Hyatt plans to take promo video throughout Florida.
Florida Secretary of State, Cord Byrd, honored Historic Downtown Plant City Main Street with two prestigious awards at the July Preservation on Main Street (POMS) conference in Tallahassee.
Historic Downtown Plant City Main Street is an entity that operates using a four-point approach to foster growth and prosperity in downtown Plant City. “I am humbled, but at the same time very proud of what Main Street has accomplished over the years since I have been here,” said Dawn Hyatt, Executive Director of Historic Downtown Plant City Main Street. Hyatt took on her role in April, 2022.
POMS is an annual conference co-organized by the Florida Main Street and Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. It aims to bring together preservationists and Main Streets to show that historic preservation and economic revitalization are interconnected. Approximately 400 people attended the three-day conference and learned from workshops on topics like operating a non-profit in Florida, reimagining small towns, and creating livable spaces. “Nothing is better than to go to the Florida Main Street Party that was at the capital, and have our Secretary of State calling me over not only to say ‘Hello,’ but also to show me he is sporting our Plant City Main Street Socks,” Hyatt commented.
The first win for Plant City was the “Telling Your Story” Award. Plant City Main Street won this award for a commercial it produced that gives witness to the power of storytelling and community collaboration. The commercial encapsulates the charm of Plant City’s historic downtown. The video highlights the integral role of local downtown merchants, celebrating their entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to serving Plant City.
Plant City Main Street created a three-minute version of the commercial that is on its Web site, a minute and a half version that is on their social medias, and a thirty-second version that is playing in the Plant City Premiere theater before every movie. “We’re hoping to take that from here, partnering, with our Lux Cinema to take it to Jacksonville to see if we can develop Main Street and Premier partnerships through the state of Florida,” said Hyatt. “Then from there, to Chicago and a few other places to see if we can make this work nationally. So, it is just the beginning.”
The entire video can be seen at: https://fb.watch/tw2lIpHo7i/
The second award was the “Four Point Warrior Award.” The Main Street four points are:
Design: Supports a community’s transformation by enhancing the physical and visual assets that set the commercial district apart.
Economic Vitality: Focuses on capital, incentives, and other economic and financial tools to assist new and existing businesses, catalyze property development, and create a supportive environment of entrepreneurs and innovators that drive local economies.
Promotion: Positions the downtown commercial district as the center of the community and hub of economic activity, while creating a positive image that showcases a community’s unique characteristics.
Organization: Involves creating a strong foundation for a sustainable revitalization effort, including cultivating partnerships, community involvement and resources for the district.
The basis for Plant City Main Street winning this award is that the organization began a series of Business Builder Workshops in 2024. Led by Tina Marie, a marketing and communications specialist, these sessions were designed to provide insights and practical skills to enhance economic vitality, inspire design, encourage promotion, and build organization within the business community.
“To me, this is the most important,” Hyatt commented. “It is awarded for hitting all four points on our four point approach, and that was for our quarterly business building workshops. They go over different business building tools like Distrx, Canva, and WIX.” Participants in these Plant City sessions were presented with a diverse range of topics from leveraging Distrx for enhanced community engagement to mastering Canva for visual content creation.
Main Street is a national non-profit organization that began in the 1990s. Plant City Main Street is one of the first five in Florida. It offers business owners resources and workshops to give them the knowledge and resources to thrive in a competitive marketplace.
