How the Create A Place conference can benefit you

You're probably busy and have a lot of demands on your time. Will going to Create A Place: Arts Build Communities, the annual creative placemaking conference April 4 at Rutgers University in Newark, be worth your time? We think so, and here's why:

You'll get good, useful knowledge about how to connect arts with community and economic development. Some of what you hear may inspire you; some may challenge your thinking. We're going to ask good questions of speakers, and invite you to ask about what you want to know throughout the conference.

You can get knowledge that others won't have. The complimentary resource guide will have updated numbers about the economic health of the creative sector in New Jersey. And Create A Place encourages the kind of meaningful conversations that can help you get the answers you're seeking. There will be experts on starting, planning and implementing creative placemaking initiatives. Whether you want to learn how to get the ball rolling, or to finally get that arts center built, Create A Place is the place to go.      

You can share your own experiences, which can help you think about your work in  new ways.   Our afternoon peer coaching sessions are designed to help participants learn from one another - and by doing so, help themselves.        

You can make good contacts. There are going to be mayors, funders, nonprofit executives and other decision makers at the conference. It will be a good-sized conference for networking: big enough to help you make a wide variety of connections, and small enough to be manageable.         

If you come with a group from your community, you might leave with a head start for successful creative placemaking. Meet and greet your colleagues on the ride to the conference, go to separate sessions, share what you learned throughout the day, and come up with strategies on the ride back. 

You can eat well. With registration, you'll get breakfast, lunch and an afternoon reception.   

If you're an urban planner, you may be able to get up to 4.5 AICP CM credits. That's how many we requested of the American Institute of Certified Planners.         

You can enjoy yourself.  Nobody hates a dull event more than us at Arts Build Communities. Last year's conference was both fun and informative.  This year, we're working to make it even better.       

You can be part of a professional community of creative placemakers. Creative placemaking is a new field that integrates community, cultural and economic development. Create A Place is the only event in and around New Jersey that brings such a wide variety of professionals together to explore creative placemaking.

Want to learn more or register? Click here.   

Click here for a flyer that you can download and share.