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State conference on downtown development hits Fredericksburg Date published: 10/28/2009
BY EMILY BATTLE
About 100 planners, economic development officials, architects and other professionals will come to downtown Fredericksburg starting today for the Virginia Downtown Development Association's annual conference. The new Courtyard by Marriott on Caroline Street is both a subject of one of the conference sessions and a reason why the group is here in the first place. "One of the things we do look for is a downtown hotel," said VDDA Executive Director Jodi Gillette. David Holder, who was Fredericksburg's economic development director back when the city was negotiating to sell the land at Caroline and Charlotte streets for development as a hotel, will talk about recruiting downtown lodging. He'll also give a talk on his concept of "uniquing." Holder's idea is that cities, businesses and other entities need to use what makes them different to market themselves, rather than pursuing the same strategies and attractions everyone else has. Holder is now the president of the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau and has also started his own consulting firm, called Cents of Place. Meeting space was an amenity that City Council members emphasized while they were negotiating the details of the hotel deal. The 99-room hotel can accommodate small conferences and social events, and Acting Economic Development Director Karen Hedelt said her department is using it as a marketing tool to try to draw more group events to the city's core. "We have a lot of groups that have had the desire to meet in the downtown and just weren't able to fulfill it before," she said. "So we've kept a list of all these groups and it's provided an opportunity to reach back out to them and let them know it's here." The VDDA conference will benefit other downtown businesses, as well. The group is holding a reception tonight at Capital Ale House, and Olde Time Lollipops Candy & Fudge Factory and Ghosts of Fredericksburg will also be offering their products during the conference. Emily Battle: 540/374-5413
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