MONTE VISTA – Today Downtown Colorado, Inc. announced the team of experts who will lead the Monte Vista Business Development Institute taking place on Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 4–8 p.m. at the Monte Vista Information Center located at 947 1st Ave Monte Vista. Creative strategist Brian Corrigan, communications consultant Rachel Trignano, customer loyalty expert Eileen O’Brien, and family business consultant David Lively will lead a half-day workshop designed to connect local business owners with regional experts to find actionable solutions for development, sustainability, marketing, and growth.

?Downtown Colorado, Inc. and the City of Monte Vista offer this Institute, which is partially funded from a USDA Rural Development grant, for local business and community leaders. Session topics include economic development policy overview, design principles for merchandising, branding and communications, loyalty programs and customer engagement, and telling the story of your business.

DCI is proud to partner with keynote presenter Brian Corrigan, a creative strategist and artist exploring the intersection of technology, art, culture, and place. He is the founder and director of OhHeckYeah (OHY), a 2014 ArtPlace America creative placemaking recipient. OHY is a first-of-its-kind interactive street arcade that uses the power of play to connect people on the street. He has worked and partnered with Fortune 500 companies, museums, universities, community centers, city agencies, and small businesses to craft award-winning work that has been featured by NPR, Cool Hunting, Huffington Post, and the American Media Company, PSFK. Corrigan’s presentations will include Design Principles for Merchandising and Window Displays and Small Business Thriving in an Amazon Environment.

Corrigan will be joined by Rachel Trignano, a communications consultant for businesses of all sizes in sectors such as the arts, non-profits, technology, retail, logistics, energy, and real estate. With extensive knowledge of communications growth strategies for startups and small businesses, Trignano will share insights with attendees about scalable content strategy, the why’s and how-to’s of brand development, and marketing essentials for customer attraction and engagement.

Eileen O’Brien, Membership and Outreach Specialist with Downtown Colorado, Inc., will also be a speaker at the workshop. O’Brien has over twenty years of professional experience in directing membership programs, film festivals, as well as work in production on independent and studio films, and network and cable television programs.

David Lively, owner and founder of the Lively Merchant, will also join the team of experts. David, who is from the area, has over 25 years of business ownership experience. After David and his wife Amy sold their retail company, they started investing in family businesses that needed help. They now have 2,000 small family owned clients—800 furniture, outdoor retail, yarn, etc. and developed technology platform to help them compete with online giants (Amazon, etc.). David has vast knowledge of 2,000 mom and pop retailers and looks forward to a lively discussion and educating allies in this region.

Link to register: http://downtowncoloradoinc.org/event-2691891