Downtown Forum to Focus on Tourism

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) will present a public forum focusing on supporting and strengthening area tourism on Tuesday, June 3 at 8 a.m. Featuring a panel of experts, including Kathy Feldbrugge of the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Hayes Scriven of the Northfield Historical Society, Brad Ness of the Defeat of Jesse James Days (DJJD), and Michelle Weber Egeness of St. Olaf College and CVB board member.

The forum will take place the Riverview Conference Room, lower level of the Archer House, 212 Division Street, in downtown Northfield. This month it will be co-hosted by the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Feldbrugge will discuss the importance of tourism to the community’s economic health and the CVB’s on-going efforts within the context of her extensive experience and current best practices. Scriven will share details of the Historical Society’s efforts to draw tourists to Northfield, which is vital to the organization’s financial success. Ness will summarize the DJJD’s long history with tourism, including lessons learned. Egeness will highlight the benefits of collaboration between city organizations, essential to providing visitors with the best possible experience while visiting Northfield.

There has been much discussion in recent weeks about Northfield’s efforts in supporting and strengthening tourism and a number of key participants have been invited to attend. The panelists will start the discussion and then field subsequent questions.

The NDDC is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization dedicated to the vitality of downtown Northfield. The event is free and open to the public. As always, coffee and cookies will be served.

For more information, contact Executive Director Ross Currier at (507) 663-0319 or rcurrier@nddc.org.