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Langley Chamber highlights partnerships, Creative District recertification and $20,000 grant
Summary
Nicole Batinton Johnson, executive director of the Langley Chamber of Commerce, told council the chamber used partnerships and novel marketing (including a podcast tie-in) to promote Mystery Weekend, supported ferry-related visitor services and secured a community matching arts grant of a little over $20,000 to start Creative District projects.
Nicole Batinton Johnson, executive director of the Langley Chamber of Commerce and administrator for the Langley Creative District, briefed council on recent marketing and partnership work to support downtown businesses and arts programming. She said the Chamber partnered with a Seattle podcaster to reach key demographics for Mystery Weekend and worked with the Port and Washington State Ferries on the Harbour Hopper pilot. "We were actually awarded an arts capital grant ... they granted us a little over $20,000 to begin," she said, noting the money is a matching grant intended to catalyze projects.
Johnson described practical constraints — Langleys small infrastructure and capacity — and emphasized nonfinancial partnerships (WhatsApp threads, round-robins at member meetings) as key resources for sustaining events and visitor welcome efforts. She told council the Creative District now has a steering committee with reserved seats for arts organizations, arts businesses, working artists, a community member and a government representative, and that staff will bring permit requests for a phased project to improve accessibility at a proposed multiuse art space.
