In-District Trainings

For Your Members

15 Minutes of Fame: Working with the Media

Is your business and/or your district in the news? Use the media to drive commerce. Get coverage, develop relationships with reporters and make yourself and your district a go-to source for the news. Discover the secrets of giving good interviews, avoiding common blunders and raising your business and your district’s profile.

Making the ‘City that Works’ Work for Business: Being Heard at City Hall

How do you influence City Hall when there’s an issue impacting your business or your district? Navigating the world of elected officials, City bureaus, budgets and decision-making takes strategy and know-how. Venture Portland will help you decide how and when to take positions, be an effective advocate, cultivate relationships with elected officials and staff, write effective letters and give testimony. You’ll also learn the legal nuts and bolts of advocacy and elections.

Seasonal Sales Success: Promotions that Pack Punch

Is your business district making the most of late summer evenings, Halloween, winter holidays and/or other seasonal opportunities? Learn how you can bring your business out on the street when the weather’s good, lure customers in your doors when it’s not and make the turning of the seasons turn into sales.

Strategically Social: Social Media & Online Communication

Are you making the most of social media? Help businesses in your district turn social media and online communication into increased foot traffic and sales. Find ways to make the many websites, social media posts, feeds and online calendars in your district all work together to extend your reach, find new customers and build business buzz.

VENTURE PORTLAND PROVIDES:

• 30-90 minutes of expert content free of charge to member business districts. Business districts may use In-District Training as a benefit for members, as a recruitment tool and/or as a source of revenue.
• A pre-training strategy session to shape the training to best benefit your members and your district.

YOU PROVIDE:

• At least 10 attendees. It’s your responsibility to promote the training and ensure attendance.
• Venue and refreshments.
• 3 possible dates, finalized during the pre-training strategy session. Trainings are no less than 30 minutes.

For Your Board (NEW!)

Help your board strategize, enhance your programs, and fire on all cylinders! Venture Portland is now offering trainings directly to business district boards to help you fine-tune your membership, events and board operations.

Be the Best Board You Can Be

Help your board operate smoothly and strategically. Up your game as a team, learn new techniques for managing committees, take best advantage of every board member’s skill sets and maximize what you can achieve as very busy business owners. Venture Portland will cover both legal roles of board members and how your board can operate even more smoothly, efficiently and creatively than you do now.

Building Your Bench

If your district leaders left today, what would happen? A good business district operates like a professional baseball team, always building the next leaders to join the board as board members retire. But where do you find the next generation of leaders? How can you get them engaged? Venture Portland staff will show you how to identify future leaders and help you build your future board.

Festivities that Fit Your District

Events take a lot of money and volunteer time to organize. This puts a premium on ensuring your events deliver results and can sustain itself over time. Venture Portland will help you find the event(s) that best fits your district’s character and gets you and your members the most bang for the time and money. We’ll also help you learn how to add pizzazz to existing events and expand the ways businesses can benefit.

Membership Matters

Does your district have a strong membership base? Membership is at the core of a successful business district: membership generates revenue, potential board members, volunteers and influence. Building strong membership is also complex: it involves offering valuable benefits, running an effective campaign and managing a lot of details. Venture Portland will give your board and overview of how to build strong membership and help your identify next steps to membership success.

VENTURE PORTLAND PROVIDES:

• 30-60 minutes of expert content free of charge to member business district boards.
• A pre-training strategy call to shape the training to best benefit your board.

YOU PROVIDE:

• At least 2/3 of your board in attendance. It’s your responsibility to promote the training.
• Venue and refreshments.
• 3 possible dates, finalized during the pre-training strategy session. Trainings are no less than 45 minutes.

Fill out an In-district Training request to schedule your training today!