Merchants & Makers Minutes

July 11, 2017 at Carmella’s Lounge

Host Presentation: Maggie Shippy, owner of event space Carmella’s Lounge. Can accomodate 90 people, fireplace, extensive wine list and great building history http://carmellaslounge.com/

Next Neighborhood Clean Up August 31st- 9 to 12pm, meet up at Carmella’s. In partnership with the Mayor’s city wide “Pick It Up Portland” day of service, SOLVE, the City’s Graffiti Abatement Task Force, The Human Access Project. We are currently working on sponsor list. Market of Choice mentioned they would be interested. The Human Access Project (they put on the Big Float event) would like to have a flotilla cleaning the river as part of this and has suggested that participants take a swim in the river after.

Goat Blocks Opening: Jaime of Pinnacle Properties presented on the opening of the Goat Blocks apartments, which will be a community celebration where visitors can tour property. It will be on August 19th. The celebration will feature local food and craft vendors. They would like to continue having property wide events in future with a charitable aspect. Interested in being a vendor?: you may contact him at GoatBlocksEvents@pinnacleliving.com

First Friday Art Walk: East Creative will be closing the street  from 2nd and Madison to 2nd and Main. There will be food and craft vendors outside and the studios will be open to tour. We can help by helping to promote it. They will be taking over the First Friday facebook page. They are looking for food vendors.

Map & Membership Update: Because of a grant from Venture Portland, the CEIC is able to offer a listing on the map with membership this year. We are trying to get 100-150 listings and are currently at about 50 listings. The map will be distributed at visitor centers, hotels, and the only map at the Portland Night Market. Contact Kate if you are interested: kate@ceic.cc

Tamara from Redux shared about the pdx retailer shoplifter alert and message board. A closed facebook page open to area retailers to help stop and identify shoplifters. We also spoke about the Business Watch in Central Eastside (like neighborhood watch but for businesses) and upcoming trainings for businesses interested in joining.

District Joint Promotion Strategies: Holiday promotions, big push once map is published in November, Staycation promotion with hotels like the Jupiter, district advertising.

We should work on coordinating promotion about the Portland Winter Light Festival early this year.  It would be good to be able to list events of the Goat Blocks facebook page. We are also looking to develop the Central Eastside’s facebook and Instagram pages.

Next meeting at Aurora Mills.