Downtown Business Association sets sights on increased membership, participation in 2020
The Downtown Business Association held its first meeting of the year on Monday, discussing the successes of 2019, plans for 2020 and recruitment.
The DBA is a nonprofit made up of businesses located anywhere "that is considered downtown," said DBA President and All About Flowers owner Rexayn Tribble.
She said the downtown area includes North West Avenue from Cedar to Peach streets and Jackson Street from Cedar to Peach streets, along with Cedar and Peach from Jackson to North West Avenue, and all the streets in between those (the News-Times is a DBA member as well).
In August 2018, the DBA launched its 'First Thursday' events, which are held each month in order to drive traffic to downtown businesses. DBA members in attendance said 2019 events, while well attended, hadn't always been the sales boons they'd hoped for.
Several business owners did note that the Shamrockin' on the Square event last year, when the DBA and MSE teamed up to present a weekend St. Patrick's Day celebration, was a success for them.
"The [First Thursday] planning committee met last week," Main Street El Dorado Executive Director Beth Brumley said. "Some ideas were tossed around but nothing is set in stone yet."
Brumley said new projects such as the First Thursday events typically take about three years to grab hold of community interest; since First Thursdays started only a year and a half ago, she encouraged the other members to stay the course until more time has passed.
The group also discussed social media campaigning
that began last year. The DBA has a Facebook page, Downtown El Dorado, in which Dallas Hall, an employee at DBA member Sports Alley, coordinates posts to promote downtown. Hall said the page received a lot of new followers last year, and Brumley said they should focus on boosting their posts to get more engagement with followers this year.
The DBA also advertised in the 'Before the Movies' local advertising segment at movie theaters in El Dorado and Ruston, Louisiana, as well as on several local broadcast channels. The members agreed that it had been a good investment.
For 2020, the DBA is planning even bigger First Thursday and weekend events. The organization will kick off the year with its first First Thursday event of 2020 in February, featuring a "Cupid Shuffle" dance party downtown. Members also discussed a possible Mardi Gras parade.
Brumley noted that one of the most important efforts the DBA wants to make this year is increasing membership. The group is currently recruiting.
To join the DBA, a business must be located downtown and pay yearly dues of $300. Members are included in DBA advertising, social media, event promotion and DBA events. One should contact Tribble at 870-8625437 or all_about@sbcglobal.net to learn more.