Welcome to the IDA submissions portal. Here you will find links to submit projects, proposals, and applications. For any submission, you can always save, exit and return to your work at a later time. To begin, please select the category in which you wish to submit. Note, you will need to create a Submittable account (or login to an existing account), which is separate from your IDA account.
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Submit to 2024 South East Urban District Forum

Join the Downtown Memphis Commission and International Downtown Association for the Southeast Urban District Forum on May 1-3, 2024. This year’s theme – Place Management as an Economic Driver – will address approaches to economic development, placemaking and operations. Join us as we dive deep into entrepreneurial ecosystems, retail development, return to office strategies, placemaking and activation initiatives, and overall operations management covering ambassador programs, homelessness, mental health, and new technologies for tracking in your district.

We invite you to submit session proposals by Tuesday, December 12, 2023 Submission details and topic guidelines are below. Joint proposals including peers from multiple cities will be given higher priority for consideration. Forum sessions should fit within the following topic areas listed below.

  • Economic Development strategies
  • Public Space Management and Operations which includes      Placemaking, and Activations, Public Safety, Mental Health, and      Homelessness. 
  • Marketing, Communications and Events
  • Policy and Advocacy

If you need assistance please contact Carolyn Dellutri, CAE, Director of Professional Development at carolyn@downtown.org 

Deadline: Tuesday, December 12, 2023 11:59PM PT. To get started, please complete the form below. You can stop, save and return to work at any time before the deadline. When you've completed the form, please click 'Submit' at the bottom. 

Please remember that speakers are required to register for the conference. Options for daily registration will be available. 

Note: Submitting an idea or panel session does not guarantee selection. CDA and IDA reserve the right to select ideas and speakers to fit the needs of our diverse audience. 

 

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Submit to IDA 2024 Top Issues Councils Applications

Are you an expert in your field? IDA’s Top Issues Councils address a selection of the most pressing issues facing downtowns and city centers. This year’s Top Issues Council briefs cross a variety of topics that UPMOs face.  Applications to join the 2024 Councils are open now and due by January 17, 2024 at 11:59 pm ET. Council work will commence by March 2024.  

To be eligible for a Top Issues Council position, the applicant must be an IDA member. Further guidelines can be found below on the application. Questions? Contact Cathy Lin, AICP, Director of Research, at cathy@downtown.org.  

  • Mental Health of Ambassadors: Exposure to various critical incidents—from witnessing violent crimes to managing human waste —can and does significantly influence ambassadors’ wellbeing. Organizations must recognize the importance of considering ambassadors’ mental health when developing programs and policies to support these invaluable workers. How are UPMOs providing adequate resources, mental health support, and training to address the emotional well-being of ambassadors? 
  • Inclusive Urban Place Management Organizations: Diversity, equity, and inclusion have become priorities like never before in the work of urban place management organizations. What best practices are UPMOs setting to embed DEI in all parts of the organization, from governance to staff to programming?   
  • AI for UPMOs: The possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) seem endless, and also overwhelming! How can AI begin to apply to the work of UPMOs, whether it be in organizational management, marketing, outreach, placemaking, and more? This Council will be particularly exploratory to narrow down ideas for how UPMOs can use AI, and what to consider in employing this new technology.  
  • Investing Downtown: Investing in downtown in the face of high interest rates, unfavorable capital markets, and generally uncertain economic futures is challenging. What are creative ways that UPMOs work with the real estate community and other potential investors to tell the story of their district?  
  • Social Media/Digital Marketing: The story of your district is constantly evolving, especially in this recovery period. How do UPMOs use an authentic voice across different platforms to connect with different groups and tell a unified story about the evolution of downtown and the urban district?  stry, and bring together member-practitioners working directly in these fields to share trends and case studies. The pandemic and its lingering effects have forced UPMOs and other downtown stakeholders to view the city in a different way. This year’s TIC Briefs focus on the innovations in programs and services that many UPMOs provide.
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