“ In forming deeper relationships, I feel a much better sense of community and support, and it excites me to know that I am working with such a great group of people! ”
I want to start off by giving a shoutout and HUGE thank you to Blue Federal Credit Union! This was my first ever time attending a conference with Laramie Main Street as a volunteer, and WOW I had so many takeaways from both conferences that I was able to attend all thanks to Blue. The Wyoming Best practices was an amazing opportunity to connect with and grow my relationship with other Laramie Main Street Alliance volunteers and staff, but also Main Streeters from all over the State. In forming deeper relationships, I feel a much better sense of community and support, and it excites me to know that I am working with such a great group of people! One of the keys to any successful venture is teamwork, and I feel so energized about the team that we have here in Laramie.
The National Conference also offered up a lot of networking opportunities, and new ideas that I am excited to bring to our community and Main Street program. As the Sponsor Chair I really wanted to focus on any workshops that talked about fundraising, and then ideas about what to do with those funds once they are raised. One of my favorite ideas came from the Chattanooga Main Street team that presented their Chattanooga Express Card program. This program was very similar to Cowboy Cash in that it was a way to provide an option for a gift certificate to Downtown businesses as a whole. This is great because it opens up options for employers who like to offer gift cards as an employee incentive to support local businesses rather than corporations like Starbucks. Another exciting feature of their program was the utilization of sponsorship and grant money to incentivize the purchase of the Chattanooga Express Cards. They offered deals like an extra ten dollars when you purchase a fifty dollar gift card, or twenty-five when you purchased a one hundred dollar gift card. On top of that they offered those deals at strategic times, with a 90 day limit on the “bonus cash” to help spur spending in the local shops. Lastly, their program was digital, this allowed them to issue reminders, reissue lost cards, and place that 90-day limit on cards. Our Cowboy Cash program is really great, but I would love to integrate some of these practices into our program moving forward.
That is going to be one of my main focuses for 2023, but to name a few others that I would like to assist moving forward would be:
Better communication and collaboration between other non-profit organizations in Laramie
How can we assist each other achieve common goals
A template for the yearly plan that can be easily updated, and shared with the public!
Brainstorming more community events that are welcoming and fun for all
“During the conference one of the speakers said, “If you are not moving forward, you might be moving backward”, and that resonated with me. No matter the organization or project, if you are not moving forward and growing in your ideas, methods and plans, you may just be setting yourself back.”
During the conference one of the speakers said, “If you are not moving forward, you might be moving backward”, and that resonated with me. No matter the organization or project, if you are not moving forward and growing in your ideas, methods and plans, you may just be setting yourself back. In our fast-paced, always changing world it is essential to always find ways to improve and keep moving forward! While I have a few specific goals, my overall mantra for this year is going to be that quote, and it will be something that I will ask myself as I decide on where to invest my time and energy to best serve the Laramie Main Street program and the Laramie community.
Thank you again Blue Federal Credit Union for affording me the opportunity to build relationships within the organization and come back with knowledge, and a reignited passion to move Laramie Main Street Alliance forward!
