The Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) has offered its Start-Up Grant program since 2013 to encourage first-time events in Rochester, MN.
Initially, the program offered up to $1,000 to applicants hosting first-time events downtown. “Five years later, the RDA is now able to offer up to $3,000 for approved events,” says Karli McElroy, RDA’s program manager.
The RDA’s mission is, “to be a unique, vibrant, urban experience — a central gathering place — for the community that is attractive, inviting, fun, and livable,” McElroy says. “As a staff of five, we accomplish this mission through planning several large community events and programs within the downtown. The Start-Up Grant allows us to activate various areas of downtown throughout the year without stretching the organization’s staff capacity.”
To compliment the grant program and ensure high quality events, the Alliance published a comprehensive event planning guide. The guide includes information on event development, selection of third party vendors, finding sponsors, marketing the event, working with volunteers, event-day management, and post-event issues. Checklists and forms round out the basics for new event producers. Last year’s events ranged from a jazz festival to a poetry slam.
To download the First Time Event Planning Guide and the Grant Guidelines document go to DowntownDevelopment.com.
More on encouraging first time events downtown, quantifying the value of downtown, and fostering entrepreneurial businesses appears in the April issue of Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter. Click to learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and other resources for revitalizing downtowns and commercial corridors.