2010 Speaker Series - 10/21/10

October 21st 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Live: Branding Communities  CM|1.5  

Download presentation here. (1.5mb pdf file)

Presentation Description:

This event focuses on placemaking/corridor identity, or branding, as a land use and local economic development tool and practice. Local governments can use branding to create regional and local identities for trade promotion and foreign investment, as well as to build trust among business owners and others interested in investing and expanding in local communities. Consider a commuter whose only experience of a town is the transportation corridors he sees every day; a corporate buyer whose visits are restricted to an industrial district; or even vacationers stopping to refuel. Strong first impressions of the corridor—and, by extension, the municipality itself—are forming at a much faster rate than might otherwise be suspected. The task is to manage those opinions before they are formed. Corridor identity, or branding, is emerging at both the suburban and neighborhood scale. Cities that apply these principles, especially those that connect pedestrian-scale centers to the larger region, may find themselves gaining a competitive edge and a more satisfying physical environment than can be achieved through the use of tax and zoning incentives alone.

Presenters' Biographies:

Catherine Timko

Catherine Timko has more than 20 years’ experience in community business and economic development and has a respected record of achievement for helping retailers and investors better understand and successfully pursue their target markets. She offers demonstrated success in positioning communities to effectively compete for new retail and achieve strategic goals for commercial revitalization, growth, and expansion in the retail sector.

Ms. Timko, who also is principal of The Riddle Company, a Washington, D.C.-based retail marketing and public relations consultancy, is a widely published and recognized expert on community retail attraction and development and is the incoming dean for economic development at the International Council of Shopping Center’s Institute for Shopping Center Management. She also is an active board member of numerous community and civic organizations, many of which are focused on retail development and attraction.

David Nellis

David Nellis is an international award-winning strategic marketing communications professional specializing in retail. He brings to the table more than 30 years of success devising and deploying multitiered, brand-driven marketing programs to deliver top-of-mind image/message awareness and revenue for a wide range of local, regional, national, and international retail and retail-oriented clients. These include Tier One telecom companies (Nextel, Sprint, Cable & Wireless, MCI, Primus); associations; packaged goods manufacturers; software solution providers; chain department stores; apparel, home furnishings, and gourmet food specialty chain retailers and regional shopping centers; healthcare providers (HMOs, multipractice medical malls, insurance companies); and hospitality/tourism venues, among many others.

Mr. Nellis is also a principal of Return On Investment, Inc. (ROI), one of the 15 largest marketing communication agencies headquartered in the greater Washington, D.C., marketplace. Prior to ROI, he served as president of two of the five largest marketing agencies in greater Washington. Earlier in his career, he served as vice president of sales promotion for the combined $220 million Raleigh’s/Garfinckel’s specialty apparel retail chain and as vice president of public relations for Hecht’s, then the largest department store division of the May Company.