The tenth annual Sociable City Summit will feature pioneers in the nighttime management movement and new leaders bringing fresh ideas and experience. Check back as we add more the exciting program of global presenters and showcase presentations.
Welcome to Dallas
Dallas is laying out the red carpet to Summit attendees. You'll experience Deep Ellum, the historic popular entertainment district and be guided to other districts in the city. The Dallas Showcase Luncheon will be led by the new Nighttime Economy Manager bringing perspectives from key stakeholders in the city.
Academy is designed for cities seeking to establish a formal office with staff on social economy management, whether expanding daytime markets, events, festivals, and celebrations or a dynamic nighttime social activity in restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and live music and performance venues. There are two sections. One to introduce the "building blocks" of a Sociable City Plan. The second, a focus on venue and public safety. Read More.
Women blaze new trails in planning social activity
Leaders Bring Insights on the Social Economy
Progressive cities embrace a future with a vibrant daytime social economy with festivals, events, and markets and manage growth in the nighttime social economy of dining and entertainment venues. RHI’s 2024 Sociable City Summit will feature general sessions with key women leaders in four critical sectors of social economy management: Nighttime Safety and Security; Destination Marketing; Social Venue Compliance, and Nighttime Management and Governance.
Session Moderator
Jocelyn Kane, Senior Consultant, Responsible Hospitality Institute, will moderate the four general sessions. In addition to her work with RHI, Jocelyn served with the San Francisco Entertainment Commission for 15 years, with many as executive director. She built the program, expanded staff, and lead innovation in policy and program. The Commission served as a template for what is now the office for nightlife in many cities.
Among the many accomplishments was implementing the San Francisco "Agent of Change" policy to balance responsibility with development and sound mitigation to the business or developer coming into an already established residential or nightlife district. Another achievement was the popular San Francisco "Nitey Awards" recognizing the many businesses and staff supporting the nighttime social economy.
Nighttime Safety and Security
Women's safety is vital to vibrancy. This includes specialized training in social venues, management of public space and a collaborative alliance with police for training, rapid response, and crime scene preservation in the event of an incident. Women are playing an increasing role in the phases of this continuum.
Leverage the Social Economy in Destination Marketing
Tourism, conventions and festivals attract audiences who want to experience parks, dining, and performances and continue into the evening and late-night for dining and live performances. This intergenerational panel will explore this connection, what role they play, their rise to leadership, and the unique perspectives women bring to each of the sectors
Proper management, code compliance and nuisance abatement are key to safety in nighttime social districts. A contributing factor to safety in nighttime social districts is the proper management of alcohol service, and compliance to the many codes required to maintain occupancy, order, and sound impacts on local residents. The structure of alcohol regulation begins at the state level, each with variations on venue responsibility. Successful compliance requires coordination of state regulators and local code enforcement and compliance. This panel will explore this alliance, challenges, and the emerging role of women in this sector.
Cities worldwide are creating offices and staff positions on nighttime social economy management. This panel will bring early US leaders in this movement to trace the history and concepts, forecast how the field is evolving and the role of women in nighttime management, with perspectives from veterans and new leaders.
The City of Dallas is about delivering for its citizens and visitors, taking broad and bold steps forward, and working as partners in all sectors to continue to build a better Dallas. With multiple entertainment districts, a burgeoning downtown, and a robust overall economy that draws in millions of visitors annually, Dallas understands that a sociable city prioritizes people's need for socializing by enhancing vibrancy in both public and private spaces, assuring safety, and managing impacts on quality of life from an active nighttime economy. With major infrastructure projects underway, a renewed commitment to partnership with nighttime business owners and operators, and an innovative look at education-based ordinance/policy enforcement, Dallas is braced to become a model in the sociable city realm.
Nathan Armstrong
Manager of Nighttime Economy and Responsible Hospitality
Sustain resources and culture for a vibrant social economy
Music is the Heartbeat of Sociability
Thoughtful policy and resource allocation preserve culture and venues essential to a growing music economy and creative community.
Stephen Parker, Executive Director, National Independent Venue Association will lead a luncheon keynote panel on the future of the independent music and performance venues.
Parker works with NIVA’s board and staff to grow the association’s membership, expand national partnerships that advance the live entertainment sector, and empower members with resources to strengthen the future of live entertainment. Prior to NIVA, Parker served in senior and advisory roles at the National Governors Association, the Country Music Association.
This session showcases those who have navigated the challenges, witnessed the importance of music, nurtured young artists, and supported a local economy built around their venue.
Fusion is joining two or more systems to form a single entity
Building a Safe Destination
Attracting Visitors and Using Data to Ensure the Nighttime Safety
Visit Dallas is expanding its partnership with the City of Dallas to support public safety departments and 24-Hour Dallas to incorporate data and technology platforms to ensure the best visitor and resident experience in entertainment districts.
This session brings destination marketing leaders and a leading researcher to explore the importance of a nighttime social economy that is vibrant and safe to attract conventions and tourists.
Nighttime social districts and venues are at increased risk of violence and disorder. Solutions require coordinated strategies using data and organized community resources.
Session 1: Focused Deterrence Intervention for Public Safety
Professor Kennedy was a principal in the Boston Gun Project in the mid-1990s, which pioneered a high-level action-research approach to public safety and the groundbreaking “Operation Ceasefire” homicide prevention strategy, and from which Kennedy developed the “focused deterrence” intervention framework. He will bring insights on addressing violence in venues and public spaces and on the public drug markets and disorder that have begun affecting many cities in the last several years.
Session 2: Community Engagement with Young Adults to Reduce Violence
A growing challenge in cities, and especially in an active nightlife district, is disenfranchised youth bringing disruptive behavior, creating fear and avoidance of public space use, or engaging in violent behavior in or around social venues. Cornel Jones and Michael Paul will share strategies to enfranchise youth into more productive life choices and assist venues in managing risk.
Session 3: Evolving from Steel Mills to Social Districts
Pittsburgh's South Side is a historic district with storefronts dating back to the days of the steel mills, surrounded by neighborhoods where many residents are descendants of the mill workers. Over the years, the district underwent dramatic changes with the loss of the steel industry, and changes in storefront uses, including a density of social venues drawing patrons from the surrounding regions. Larry Scirotto will trace the evolution of public safety approaches and improvements made through growing cooperation to implement solutions.
Educational Workshops on Emerging Trends
Technical experts and association leaders will bring important information on safety, security, and planning. Check back for more details and additional session speakers.
Art Guzzetti
Vice President – Mobility Initiatives and Public Policy
Nighttime Mobility: Serving Workers, Patrons, Business, and Demand
Public demand for transit and overall mobility is growing rapidly in off-peak and late evening hours. The nighttime economy adds vibrancy to community living and has taken a growing presence in the jobs market.
This presentation will address ways transit agencies can step up efforts to address the needs of late-shift workers and how transit agencies can best meet the needs of our communities outside of the traditional peak service hours.
Session 1: Trauma Informed Response for Sexual Assault Investigations
The training focuses on educating public safety personnel on the effects of trauma on the human brain and behavior so that investigators handle interviews more compassionately…and more effectively.
Kisha Slaton will cover realities for both victims and offenders; the science of trauma and how it impacts victims, including their recall of and reaction to the event; techniques to obtain information from victims who may be experiencing the effects of trauma; investigative strategies, including discussing consent; a discussion around Title IX, (including the new regulations and their impact on campus police and public safety), and how to work more effectively with campus and local partners.
Session 2: Women Bring New Perspectives and Skills in Security
The image of the burly "bouncer" is changing as more women are joining security details at events and in social venues. Tonia Tong will join Kisha Slaton in a separate session on this trend and what skills women bring to frontline safety and security. Tonia Tong established the first all women security team in response to special requests for events and venues. Kisha Slaton brings her former role with the Arkansas attorney general in coordinating security, and on occasion met with a similar request for women security personnel. Both will explore these trends and share insights on how you can engage more women to join the security profession.
Retain Staff: Hospitality Workers and Mental Health
Restaurants and other hospitality venues are facing challenges in finding and retaining workers. Whether in a busy kitchen or high-intensity dining room and bar, hospitality workers face stress in their jobs while being isolated from typical family and social connections because of their schedules.
This session will feature two programs bringing mental health services to support hospitality workers. In NYC, theElevate: Nightlife Mental Health Initiative program was launched during COVID. TheBurnt Chefprogram in Bristol is for chefs and hospitality workers. Whether alcohol or drug addiction, depression, suicide, or anxiety from family or relationship conflicts, bringing services to this underserved workforce will bring dividends to employers, employees, and the customers they serve.
Prevention and Response to Violent Acts at Festivals and Nightlife Districts
Violence in festivals and nightlife districts has become so prevalent that strategies to prevent and respond to such events must now be a core planning component. From active shooter events such as the Las Vegas concert to indoor active shooting events like the Pulse nightclub to the vehicle-turned-weapon slaughter in Wisconsin, events are at risk, and that risk must be addressed.
Prevention strategies are necessary for successful events, including identifying and collecting contraband upon entry and managing crowd densities to ensure an aggressive and robust response to violence. Many of these are addressed during crowd manager training (mandated by national codes), but additional planning based on the individual event is now necessary.
This presentation will include a blueprint for planning and executing a comprehensive public safety plan for nightlife districts and festivals.
This session will examine where the beer, wine, and distilled spirits industry has been and where it is headed following a chaotic 2023. This will include an examination of the wide variety of data that shape the narratives for consumers, media and policy makers. Using a combination of unique data, he will present compelling insights to shed a unique perspective to better understand the policy, economic and demographic factors shaping the alcohol beverage market in 2024 and beyond.
Session 2: The Independent Craft Beverage Business Brings Back Community
The UK pub, the French café, the German Beer Garden, and the US tavern have all served as gathering places for community, barter, and local politics. Today, the independent craft brewer and craft distiller are redefining this role as a community center, featuring the fusion of food trucks, musicians, and artists and creating a family and neighborhood gathering space for socializing, localism, and community social connections.
Paul Seres was a significant figure in the evolution of the New York City nightlife industry as an owner-operator of iconic venues. Today, he is capturing a new market in upstate New York, showing how a craft beverage business can build community in this rural and growing part of the state. Brad Mall took his experience as a home brewer to winning competitions and joining with a partner to open Oak Highlands Brewery.
24HourDallas is a non-profit, membership-driven organization that promotes nighttime safety, inclusivity, and economic and cultural vibrancy. This united collaborative launched the Good Neighbor Initiative in December 2021.
In close coordination with the City of Dallas, 24HourDallas has “Copper Star Certified” 63 nighttime businesses, hosted quarterly relationship-building meetings, free trainings, and an annual Women U-Night with an accompanying Women’s Night Safety Charter, and most recently received the Champion of Freedom Award from the North Texas Coalition against Human Trafficking in January 2024 and named an international finalist for Best Nighttime Economy Initiative by Music Cities Events in 2023.
The nighttime and social economies of our cities are complex. When it comes to shaping, activating, and managing these ecosystems successfully, it is no surprise that complicated issues invariably mean complicated personalities. And few things can derail your success more than an agnostic or an obstructionist.
This interactive session will guide you through simulation exercises, gaining practical experience in tools on the dos and don’ts of leading other people to your ideas, manage narcissists, deflectors, discreditors, and other unsavory personalities, deciding if you are the right person to lead the change, and the secret strength that comes with the position of "weakness."
Randall White is an award-winning community leader and former consultant in public affairs, communications, and non-profit management.
Women comprise only 12% of sworn officers and 3% of police leadership in the U.S. This under-representation of women in policing undermines public safety. Research shows women officers use less force and less excessive force, are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits, are perceived by communities as being more honest and compassionate, see better outcomes for crime victims, especially in sexual assault cases, and make fewer discretionary arrests.
This session will explore how your city can overcome barriers in recruitment and retention and how to join a network of associations and departments committing to 30% of police recruits by 2030
Strategies for Women's Safety in Venues and Public Space
Designing for safety involves simple steps gathered from best practice examples around the world. This session raises awareness that women’s safety is not just a women’s issue—it should be a priority across the gender spectrum.
RHI’s Vice President Alicia Scholer will share findings from focus group research in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico about how to make nighttime social spaces safer and more comfortable for women. Carly Heath (UK), Nighttime Economy Advisor for the Bristol City Council, will share the city’s comprehensive programming for women’s safety in the nighttime economy. Bristol has undertaken citywide initiatives and campaigns that invest in the safety of women patrons and employees.
Savannah's Vision for Nightlife in a Living History
Savannah is poised at a unique crossroads where the vibrancy of nightlife meets the charm of historical legacy. In response, the city is pioneering an approach to nightlife in the heart of our mixed-use urban landscape, where entertainment venues nestle amidst residential areas. The focus is to harmonize the needs of residents with the pulsating beat of Savannah's night scene. As a historical city, there are distinctive challenges: preserving heritage while fostering a dynamic, contemporary social sphere.
We're not just managing nightlife; we're cultivating it within the context of our city's rich tapestry, ensuring Savannah remains a sociable city with respect for its roots and a gaze set firmly on the future.
Edward Grant, Assistant Director, Special Events, Film and Tourism
The dynamics of a social district evolve to keep pace with changes in the local economy, demographics, and storefront uses. How people shop and socialize continues to change, from impacts generated by the growth of shopping malls and online shopping to COVID-19. As a retail storefront closes and a dining or entertainment venue takes over, more people and staff are in the same space. Tracking these changes can provide for better coordination of parking, waste management, and public safety resources.
This session will introduce a Storefront Analysis conducted in Sacramento, comparing two social districts and the mix of uses, occupancy, revenue, employment, and variations by those with alcohol and entertainment after midnight.
Spotlight on New York City's Nightlife & Hospitality Industry
Four years ago, New York City was the center of COVID-19’s first wave. The New York City Office of Nightlife and the New York City Hospitality Alliance both worked as advocates for policy reform and support the industry's survival. This included changes to in alcohol licensing and policies, the reform of cabaret laws and zoning regulations, revisions to outdoor seating guidelines, implementation of programs to mediate conflicts between residents and venues, and reforms in the approach of city agencies towards risk management in venues. Organized hospitality business alliances and a dedicated Office of Nightlife, with staff serving as liaisons between the industry, community, and government officials, are essential for effective transformation and progress. Join to learn how it works for New York City.
How a Growing City Handles Changes to the Nightlife Scene
City staff will detail the experience creating and shaping the Hospitality and Nightlife Program. In 2020, as Raleigh’s hospitality district and nightlife scene grew, the City established a new subsection of the Office of Special Events that would cover Hospitality and Nightlife permits, trends and relations. The first objective of the team was to establish relationships with the business owners as new hires were liaisons between the businesses and the City. Roles have grown and change throughout Covid to adapt to the needs of the community and continue to answer the question: what does a mid-sized city with forecasted exponential growth do to adapt to the need for a rich, cultural hospitality and nightlife scene?
Rachel Bain, Hospitality and Nightlife Planner
Whitney Schoenfeld, Senior Manager, Office of Special Events
Nighttime Managers Share Their Experiences
The The NITECAP Alliance is a network of professionals responsible for nighttime economy advocacy, planning and management in US cities
Brought back by popular demand, members of the NITECAP Alliance bring their experience and wisdom in two sessions. This is your opportunity to gain insights on the role of a nighttime manager, and how their function is established in different city departments or organizations.
Ask a Night Mayor
An interactive discussion with night managers where you can pose your top questions and priorities. Whether you are just curious about what a night manager does on a typical day or how they might approach a specific challenge, this is your chance to hear the answer to “What would a night manager do?”
Learning Objective
Effective strategies used by night management professionals to address nighttime economy issues.
So you Want to Hire a Night Manager? Don’t Mess it Up!
The path from hiring a nighttime manager to media hype to the first year of buckling into the work is charged with high expectations from night businesses, residents, patrons and City Administration. Missteps can doom the initiative from the start, hinder its sustainability or at the very least make it an uphill battle for the new hire’s early days. What is needed from those championing the position to assure the night manager or office is teed up for success? How can Cities best pave the way to manage expectations and support the night manager before, during and after hiring?
Learning Objective
Pitfalls to avoid in proposing, hiring and defining the role of a nighttime economy manager
How stakeholders can assist in building a base of support from idea to implementation
