Nelson said this could continue downtown Hamilton’s growth and evolution as a destination hub. While weddings are already happening at city venues, like the Benison, Events on Main, Fitton Center and Champion Mill Conference Center, Nelson and Peterson see an opportunity for the Hamilton business community to lean into the wedding industry.
“We want to position the city as the go-to bridal district in southwest Ohio,” said Nelson. “That is the vision we want people to search ... and we want the Hamilton Bridal District to come up.”
Similar to the Reading Bridal District, which is a membership-fee based initiative, the Hamilton Bridal District would bundle all the city has to offer, from planning and gifts to gowns and formal wear.
Statistically, even if Hamilton could get a fraction of the estimated 9,000 weddings in greater Butler County, Peterson said that would be a win for the city’s business community. “What if we got 10%, what if we got 15%, what if we collectively pushed a brand that pushed more and more traffic into Hamilton?”
The goal is to get at least 15 vendors on board by Nov. 1 and launch the website and initiative by Dec. 1, Nelson said. There are dues for membership into the Hamilton Bridal District, the lion’s share of which would be earmarked for marketing, website development and social media management, and paid advertising, according to a recent presentation on the Hamilton Bridal District. A couple dozen people attended this meeting.
Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dan Bates said weddings are a “big business” and capitalizing on that industry “is an opportunity for a revenue stream.”
Though the trend today is for smaller weddings, Bates said, “That doesn’t mean they’re spending less money.”
A Hamilton Bridal District would benefit those businesses that aren’t participants because “it will provide additional foot traffic in the downtown area.”
“They’re coming in to have that consultation for their dress or flowers, and even the business that might not be directly involved in providing services for weddings would benefit,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for the businesses.”
Bates, who said the chamber will serve as a support team for the initiative, said this project not only could drive potential customers and clients to Hamilton, but business owners looking to open, expand or relocate into Hamilton.
“If this is successful, absolutely, (it’ll attract new businesses),” he said. “I can see a couple years from now, if they do the marketing aggressively and correctly, and people start talking about (it), absolutely it can bring more bridal-related businesses downtown.”
For information, visit hamiltonbridaldistrict.com.
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