Possibilities Tour Conference comes to Wenatchee Convention Center Sept. 25

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee Downtown Association (WDA) is rolling out its first Possibilities Tour Conference on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Wenatchee Convention Center. It’s a full day built to connect developers, property owners, small business folks, and local leaders with practical tools and real opportunities to grow in Wenatchee.

Tickets are $10 in advance ($15 day-of) and include breakfast, lunch, networking, expert-led breakout sessions, and the return of the WDA’s traditional guided Possibilities Tour of available downtown spaces.

The morning is geared to developers, investors, and property owners, moving through regional economic development trends, public-private partnerships, infrastructure and permitting, and creative capital stacking, in that order.

Creative capital stacking is simply mixing multiple funding sources to make a project pencil out: Think a blend of a traditional bank loan, a local grant, a state program or tax credit, maybe a small private investment, and the owner’s equity. No single pot has to do all the heavy lifting; the stack makes the math work.

That’s the kind of thinking that’s made Wenatchee an attractive place to do business. With the wealth of local banks that love to invest in our valley, grants available from more sources than many regions enjoy, a state friendly to business tax credits and plenty of private individuals and entities willing to sink a few dollars into almost everything, it’s a solid opportunity to learn how to do what both large businesses and nonprofits have been doing here for years.

In the afternoon, the spotlight shifts to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, with sessions on business planning and activation, tenant improvements on a budget, working with the city, leasing strategies, and local resources and support systems — again, in that sequence.

Whether you’re opening your first shop, eyeing a historic building, or just want a clearer view of Wenatchee’s development pipeline, there’s something here for you. The conference is supported by the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority and GTC Technical Support.

Register for the Possibilities Tour Conference at downtownwenatchee.org. Your ticket covers full-day access, meals, all sessions, networking, and the guided tour of downtown properties.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media