January's BonnerBIZ Article - Sandpoint B.I.D.

By Kim Queen, Manager at Sandpoint Business Improvement District

“I cannot sing, dance or act; what else would I be but a talk show host.” 

-David Letterman

Things are moving quickly for all of us now that 2014 is underway, and in the BID, we are working on several new projects to keep that momentum progressing in the right direction.

In December, the Sandpoint Business Improvement District team launched a new monthly local radio program entitled the Downtown Dialogue. The show airs on 1400AM/KSPT, as well as 1450AM/KBFI, and is hosted by the B.I.D. manager (me) and Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Communications Manager, Mack Deibel.  The show airs at Noon every third Monday, with our next airing slated for Monday, February 17^th.  

Our goal with this program is to create a forum for open discussion on events, issues and general topics-of-interest pertaining to downtown Sandpoint.  We will be working with our constituents in all areas identified and represented in the BID: Restaurants, Education, Real Estate, Professional/Banking/Law, Health Care, Retail, Arts/Entertainment, Lodging, and At Large/Miscellaneous businesses and organizations. We will also host future conversations with our partners at the City of Sandpoint, Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, and many others.

This is where YOU come in! 

We are seeking 2 professionals to interview every month on the Downtown Dialogue. If you are a BID member in good standing, and would like the opportunity to present yourself as an expert of your industry and promote your business and/or services to the audience, then please contact me directly at kim@sandpointchamber.com.  

For future programming, we would also like to have input from our listeners: what business, organization or individual in the BID would you like more information on? Is there an event or project you want to know more about, or get more directly involved with? Again, please contact me at kim@sandpointchamber.com.  

For the February program, we will mostly be focusing on the highly-anticipated 40^th Annual Winter Carnival, taking place this year from Feb. 14 – Feb. 23^rd, with numerous events being hosted around greater Sandpoint and up on Schweitzer.  The BID has been asked to bring back an old favorite, the Parade of Lights, and we just couldn’t say no! The Parade will be held on Friday night, February 21 in the downtown core, and will end its route at Jeff Jones Square. There, we will be announcing the Parade’s award winning floats, and then enjoying a jaw dropping performance by Cirque de Sandpoint.  For an entire list of Winter Carnival events, and to download a registration form for the parade, please visit sandpointwintercarnival.com. 

Did I mention things are moving quickly in the BID?