PLACES 2027 | Host Community Proposal

We are delighted to announce that we are now seeking proposals from communities wishing to host our 2027 PLACES conference, Washington’s annual statewide conference focused on the continued care of place through historic preservation, placemaking, and economic vitality, brought to you by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation.

Our vision for PLACES includes unique venues, interactive workshops, and many opportunities for attendees to network and engage in the local community. Because the content is place-based, the host community is, by nature, much more than just a facility; your organization would be an integral partner in planning and executing a rich and dynamic experience for conference-goers and visitors to your downtown!

Why Host?

• Strengthens local partnerships: Hosting PLACES in your downtown is fantastic opportunity to strengthen downtown partnerships and celebrate your Main Street and preservation success stories.
• Generates economic impact: We do our best to “walk the talk” and work with local businesses as much as possible. Because of this, the conference intentionally generates a significant economic impact for the host community and region. A conservative estimate, based on known expenses and a minimum estimated spending per attendee, of the impact of PLACES 2025 on the host community was over $322,000.
• Boosts tourism: For the past two years, roughly 50% of attendees had never been to the host city before (46% were new to Walla Walla and 53% were new to Gig Harbor). Both years, the vast majority of attendees said they were “very likely” or “extremely likely” to return for a future visit.
• Shows what’s possible: Past hosts have shared that PLACES proved that (and how!) their downtown could host large-scale events like conferences. It can also demonstrate to your community the breadth of the Main Street network as they learn from visitors from across the state.

As PLACES continues to draw more interest (we had about 415 attendees in 2025!), there are increasing opportunities to both grow the conference and offer more diverse and engaging experiences for attendees. Learn more about the scope and impacts of PLACES in our 2025 Impact Report.

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Learn more about hosting a successful PLACES conference below, or jump to key sections:

Conference Overview | Requirements & Responsibilities | Application Process & Submission

Applications are due on August 19, 2026.

Want to chat through your ideas before applying? Email Lydia at .

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What is PLACES?

PLACES is Washington’s annual statewide conference focused on the continued care of place through historic preservation, placemaking, and economic vitality, brought to you by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation. The PLACES Conference allows preservationists, planners, downtown development professionals, and anyone who cares about place to dive deep into creative ideas, build their network, and inspire new solutions.

Tentative PLACES 2027 Schedule

The conference is generally held during October. Applicants may propose other dates, but priority consideration will be given those cities able to accommodate the preferred date patterns. We prefer to host the conference on a Tuesday to Thursday in late September or October. We are still identifying our own preferred conference dates and will update this page when we’re able; in the meantime, please email Lydia to note your interest and learn more about potential dates.

If a different Tuesday to Thursday span in September/October than the one we share is better for your community, feel free to propose that time.

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The Host Community will work closely with Washington Trust for Historic Preservation (WTHP) staff to ensure a successful conference. In addition, the Host Community commits to important regional and financial support, including sharing recommendations and leveraging connections with hotels, facilities, vendors, and more. These commitments are further detailed below; we also ask for many of this information as it pertains to your community in the application.

Host Community Requirements

• Success stories: Must have local downtown and/or neighborhood development success stories that offer opportunities for tours and on-site workshops.
• Strong preservation ethic: The community should have a strong historic preservation ethic. The city and region should be able to illustrate the Main Street Approach at work and demonstrate an interest and commitment to preserving heritage resources. This should include challenges, both successes and failures, and benefits to the community at large.
• Commitment to downtown belonging: The organization should have a strong commitment to building equity within their community and an understanding of inclusive downtown development practices.
• Governmental support: The organization must have support from the local governing body, including providing a letter of support for hosting the conference. A pledged commitment in the form of sponsorship or in-kind donation by local governing body is not required, although favorable.
• Community support: The organization must have support from local partners, including two letters of support from partners for hosting the conference, and sponsorship commitments from local businesses and partners documented in writing (see below).
• Downtown capacity: Able to meet all hotel and venue requirements as outlined on our Event and Venue guide.
• Main Street Community: The Host Community must be a designated Washington Main Street Community in good standing.

Host Community Responsibilities

Responsibilities include the following:

Planning Support

• Appoint two representatives (preferably one staff and one board member) to serve on biweekly conference planning committee calls.
• Serve as liaisons or initial points of contact between WTHP and local resources, including venues, hotels, vendors, caterers, partners, speakers, and other relevant organizations/individuals (as needed).
• Assist with plans and logistics for special events and mobile tours.
• Recruit 20-25 local volunteers to assist with tasks such as registration, event set up, and tour dispatching during the conference.
• Plan and execute dynamic Welcome Party (on Day 1) to welcome attendees to your downtown.

Fundraising and Sponsorships

Though costs vary across the state, the total cost of putting on the PLACES conference is generally around $100,000. The host organization and the Washington Trust will work together to raise funds to cover the costs of the conference. Host Community responsibilities include the following:

• Secure local sponsorships for the conference:
  • The host organization is held to a minimum fundraising amount of $20,000, which may include cash and/or in-kind donations. Proposals with higher amounts and a higher percentage of cash sponsorships will be viewed more favorably.
    • A minimum $10,000 in commitments documented in writing (letter/email) with contact information is required as part of your proposal. (The Washington Trust will also also raise this amount before planning begins.)
  • After selection, the host organization and the Washington Trust will collaborate on raising the remaining amount. We rely on the host organization’s local connections for both cash and in-kind sponsorships, particularly given the local excitement that often surrounds the conference.
  • The level of local support for this event, including financial sponsorship, is an important factor in the site selection decision.
• Provide list of additional potential sponsors and, where available, provide contact information or connection with WTHP.

Local Promotion

• Help promote the conference throughout the community and state in conjunction with WTHP, including providing a list of /conducting outreach to local groups who may be interested in attendance at the conference.
• Conduct outreach to local groups or individuals, including the local governing body, to suggest submitting proposals to present, lead tours, and/or host networking events.
• Provide high-resolution photos and other communications assets to be used for promotional purposes.

WTHP Responsibilities

The Washington Trust retains the majority of the planning responsibilities. We have listed them here in short for your understanding.

• Work with state and local stakeholders to develop the conference agenda and programming.
• Manage conference planning and logistics, including management of the budget, overall conference schedule, workshops, tours, speakers, receptions, catering, and registration.
• Send out promotional and registration materials for the conference.
• Provide programs, name tags, handouts and other materials for the conference.
• Handle all finances and make final decisions and arrangements pertaining to hotels or lodging, caterers, and other vendors.
• Lead sponsorship efforts; work with the local host and stakeholder groups to identify potential conference sponsors and brainstorm fundraising ideas.

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Timeline

Applications are due on August 19, 2026 by 11:59 PM
As needed, site visits will take place between August 20-31, 2026.
Applicants will be notified of their status no later than September 7, 2026.

Application Process

To apply, the Main Street Community must submit the Host Community Application. This application form asks you to envision what the conference would look like in your Main Street. While the form itself should be completed in one sitting (there is no way to save and return to it), preparing the application will take time. As such, we have prepared templates and the following checklist to ensure a smooth process.

Before starting your application, please:

• Review the host requirements and responsibilities (above).
• Email Lydia () to note your interest in hosting and set up a time to discuss any questions.

Before filling out the form, please prepare the following:

• Application Template – You’ll copy and paste this information into the AirTable form. Make your own copy of the template, please!
• Venue, Sponsorship & Budget Worksheet (make your own copy, please!) – Share the link in Section 1; see template for more information
• Letters of support – To be attached in Section 6; see template for more information
  • 1 letter from local governing body
  • 2 letters from partner organizations
• Sponsorship commitment letters – To be attached in Section 7; see template for more information
• (Optional) Venue Attachments – Feel free to attach photos, brochures, pricing sheets, etc., for any of the venues you include in your application (Section 3).

Selection Process

The Host Community will be chosen by the PLACES Planning Committee, consisting of members of the WTHP staff and key stakeholders. The PLACES Planning Committee…

• May elect to conduct site visits with any of the proposed cities.
• Reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals received.
• Reserves the right to negotiate more specific terms with any potential service provider that may clarify, supplement or vary the terms of the service provider’s original proposal.
• Will determine all conference facilities.
• Reserves the right to negotiate with the selected facilities concerning format and schedule changes.
• Further reserves the right to enter into a contract for the year 2027, or to decline to enter into a contract.

Ready to Apply?

Please make a copy of the PLACES 2027 Host Proposal Template and PLACES 2027 Venues, Budget, & Sponsorship Worksheet to begin your application. When you are ready, please submit using the proposal portal below. We look forward to reading your proposal and supporting materials!

Want to chat through your ideas before applying? Email the PLACES team at .

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Banner photos courtesy of Heirloom Creatives (top banner) and Visit Walla Walla (subsequent banners).