AICP Continuing Ed Credits and Student Rates Available for
2009 Michigan Downtown Conference Awards

Lansing - The Michigan Downtown Conference Planning Partners announced today that the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) is offering Continuing Education Credits for each of the seven Michigan Downtown Conference breakout sessions. In addition, for the first time, the conference is pleased to announce a new student registration rate. Current students with a valid student ID can now register for the conference at the low rate of $100 before September 4. The conference will be held at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing September 15 and 16.

The conference theme is “The Three C’s of Prosperity: Creativity, Collaboration and Competition.” The sessions available for AICP Continuing Education Credits are: Retaining businesses in a challenging economy; Outreach initiative strategies that work; Niche Marketing: Success through creativity and collaboration; New media marketing: how to use the latest and greatest; What’s new and cool in downtown housing; Tax credits and incentives: how to find and use them; Promoting your downtown…Bringing all the pieces together; and Finding, promoting and using local foods in your downtown.
 “The conference is not only informational, but will allow attendees to earn credit and further their education, which is a great value for the price,” said Joe Borgstrom of the Michigan Downtown Conference Planning Committee. “This, along with the new student rates, exemplifies the fact that the Michigan Downtown Conference has something for everyone.”

The Michigan Downtown Conference Planning Partners announced earlier this year that the 2009 Michigan Downtown Conference keynote speakers will be Daniel T. Kildee and Tom Izzo. Kildee is President of the Genesee Institute, a research and training institute focusing on smart growth, urban land reform and land banking. Izzo is the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team.

The Michigan Downtown Conference Partners include the Michigan Downtown Association (MDA), the Michigan Municipal League (MML), Michigan Main Street Center @ MSHDA, the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), the Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN), Main Street Oakland County and the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO). 

The Michigan Downtown Conference is an annual conference to help community leaders create successful strategies and case studies to revitalize their downtowns. Additional information can be found at www.michigandowntownconference.org.
###