Miami Lakes committees plan Main Street Live and seek sponsors for marketing

Members of Miami Lakes' Cultural Affairs Committee and the town's Economic Development Committee discussed plans to relaunch the Main Street Live series and committed committee resources to marketing and sponsorship outreach.

The committees said they intend to support a Main Street Live event scheduled for Feb. 21 and discussed using committee budget dollars to buy social media advertising, assemble a sponsorship package and recruit merchants to participate. Committee members also described a program of concerts, dance performances, art demonstrations and a possible fashion show stretching from January through June if weather and attendance permit.

Cultural Affairs Committee member Laura Ratlick identified a roster of performers and artists already interested in participating and said the committee has an artist-and-musician registry for Miami Lakes performers. Committee members flagged timing as a challenge: with limited lead time before the Feb. 21 date they proposed a short, focused digital marketing push and tapping influencers to generate short-form video content.

Members discussed roles and budgets. Cultural Affairs members said the event is currently recorded as a GRAMA (grant or town-run) event and that Felicia, an organizer referenced during the meeting, plans to request formal town approval so the town can apply its logo and handle sponsorships. Committee members said the Economic Development Committee (EDC) has funds it can use to cover vendor payments now and can review invoices before payment.

The committees discussed sponsorship options including having sponsors underwrite specific, recurring costs such as stage rental (identified at about $800) or lighting. Several members suggested creating a standard sponsorship package that clearly lists sponsor benefits; one EDC member said the committee can assemble a sponsorship package for prospective sponsors.

Committee members said they would use existing town channels — the town newsletter, the park kiosk, the chamber of commerce mailing lists, Eventbrite and social media — to promote Main Street Live. They also said they would approach merchants to coordinate specials or happy hours to coincide with event nights and that merchants expressed interest in participating.

No formal town-wide budget change or council action was recorded in the discussion; participants said a formal town event designation and related approvals would follow a request to the town council.

The committees set follow-up steps: assemble a sponsorship package, confirm which line items the EDC will pay now, coordinate digital marketing over the two weeks before Feb. 21 and report back at a subsequent subcommittee meeting after the event to consider extending the series to June.