Conference Pimps, Fellowships & Accolades-A-Plenty! 📆👯🏆

Here’s the scoop and a pretty direct helping of harsh words that you need to “reorient” your content strategy now to lessen your losses later. Just when you thought you were safe from the word pivot, it’s about to clobber us on over the head again! But tbh, the verb kind of perfectly encapsulates what we’re about to talk about. Just don’t cancel us for using “the dreaded P word”.  😜

We’ve all been hearing horror stories about international travelers being harassed, detained, and even deported. This all adds up to a very dire outlook for international tourism over the coming years. Our closest allies and travel partners are pairing back, canceling trips, and booking in countries that welcome them. Considering there are about four more years of the current regime in place, it’s unlikely you’ll see an uptick in foreign tourists in your town for quite a while. Even if you’re not NYC or San Francisco, every city benefits from outside dollars spent in their district. We’re anticipating a continued sizeable drop in bed taxes, feet on streets and butts in seats. It’s disheartening to think that after so many painstaking years of efforts to increase international travel trade post-pandemic, any of us can anticipate a sudden increase coming from abroad. The fact is, we need to look internally and devise methods to increase desirability at a local level to attract as many domestic travellers as possible over the coming years. And that pivot starts with your content strategy.

While a focus on local should always be part of your overall content mix, the need to cultivate and encourage more Americans to visit your darling district starts online. We recommend a three-pronged approach of:

• Assess (the situation and inventory your assets)

• Develop (alluring content to grow your share of search & social array)

• Deploy (an army of content advocates to amplify your reputation)

Here’s what we mean. Take stock of local assets, amenities, and attractions. While we all celebrate new businesses opening; like that chichi new wine bar down the block, or a new mural being christened —you must have a firm grasp on what’s appealing to outsiders within your district. Face it: we all become numb to newness over time. The shine wears off, or we forget about hidden gems and buried treasures right outside our front doors. Whether you’re cataloging your district in a CRM like D360, or simply making mental note, we highly encourage you to (re)read this prescient piece from former IDA Board Chair, Kate Borders. This one lives in our heads rent-free because it’s so spot-on. Try to inventory your district with fresh eyes, and note why something stands out or would be appealing to an outsider. Take stock of your stock, and then move to the next prong.

Next, develop your own content that speaks to all the reasons someone should visit your city.  Most likely, you already do this. Whether you use a blog, stubs, listicles, or odd-numbered round-ups — start growing your interconnected web of content to pull on visitors’ heartstrings. That doesn’t mean you have to overly romanticize things; rather, focus on the hook. Why should I visit your town? What’s in it for me? What else is there to do? Where’s the best place to grab a drink, dinner, or coffee in between sightseeing, attractions, and cultural hotspots?Since you’re not courting tourists from Canada, China or Croatia  — how can you bring the globe home for those hailing from Chattanooga, Chicago or Cincinnati? Attract American tourists by promoting “proxy destinations”. Take note of this ingenious strategy deployed frequently by the likes of SouthernLiving, which frequently grabs travelers’ interests by mentioning a far away dream vacation and pairing it with a domestic destination like this or this. The drop off in international travel goes both ways, so amping up your domestic appeal can fill the gaps left by a lack of foreign investment.

Lastly, don’t go it alone. While the onus sits on your organization to promote the local community, go beyond your owned channels and deploy a strategy that incorporates partners, players and outside influencers. Tag team your content strategy with your local CVB to develop complimentary content that picks up the itinerary once the tourism office gets folks to your town. Work with the city, the chamber, local colleges and universities, and even the local library to write about your place, and always have them link back to your deeper web pages. Lastly, younger generations are already usurping search for travel planning, so develop your influencer strategy and start building relationships now. If you had a hypothetical $2,000 to spend on media/marketing — the influencer with thousands of followers can underpin your domestic travel narrative 10x better than buying a 1/16 page ad in an airplane rag that gets glossed over while the flight attendant demonstrates how to tug that perky red plug, should your flight go down over the Potomac.

It’s gonna be a trying tranche of years before we can count on the return of international tourists, and regardless of location, size of your city or your annual marketing budget — pivoting to focus on local allure will serve you well no matter how many Canadians you may be able to sway to stay. And that’s no dig on Palm Springs, but this old adage comes to mind, “You can wish in one hand, and shit in the other, and see which fills up faster,”.

Photo credit: Unsplash/andre_furtado

 

Chances are that your district is just bursting with creative types and everyday Joes and Janes with mad visual chops. Take a tip from top cities tapping emerging storytellers to pimp their places via visual fellowships. Last year, we were impressed with The Alliance for Downtown New York’s “Filmmaker in Chief” program. Now, the innovatively creative Downtown Austin Alliance has announced their inaugural “XOXO Videography Fellowship” which takes things to the next level for their funky locale. As part of their XOXO Downtown Austin campaign, the team in Texas accepted three fellows, paired with two mentors to develop video content promoting their place. The XOXO campaign is brilliant, and from what we can see from afar, they’re following a similar savvy strategy as the one we described in the section above. It’s an astute approach, and they’re literally inviting Austinites into the district. (Sometimes it’s merely a matter of saying the quiet art out loud), so kudos to Austin for literally laying it on the line with “Downtown isn’t the same without you. Despite rapid business development, there is a need to cultivate authenticity, culture, and community in Downtown Austin,” lifted directly from their website. Authentic, brief, and direct, the plea deserves props. And not content to merely admire the org’s efforts from afar, we went right to the source and asked Downtown Austin’s Vice President of Communication & Marketing, Vanessa Olsen for a hot take on the campaign. Her response tracked with, “The XOXO Photography Fellowship Program empowers emerging photographers to capture the essence of Downtown Austin while fostering a sense of belonging. Each six-week fellowship includes mentorship, shooting and editing sessions, and a final assignment to produce high-quality images of downtown icons for the XOXO Downtown Austin campaign. Fellows receive a stipend and opportunities to expand their professional network while contributing to a more authentic and connected vision of our city,” and she furthered that, “By uplifting diverse voices through photography, this program helps shape a more inclusive downtown where creativity thrives and everyone, regardless of their background, feels seen, safe and welcome,” — and that’s something we 🖤 a whole helluva lot!

Photo credit: Unsplash/tombag

 

… that revered industry partner LeMonde Studio snagged the Number Two spot (out of nearly 20K projects listed) according to the CODAworx “Top 50 Public All Stars”? That’s an accolade and a half, and if you’re not yet a LeMonde Studio fanboy, take a number! This underdog collaborator and fabricator has been on our radar for years now due to their synergistic approach, custom-made installations, and mainly because they don’t just drop and plop something in your downtown and wait for fanfare. All LeMonde pieces are interactive, and many generate data on usage; a critical component of placemaking that’s often overlooked. Sure, making pretty things happen is great, but being able to pull data to better understand your market and installation interactivity is an absolute in our book. Another must is keeping it fresh, and that’s exactly what LeMonde Studio is doing. They recently launched a new initiative that brings a rotating cavalcade of installations to your down with deep discounts. Nic Synnott from LeMonde (that handsome devil on the right) told us that their new Curation Agreement expands their offering from 4 to 8 projects annually, with the flexibility to split them across two fiscal years—as long as they’re completed within 12-months. He noted that participants receive access to their programs at up to 70% off standard à la carte pricing. Nic explained that you’ll meet quarterly to review upcoming options and select the next set of projects together, ensuring the program stays aligned with local priorities and timing. Early adopters include Downtown Louisville, The Magnificent Mile, SDC des quartiers du canal, Downtown Denver, and Clark County, among many others. LeMonde Studio currently offers 30 customizable programs, with an average of 3 new installations added every month — so the library continues to grow and evolve with their partners’ needs. On top of the fact that they’re a more affordable option, we can attest to the fact that these folks really know how to partner. With new facilities in Austin, TX, plus their NYC and Québecois offices — the company continues to grow stateside, and we invite you to raise a toast to these incredibly creative, forward-thinking placemakers as they continue to bring successful installations to downtown and districts around the globe. Hit them up for more info, and tell them you read about LeMonde in the Bright Brothers bulletin!

Photo credit: LeMonde Studio

 

If a tree falls in the woods and there’s no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? Well, yes, technically, however if you post on social and all you hear is a kazoo playing “womp—womp”, you should probably read this one. See how you stack up on six different social channels in terms of average engagement. And the leading platform may surprise you to boot!

Photo credit: Unsplash/prateekkatyal

Back to that travel thing. Are you planning on any international or domestic travel this year? If so, here are some of the top conferences you may wanna check out in the coming months, and shameless plug, you’ll find us at two of them!

• IDA Place Matters, Cleveland OH, May 7 – 9, 2025. Our co-founder Josh Yeager will be speaking alongside a cadre of creative and innovative types in Downtown Cleveland next month. Learn how the Placemaking Toolkit we developed for the Alliance for Downtown New York has amped their public realm initiatives, so they can make informed decisions before investing placemaking dollars. This more intimate summit offers more in terms of time spent with industry colleagues, the opportunity for connection, networking and most of all — learning and sharing of best practices, pitfalls, and stellar approaches. Meet with other placemakers and ops folks, and do not miss Rock Hall while in town, or swing by a Swensons and treat yourself to a Galley Boy, a fried bologna sandwich or their absolutely crave-worthy Potato Teezers to quell that conference hangover, hon!

• 12th Annual Public Markets Conference, Milwaukee, WI, June 12 – 14, 2025. The Project for Public Spaces has partnered with the Market Cities Network and others to bring market practitioners specialized insights for those of us who run markets. From interactive panels and discussions to networking and social events, guided tours and offsite workshops, this event is a must for market operators and managers, local food advocates, civil society groups, policymakers, consultants, academic researchers, and more.

• Experience on Main Street, Manchester, UK, July 8 – 9, 2025. Josh once again adds his insights and expertise abroad with the group behind Experience UK, (the trade body representing the UK’s experience economy). If you’re looking for out-of-the-box perspectives and a more international flair, this “Madchester” meeting is for you. The agenda is designed to inspire and challenge, with sessions focused on reimagining high streets, downtowns, shopping centres, and lifestyle destinations as vibrant, experience-led places built for the future.

Photo credit: Unsplash/leo_visions_

“At the Downtown Austin Alliance, we recognize that art is more than beautification. It’s an integral part of Austin’s cultural fabric, reflecting the rich diversity, history and community spirit that makes our city unique. Public art downtown plays a crucial role in shaping vibrant, inclusive spaces where Austinites can connect, bringing creativity into daily life and making art accessible to everyone.”  — Vanessa Olsen, VP Communication & Marketing, Downtown Austin Alliance