Main Street Now 2025

Registration is open! Discounts and special rates are available to Main Street America members, civic leaders, and students. For additional savings, register by the early bird or regular online deadlines. Register here >

Early Bird (ends February 4*): $465 Member, $655 Non-Member
Regular (ends March 31*): $565 Member, $755 Non-Member
On-site (April 6 – 9): $775 Member and Non-Member
One Day: $399 Online, $425 On-site
Civic Leader: $200 Online, $225 On-site
Student: $200 Online, $225 On-site

Conference Venue
The majority of conference sessions will be held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. Select sessions, events, and mobile workshops will be held at offsite venues. 

Conference Hotel
Specially priced room blocks for conference attendees are available at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City, and The Notary Hotel, Philadelphia. Space is limited. Learn more and book your reservation here >

Between sessions, enjoy local shops, eateries, and attractions in downtown Philadelphia and surrounding neighborhoods. Come early or extend your stay to explore national historic sites and cultural districts, vibrant parks, dynamic public art, incredible food, and more in Philly. Check out must-see places and experiences here >

When Main Streeters get together, it’s magic. And when they gather for the largest convening of place professionals, the energy is electric. From the Welcome Reception to the Big Bash, you’ll find a plethora of celebratory moments — big and small — that will leave you feeling rejuvenated, energized, and inspired to take your organization’s Main Street efforts to the next level! Check out the agenda here >

The Main Street Now 2025 education agenda will feature evergreen Main Street Approach content, plus engaging sessions centered around a core theme — A Healthy Main Street Movement — and three related sub-themes:

A Healthy Main Street Movement
Main Streets are the hearts of our communities. They are hubs of innovation and creativity, where the dreams of entrepreneurs become local institutions serving vital community needs. They are gathering places, bringing together people from across the street and across town. They are places of shared memory and cultural expression that carry the stories of generations through permanent public art installations and temporal events. In these ways, and so many more, Main Streets both reflect and shape individual and community health. And just like people, Main Streets require care, nurturing, and attention to reach their full potential. To foster healthy Main Streets, we must bring people together to encourage deeper connection, drive future-focused solutions by exploring innovative approaches, and create a sustainable Movement where everyone can fully participate and thrive. 

Connect
Connection is a powerful tool that can help us name and achieve shared goals for our Main Streets. Philadelphia’s focus on active transportation and unparalleled public art program provides a rich backdrop for exploring the importance of designing people-centered districts. Accessible infrastructure, welcoming public spaces, and arts programming are examples of proven ways to help create vibrant, inclusive communities. Cultivating these ways to connect not only nurtures social bonds, but also promotes healthy, cohesive Main Streets where everyone feels supported, represented, and valued. 

Innovate
We need fresh, creative ideas to meet the new and longstanding challenges impacting our communities. Innovation can take many forms, from using new technologies to thinking outside of the box. Whether creating accessible spaces and getting people involved or supporting grow-from-within economies and building resilient communities, innovation champions healthier Main Streets — ensuring that our communities thrive physically, socially, and economically for generations to come. 

Sustain
Sustainability weaves together many threads of Main Street work. It means taking care of our local leaders by providing them with the support, resources, and work/​life balance they need to be happy and successful. It means protecting our environmental health by investing in green technology and preparing for the impacts of climate change. It means supporting entrepreneurs and small business leaders to promote resiliency, equitable growth, and strong local economies. From our people to the planet, a holistic approach to sustainability secures a healthy present and future for our Main Streets. 

Our call for proposals is closed. Along with our partners at Pennsylvania Downtown Center, we invited local leaders and industry experts to submit proposals on downtown and commercial district management topics guided by the Main Street Approach™ from July 17-September 6, 2024. We thank everyone who answered our call for proposals! 

Our conference education committee reviewed each submission, and we sent determination notifications to all submitters. If you submitted a session proposal but have not yet heard from us, please check your spam or junk folders for an email from Sub​mit​table​.com. Confirmed speakers may access our Speaker Guide here >

For questions about speaking, contact Tali Jamir tjamir@​mainstreet.​org.

Sponsoring the Main Street Now Conference is a highly visible, cost effective way to reach community leaders and partners as they foster new ideas and solutions for preservation-based economic development in their historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. Sponsor packages provide partners with the opportunity to demonstrate leadership through programming and promotions, connect directly with local decisionmakers, and support communities on their path to economic revitalization. Check out the sponsor prospectus here >

To learn more about sponsorship, contact Katie Eckstein at keckstein@​mainstreet.​org.

Sold out! The Main Street Now Expo offers a variety of promotional opportunities for companies specializing in products, services, and resources designed to assist downtown and commercial district management professionals take their efforts to the next level. Booth registration opened on December 11, 2024, and reached capacity on January 27, 2025. Check out the exhibitor prospectus here >

To inquire about the waitlist, contact Steve Amraen at samraen@​mainstreet.​org.