Emporia Main Street's PROMOTION programs are run by a committee of volunteers along with Main Street staff. Our promotion activities are focused on drawing visitors through year-round events, promoting local shopping, and marketing Downtown Emporia as a destination.
Emporia Main Street hosts or supports over 40 events each year. Our largest event, the Dirty Kanza Finish Line Party, brings over 10,000 visitors to downtown Emporia. Our Midnight Madness shopping event boosts sales at retailers throughout Emporia. All of our events promote a positive image of our community to both visitors and residents.
Whether we're putting on an event or reaching out through marketing, our promotion activities are designed to encourage economic activity and investment in our community.
Promotion Programs
Events
Emporia Main Street and the Promotions Committee host some of Emporia's biggest events, drawing thousands of visitors and locals each year. View our event calendar to see what's next.
Traffic Builders
Our events are designed not only to elevate the community, but also to provide exposure and foot traffic to our member businesses. Learn more here, and then contact us to register for an event!
Marketing Opportunities
Let us help promote you! Get your business in front our followers and other members.
Gift Certificate Program
Our gift certificate program is free for member businesses and encourages local shopping.
Promotion Committee Volunteers
Adam Eimer
Uncommon Threads
Brad Harzman
USD 243
Kelly Mayer
Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Becky Smith
Twin Rivers Winery & City Commissioner
Patti Canson
Kim Redeker
Sweet Granada
Michele Boyce
KVOE
Kristy Bayer
Emporia State University
Interested in joining the Promotion Committee?
The Promotions Committee is great for those who like to help to plan events! Click the button below if you'd like to join!
Promotion Education
Year in Review 2017
Each year we take one e-news and dedicate it towards looking back over the previous year. We don’t want to linger in the past, but we do want to recognize what occurred as we continue to push forward. A lot was accomplished in 2017, and we anticipate a lot of excitement for new initiatives next…
Continue Reading >2016 Year in Review
Emporia Main Street works with a variety of members and partners to push new initiatives and create new opportunities every year. We appreciate everyone’s support as we work to create a better Emporia, and it is important to occasionally look back at what has been accomplished before moving forward. The following is a brief look back at…
Continue Reading >Thanks For Making Us Number One
A little preface to the press release we sent out in conjunction with the award announcement: The Top 10 Best Main Streets Award nominees were chosen by a panel of economics experts that have access to economic and community data from cities- large and small- throughout the United States. Simply being nominated for our innovative…
Continue Reading >Four Point Refresh
Those of you that are familiar with the Main Street concept understand that we have a four point strategic approach. The four points are: Organization- Capacity Building, volunteer recruitment, grass roots training, fund raising, membership, branding and community promotion Promotion- Events, activities, marketing and branding to either build consumer traffic in the immediate…
Continue Reading >When an Event is more than an Event
Emporia Main Street events evolve over time. What starts out as something small, often grows and changes to meet new challenges or take advantage of new opportunities. They say necessity is the mother of all invention, and the small staff numbers at Main Street often require that each event impacts multiple goals. Because of the…
Continue Reading >Simple Ways to Capitalize on Events
Anyone associated with the Emporia Main Street Promotions Team will tell you that we break down promotional events into two distinct categories: those specifically designed to create spending in targeted businesses, and those meant to generate traffic that creative businesses can take advantage of. Main Street works for the collective good, and some activities are…
Continue Reading >