Marketing

Placemaking & Destination Marketing

Placemaking - turning spaces into Places’

How It Started —2010 to 2022

Hosted by the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District, First Friday ArtWalk featured:

  • One Block Party

  • Two Park Parties

  • 25+ Pop-up Vendors

  • 3 Outdoor Stages

  • 15,000 - 19,000 monthly attendees

  • $9,000 sponsorship

  • $21,500 event income

New partnerships, more opportunity:

  • 12 Block Parties

  • Two Park Parties

  • Two Pop-up Parties (in venues)

  • 9 Outdoor Stages

  • 25,000 - 29,000 monthly attendees

  • $45,500 sponsorship

  • $50,700 event income

  • NEW: 8 Block Party Curator

  • NEW: Featured businesses hosting live music, art gallery openings, and ArtWalk specials

  • NEW: Live muralists, break dancing, car displays, and more!

ArtWalk was Ready to Bloom…

The City, Presenting Sponsor (H-E-B), and downtown business owners all supported the growth of ArtWalk. At first there was pushback from businesses on closing the street in front of their business. A few months later, all business owners wanted to be part of one of the “ArtWalk Block Parties”.

We quickly discovered… PEOPLE LOVE WALKING ON THE STREETS. So we gave the people what they wanted.

How We Did It

Large-scale events like First Friday ArtWalk, drive traffic and revenue to Downtown Corpus Christi monthly.

ArtWalk was launched in 2010 by owners of downtown art studios and music venues. They wanted to highlight ‘all things art’ in the district and feature local artists and musicians.

In 2022, HiddenGEM started supporting the event and saw the immense potential of the brand and the experience. The goal, create connectivity, increase awareness, and get involvement from more local brands and businesses.

By 2024, the event had grown from three to 12 block parties, two to 6 outdoor stages, and featured more than 250 local businesses including downtown merchants, pop-up vendors, artists, block curators, musicians, and freelance photographers and videographers.

How It’s Going —2023 and beyond

1) Always something new

Whether it was a live wrestling match, bike- or car show, or youth break dancing competition, there was always something new each month at ArtWalk. We set the stage (closed the streets) and invited creatives of all types to showcase their brand and ideas.

Recognition

Photograph by Allie Leepson + Jesse McClary | Reference: Texas Monthly Website
Read the Article

2) Seasonal themes & activities

Every month was a reason to celebrate something new. We celebrated Halloween, the Winter Holidays, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, ArtWalk’s 13th Birthday, and more. Vendors and businesses participated in each theme and sold seasonal products.

3) We let the Creatives get creative

Hundreds of musicians, artists, producers, and business owners brought out their best for ArtWalk every month. Every block had a curated ‘vibe’, unique genre of music, and hand-selected pop-up vendors and activities.

4) Everyone was Invited!

All ages and faces were welcomed to ArtWalk. Sidewalks were ADA friendly, people could walk their pets through the footprint, and the event featured kid- and adult-friendly businesses and activities throughout the district. ArtWalk celebrates INCLUSIVITY.

In May of 2023, Texas Monthly wrote a featured article on the event, claiming it as ‘so much more than a street festival’.

Intermediate Service

The Echo Project →

Included

Initial Consultation

Brainstorming Session

Collaborative Planning

Customized Deliverables

Multiple Feedback Rounds

Actionable Recommendations

Post-Project Support

Advanced Service

The Brightline Project →

Included

Initial Consultation

Brainstorming Session

Collaborative Planning

Customized Deliverables

Multiple Feedback Rounds

Actionable Recommendations

Post-Project Support

Advanced Service

The Brightline Project →

Included

Initial Consultation

Brainstorming Session

Collaborative Planning

Customized Deliverables

Multiple Feedback Rounds

Actionable Recommendations

Post-Project Support

Advanced Service

The Brightline Project →

Included

Initial Consultation

Brainstorming Session

Collaborative Planning

Customized Deliverables

Multiple Feedback Rounds

Actionable Recommendations

Post-Project Support

“Their attention to detail and commitment to quality truly stood out. We’ve already recommended them to others.”

– Former Customer