CVA hosts the annual California Main Street Conference
I’ve been fortunate to have many meaningful moments during my career with the Carlsbad Village Association, but a few stand out as true milestones. Helping our downtown businesses survive—and in many cases emerge stronger—from the pandemic is certainly one of them. Creating Taste of Carlsbad Village to shine a well-deserved spotlight on our exceptional culinary scene downtown is another. And then there are the moments that simply remind you why community matters—like the night, more than a decade ago, when CVA filled the Carlsbad Village Theatre with a sold-out crowd for a holiday screening of Elf, complete with $8 adult tickets and $4 tickets for kids, and a room full of pure joy.
This year, we are proud to add another milestone to that list. Carlsbad Village has been selected as the host location for the annual California Main Street Association (CAMS) Conference, taking place November 3–5, 2026. We will welcome approximately 150 dedicated “Main Streeters” from across the state to experience our vibrant downtown.
Why does this matter? At the 2025 CAMS Conference, hosted by Downtown San Luis Obispo, the economic impact totaled nearly $160,000 over just three days. The event activated five downtown hotels, filled meeting spaces, and brought increased traffic to local cafés, wineries, and restaurants. The Carlsbad Village Association is committed to making the 2026 conference the largest in CAMS history—and to generating the greatest economic impact the organization has seen to date.
Beyond the immediate economic benefits, the conference offers something just as valuable: exposure. It introduces new visitors to Carlsbad Village—many of whom may return as future guests, advocates, and champions of our downtown. As we all know, it often takes just one visit to this seaside community to fall in love.
The California Main Street Association is a diverse network of 31 member programs supported by the Main Street America approach, which focuses on revitalizing historic commercial districts through place-based, inclusive economic development strategies. CAMS has served as California’s state coordinating program for 40 years, providing training, access to resources, partnerships, and best practices for its members and affiliates. As part of Main Street America, CAMS connects to a national network that includes 41 state programs, four citywide neighborhood commercial district programs, one countywide program, and numerous regional partnerships. Collectively, Main Street America has helped more than 2,000 communities implement the Main Street framework—resulting in over $115 billion in local reinvestment, 345,000 building rehabilitations, 800,000 new jobs, and 180,000 new businesses launched nationwide.
I am proud to serve as Vice President of the California Main Street Association, and especially proud to bring this milestone conference to Carlsbad Village. As a Main Street Affiliate, the Carlsbad Village Association embodies the very principles at the heart of the Main Street movement—supporting small businesses, fostering entrepreneurship, and cultivating a vibrant, walkable downtown rooted in community. Hosting the annual CAMS Conference in this incredible Village feels both meaningful and fitting, as Carlsbad Village truly represents the best of what Main Street communities strive to be.