A six month series of event planning 90-minute "lunch-n-learn" topics about event topics that are pain-points that keep event planners up at night. In this series we invite people in the industry to come and share their insights on how to manage the pain-points. In the process of learning, you also get to meet people who are great resources for new ideas, new events, and innovations.

Hosted the first Monday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the topics will be announced through social media.

March 2, 2026 is our first Series

The topic is EVENTS: How to Close a Street or Parking Lot – Downtown Kalamazoo.

Panelists:

• Street Closures – Public Works Department

• Parking Lots – Carissa Greenleaf

• Safety Considerations – Matt Schemenaur

• Application Requirements – Chad Wendt

 

Here is the schedule:

11:30 a.m. Registration

11:45 a.m. Panel discussion

12:15 p.m. Questions and Answers

12:30 p.m. Instructions on Mapping/Layouts for Planning

 

Panel Topics

• Street Closures – the review of what you consider when approving the closure – what makes you concerned, what makes you thing that an event hasn’t thought it through

• Property Considerations – as part of closing a road and a parking lot – how do you as decision makers determine the financial impact of displacement and lack of access?

• Parking Considerations – explanation about parking, revenue, and displacement of parking access and the impact on businesses for parking numbers and requirements to businesses

• Safety Considerations – traffic, emergency access for first responders, pedestrian traffic flow, alcoholic beverage requirements for MLCC approval by Liquor Detective

• Applications – challenges with incomplete applications and what information is needed for appropriate review.

 

After the panel discussion there will be an opportunity to do actual map making to envision a street festival on streets downtown.

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Interested in other topics? Take our survey and vote for the one you are most interested in, or suggest your own topic!