[OMS_MANAGERS] OMS Conference Update - new workshop

Mon Aug 25 13:06:53 PDT 2025

We are excited about the high level of interest in our Oregon Main Street Conference this year! After a full-day of learning, we offer some more interactive opportunities on Thursday afternoon - that's when all of our walking and the trolley tours are scheduled. In fact, some of the tours are filling fast so don't wait too long to get your registration in.

We have added an interactive workshop as an alternative to one of the tours - no preregistration required. If you signed up for a tour and want to attend the Thursday afternoon workshop instead, please update your registration to cancel your tour.

In addition, there is a chance to talk one-on-one with some of our Oregon Heritage staff - sign up sheets will be available at registration to schedule a 15-minute conversation with one or more staff members during Hanging with Heritage.

Here's the opportunities for this time block, Thursday, October 9, 3:45-5:15 pm:

New Workshop: The How Behind the WOW! (no preregistration)

  *   This high-impact presentation is designed to help communities sustain and enhance the vitality of their traditional commercial districts. This session guides attendees through practical design strategies that activate storefronts, attract shoppers, and support long-term economic growth based on your vision for how you want your downtown to look, feel, and function. With a focus on best practices, retail trends, and shopper insights, participants will learn how this information has been converted to useful tools and programs for organizations to guide the creation of engaging, authentic experiences that ensure their downtowns remain or become vibrant, welcoming, and resilient over time. Speakers: Seanette Corkill and Anne Marie Luthro, Frontdoor Back, Retail Store Design

Hanging with Heritage

  *   Have a question for Heritage Staff? Need to brainstorm an idea? Help with an issue your organization is facing? Want to know a little more about resources available to help with your downtown efforts? Heritage Staff will be available for a 15-minute focused conversation during this time block. Sign-up sheets are at registration, although walk-in space might be available. Here's the staff that will be on tap and some of the topics they can cover:
Caity Abrahms - National Register of Historic Places
Val Ballestrem - Oregon Special Assessment (newly revised program)
Kuri Gill -  Oregon Heritage Grants
Sheri Stuart - Oregon Main Street
Evan West - Historic Survey

Walking/Trolley tours:

  *   Pioneering Women Walking Tour - You are invited to #walkwithher.  Join Marti Staprans Barlow, President of HospitalityVision and a master's graduate in Extended Realities & AI, for an inspiring Pioneering Women Tour through Albany. History comes alive through the Albany Explorer App! Grab your mobile device and we'll set out to meet the incredible women who helped shape this community-brought to life with augmented reality at each spot where they lived or worked.  Meet Bessie Hale, our first Black woman business owner.  Meet the mother of Women's Suffrage, and the woman who helped land Apollo 11. Marti will share stories of courage, leadership, and trailblazing achievements. The AR pioneers will appear beside you, making the journey both immersive and unforgettable. Bring your curiosity, your comfortable walking shoes, your sense of adventure, and your Albany Explorer app-let's celebrate these remarkable women together!
  *   Downtown District Walking Tour  - Oscar Hult, a natty dresser and Oregon Heritage award winner, will share stories and information showcasing historic buildings and locations along the way. Albany has gained a reputation as a must-see destination for people who love historic buildings. This community boasts over 800 historic homes and commercial buildings, three museums, and several historic churches. Historians and architects credit Albany with having the most varied collection of historic buildings in Oregon. The collection includes styles from the 1850s through the 1940s and is concentrated within an area of approximately one hundred square blocks. Four Albany Historic Districts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The walking tour will focus on 12 blocks of First and Second Avenue in the Downtown Commercial Historic District, beginning at Burkhart Square (next to the Albany Civic Theater) at 101 1st Ave SW.
  *   Albany History Trolley Tour - Bill Maddy, Albany Regional Museum docent and Albany historian; former Albany Regional Museum Executive Director, and retired County Extension Agent will serve as Albany Streetcar Conductor. Tour guests will hop aboard the Albany Streetcar at the Albany Regional Museum. Your Conductor guide will share his favorite humorous, unique and wild stories related to the history of Albany, the Hub City of Willamette Valley. Trolley seating is limited so reserve your ticket to board today!
  *   From Vision to Vibrancy: The Downtown Albany Story - Join Sophie Adams, Economic Development Manager for the City of Albany, on an immersive walking tour through the heart of Albany's downtown Urban Renewal District. This tour offers a firsthand look at how intentional planning, strategic public investment, and strong public-private partnerships have transformed downtown Albany into a vibrant, growing destination. Participants will explore key redevelopment sites and local landmarks. Sophie will share the city's journey of revitalization through risk-taking, partnerships, and how a clear strategy and trust in the process have encouraged significant private investment. Learn how Albany has balanced preservation with progress, engaged the community in long-term planning, and built momentum around a shared vision for the future while staying true to its historic roots. Whether you're curious about structuring deals, harnessing community input, or managing the complexities of urban renewal, this tour is a chance to see it all in action.
Comfortable shoes and curiosity encouraged!

  *   Albany in Action: Buildings, Businesses & Bright Ideas - Join Lise Grato, Executive Director of the Albany Downtown Association, for a walking tour through historic downtown Albany, where revitalization, recognition, and commerce all come to life. This tour showcases Main Street grant-funded building rehabilitation projects. You'll meet property owners, see firsthand the transformation process, and learn how local incentives have sparked broader improvements. Along the way, we'll highlight award-winning projects and places that have earned statewide recognition through the Excellence on Main Awards. Hear stories of creativity and commitment from local businesses like The Natty Dresser, Margin Coffee, and Sybaris Bistro. We'll also step inside some of Albany's standout legacy retailers-including Emma's Downtown and Calapooia Gallery-to hear their perspectives on sustaining small business success in today's changing retail landscape. This session offers an inspiring look at how one Main Street community is honoring its past while building a thriving future.

And, don't forget to make your room reservations! Special conference room rates end on September 7. Info is on our conference website here<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/omsconference.aspx>.

[cid:image001.jpg at 01DC12C2.F3FF1C10]

Sheri Stuart (she, her, hers) |  Oregon Main Street Coordinator
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oregon Heritage, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Cell: (503)551-3705
725 Summer St NE, Ste C
Salem, Oregon 97301

Visit our website<http://www.oregonheritage.org/>, Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/OregonHeritage>, Visit our Blog<http://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/>, Join the Oregon Heritage News e-news<https://omls.oregon.gov/mailman/listinfo/Heritage> Check our LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/company/oregon-parks-and-recreation-department/>.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/oms_managers/attachments/20250825/a807a6ed/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 45343 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/oms_managers/attachments/20250825/a807a6ed/attachment.jpg>