown examples

Your First Week Using AI

• 10 tasks to immediately save time

Real World Solution Examples:

Marketing & Communications

Create a Month of Social Media in One Hour

Using AI for Newsletter Content

AI Graphics Without a Graphic Designer

Video Creation for Downtown Promotion

Telling Your Downtown Story with AI

Economic Development & Revitalization

Using AI for Business Recruitment

Market Analysis Without Hiring a Consultant

Researching Prospective Businesses

AI-Powered Downtown Assessments

Creating Business Attraction Packages

Grants & Funding

AI as Your Grant Writing Assistant

Researching Funding Opportunities

Building Better Grant Narratives

Using AI to Strengthen Fundraising Campaigns

Administration & Productivity

The Department of One Toolkit

Meeting Notes, Action Items & Project Management
(Granola, Otter, Fireflies, etc.)

Building SOPs and Operational Systems

Managing Email Overload

Creating Staff Capacity Through Automation

Advanced Applications

Custom GPTs for Downtown Organizations

Creating an AI-Powered Resource Center

Building Downtown Chatbots

Using AI with GlueUp, CRMs, and Membership Systems

Automating Repetitive Administrative Tasks