NORWICH – The Downtown Summit, scheduled for 6 p.m., Sept. 25 at Ives Cream, has an exciting list of presenters booked to inspire property owners and entrepreneurs alike. The speakers will lend their expertise on a number of topics to Chenango County property and business owners during the two hour Summit event.
The event begins with Dave Emerson, most widely known for his success with the Blueox Energy Products and Hoppies Restaurant. Emerson can lend the perspective of a business owner, property owner, landlord, and community leader who has seen most of the challenges that property and business owners may encounter. At Hoppies, a retro ice cream shop in downtown Oxford, Emerson brought magic to the customer experience and turned an ice cream shop into a successful tourism spot.
Next will be a panel presentation, made up of three area entrepreneurs who are also property owners who defied convention to make a substantial difference in their downtowns. Enzo Olivieri of Nathaniel Greene’s Publick House in Greene, Chris Hayes of Hayes Office Products in Norwich, and Kathi Emstrom of Remember When in New Berlin will all be on hand to speak about their experiences with downtown property development in Chenango County. Discussion will include how their approach to facility management, business development, and marketing helped them to open new doors in the county’s unique historic downtown districts.
The event will wrap up with roundtable discussions featuring several experts on a variety of topics. Attendees may choose to join any one of the discussions. Maureen Carpenter, President and CEO of Commerce Chenango, will lead a discussion on Economic Development, Grants, and Financing Initiatives. Pegi LoPresti, Executive Director of the Norwich Business Improvement District, will focus on Marketing and Promotion of Downtown Businesses and Properties. Gretchen Walsh of Peggy Parker Real Estate will discuss Occupancy and Real Estate. Finally, Jason Lawrence, a Code Enforcement Officer, will help participants explore the Regulatory Environment as it relates to redevelopment.
