2023 Year in Review
Downtown Huntsville has blossomed into a lively district brimming with commerce, entertainment, and recreational activities. Over the past year, DHI has dedicated itself to creating and supporting vibrant experiences through various stakeholder-driven strategies and initiatives. We invite you to take a look for yourself!
In 2023, DHI remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting small businesses and bringing free signature events to the community. We conducted a community perception survey at the beginning of the year, revealing a desire for more music-related activities and events, alongside a strong perception of safety. With these results, we focused on enhancing existing events by adding free live entertainment and activities to each one, which significatly increased attendance across the board.
We also advocated for increasing downtown office development to support daytime employment, which is crucial for downtown's vibrancy and small businesses. To further support small businesses, we added workshops and seminars to our Membership Briefings, alongside a new Small Business profile series launched through our newsletter and social media platforms. All of these initiatives would not be possible without the support from our members, city leaders, and Board of Directors. We look forward to achieving even greater milestones together in 2024.
DHI Team
Rob Buddo, President & CEO
Karla Bolin, Districts and Events Manager
Abigail Harrison, Communications Coordinator
Jami Peyton, 2023 Board Chair
2023 Impact
“2023 was a year of growth and transition for DHI as we hired a new CEO, marketing staff member, and expanded our activation in the districts. During this past year, DHI made a focused effort to improve our longstanding events and activities through collaboration with city partners. We focused on improvements and activities that created value for our membership, locals and visitors to our downtown and districts. I’m proud to have been a part of DHI as we celebrated our 10 year anniversary and look forward to seeing continued progress in Downtown Huntsville”
“We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our partners, city leaders, members, and the entire Huntsville community. Without this collective support, DHI’s effectiveness in creating a vibrant, diverse, and economically sustainable downtown would be limited. Together, we are shaping the future of Downtown Huntsville, creating a vibrant, thriving, and welcoming destination for all.”
2023 Downtown Award Winners
Winner: Advocate of the Year, Donna Castellano
Winner: Best New Business, Pearl Skin Aesthetics
Winners: Project of the Year, Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium and Event of the Year, Jazz in the Park