MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release

Downtowns Atlantic Conference Brings Business Improvement Districts to Halifax

May 23, 2018, Halifax, NS – Downtowns (DAC) is hosting its annual conference in Halifax, May 27‐29, 2018, attracting business improvement districts (BIDs), urban planners, small businesses, and municipal staff from the Atlantic provinces. Inspired by the challenges small businesses face on a day‐to‐day basis, this year's DAC Conference, "Bringing Small Business Matters to the Forefront," sets out to present a program dedicated to addressing small business issues. The keynote speakers and panel discussions will address many of these issues and provide BIDs the tools and motivation to lead small business communities and keep main streets vibrant and prosperous.

“The DAC Conference is an excellent opportunity for delegates to share ideas and best practices,” said Paul MacKinnon, DAC President and Executive Director of Downtown Halifax Business Commission. “This year’s focus is an important one as we need to support the needs of small businesses to maintain healthy and thriving downtowns and main streets.”

The 2018 DAC Conference is co‐hosted by the eight business improvement districts in Halifax: Business Commission, Downtown Halifax Business Commission, North End Business Association, Sackville Business Association, Spring Garden Area Business Association, Business Commission, Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association, and Village on Main – Community Improvement District.

To stay up‐to‐date and to join the conversation, follow #DACHalifax2018 on Twitter and Instagram.

There are two sessions at the DAC Conference that are free and open to the public:

DAC Opening Night PechaKucha 7:30 to 10:00 pm – Sunday, May 27 The Seahorse Tavern

PechaKucha 20x20 is a simple presentation format where presenters show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. The images advance automatically, and the speaker talks along to the images. Why? Because people tend to talk too much! PechaKucha Nights are informal and fun gatherings where creative people get together and share their ideas, works, and thoughts.

The Mayors’ Roundtable 11:15 am‐12:30 pm – Tuesday, May 29

Every BID needs to work with city hall. This relationship can be complicated, depending on who sits at the council table. Most vital of all is the relationship with the mayor. Halifax Mayor will be joined by two mayoral colleagues, for a lively discussion from their perspective, on what it’s like to work with BIDs in the important role of city‐building.

Moderator: Amy Pugsley Fraser, allNovaScotia.com Panelists: Mayor Danny Breen, St. John’s; Mayor Pam Mood, Yarmouth; and Mayor Mike Savage, Halifax

The 2018 DAC Conference would like to acknowledge the generous support of its sponsors: Ekistics, Halifax Regional Municipality, HotSpot Inc., Basil Audio‐Visual, Downtowns New Brunswick, The Flag Shop, Boyne Clarke, Downtown Truro Partnership, Waterfront Development, Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, New Century Signs, North End Business Association, Sackville Business Association, Spring Garden Area Business Association, Spryfield Business Commission, and Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association.

About Downtowns Atlantic Canada (DAC) The downtown business improvement areas (BIAs) of Atlantic Canada, with representatives from New Brunswick, , Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island, merged together and joined a Memorandum of Understanding to create Downtowns Atlantic Canada (DAC). Together, they represent over 15,000 businesses and are a network of advocates from BIAs across Atlantic Canada. DAC works to improve the positioning of the BIAs as unique, diverse, vibrant, and economically healthy urban cores.

DAC’s mission is to be recognized as the collective voice of the downtown business improvement areas of Atlantic Canada. DAC’s goal is to increase partnerships with provincial and municipal governments, as well as with the federal government to achieve their goals of growth and investment in our urban cores. In addition, DAC members strive to bring the challenges of urban economic development to the attention of decision‐ makers and to facilitate actions that will result in prosperous and vibrant business improvement areas. Visit downtownsatlantic.com.

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For more information, contact: Ivy Ho, Director of Communications Downtown Halifax Business Commission Tel: (902) 428‐5433, Cell: (902) 430‐7679 Email: [email protected]