In 1989, Third Street Promenade opened its roadway and sidewalks to millions of people who would, over the next 30 years, shop, dine, dance, and make lasting memories on the acclaimed pedestrian mall. Over these three decades, it played centerpiece as the downtown around it evolved into the destination powerhouse it is today. Now, it's the Promenade's turn for an overhaul. This spring, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.) will host a series of three Third Street Promenade 3.0 Community Workshops designed to spark conversation and build a vision to help steer capital improvements and programming. Beginning April 18, locals are invited to attend and participate in these curated workshops to feature experts from the fields of urban design, placemaking, retail, and customer engagement. Third Street Promenade was created locally, and all are invited to help ensure that it is celebrated globally for years to come.
The inaugural April 18 workshop will focus on the value of placemaking, from its ability to foster strong community connections to its financial implications for businesses and local governments, and will feature guest speaker Kevin Kelley, a leader in the fields of consumer behavior, store design and retail strategy. The May 15 workshop will feature Chris Beynon, Chief Development Officer for MIG, and a national leader in revitalizing city centers and urban environments. Beyner's directed projects have created real change for cities throughout North America.
Community Workshop Schedule:
Workshop #1
Wednesday, April 18; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
1212 Restaurant
1212 Third Street Promenade
Workshop #2
Tuesday, May 1; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
The Gallery
1315 Third Street Promenade
Workshop #3
Tuesday, May 15; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
1231 Third Street Promenade
About the Speaker: Kevin Kelley
Kelley is a co-founding partner and principal of Shook Kelley. Although he started in Charlotte, Kelley has headed up the Los Angeles office since 2002 and serves as the principal-in-charge of retail stores, restaurants, grocery stores and leisure-related projects. He holds two degrees in architecture from the University of NC at Charlotte and has spent a large portion of his career developing a process that combines business, science and design into one integrated approach he calls perception design. Kelley's specialty is getting inside the minds of consumers to determine how the physical environment affects consumer behavior and purchase decisions. He is also especially adept at helping consumer-based organizations re-think how they innovate their “go to market” strategies. Kelley has worked closely with the leaders of many well-known companies—such as Harley-Davidson, Whole Foods, Kraft, Cadbury, The J.M. Smucker Company and USAA — in their efforts to develop new kinds of immersive brand experiences.
Visit http://downtownsm.com for more information.
