CAMS Conference 2025 Rewind
Attendees at Day One of the 2025 California Main Street Conference in front of the Palm Theater (Courtesy: Visit SLO / Brittany App).
Annual CAMS Conference Showcases the SLO Approach to Downtown Revitalization
By: Brooke Fox, State Coordinator
In October, a record-breaking 100 Main Street professionals from 30 communities across the state gathered in downtown San Luis Obispo for educational sessions, networking, and professional development. It was an opportunity for all those involved in California commercial district revitalization to learn best practices, key trends, and economic development strategies to support small businesses and communities in a changing economy. Our Conference Program featured:
3 days of content, conversation, and opportunities to connect
25+ information-rich sessions
35+ expert speakers
History Tour, Public Art Tour, and Junk Girls Workshop
Hardhat tour of CalPoly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Inside Look at the Farmers Market
Dream, Play, Build Workshop
Main Street America Trainings
Dr. Downtown: One on One Mentoring
97 passionate professionals from 30 downtowns across the state
San Luis Obispo was an exciting conference destination! As our host program, Downtown San Luis Obispo, CIty of San Luis Obispo, Visit SLO and their community partners gave attendees a warm welcome to the Central Coast and a comprehensive look at what makes their accredited Main Street program outstanding.
The annual CAMS Conference was made possible by our amazing team, board of directors, sponsors, and supporters: Square, Main Street America, California Office of Historic Preservation, Geocentric, Visit California, Civitas Advisors, with support from Small Business Majority and Switchfoot Creative.
We were joined by product and service exhibitors during the conference including Cornerstone Kiosk, Geocentric, Proxi, Vibemap, and Visit California.
The CAMS Board of Directors plans to bring the conference to Southern California in 2026. More details to be announced shortly. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on conference plans.