Want to become a member of DLI? We’d love to have you join us! Here’s what you’ll get!

Questions? Contact the Executive Director via the contact form or at 785-842-3883.

How We Serve the Community

The efforts of DLI work for the benefit of every Downtown Lawrence business and the greater community.

Downtown Beautification:

  • Help facilitate seasonal plantings with City
  • Provide and maintain Christmas decorations and seasonal banners
  • Partnership with Cottonwood’s JobLink to provide additional year-round sidewalk cleaning and maintenance

Participate in sponsoring, planning and coordinating downtown events including, but not limited to:

  • Lawrence Restaurant Week
  • Kansas Craft Beer Expo (DLI/KS Craft Brewers Guild event)
  • St. Patrick’s Day Parade—March 17
  • Lawrence Busker Festival
  • Free State Festival
  • Annual Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale
  • Summer Brown Bag Concert Series (DLI/LPRD event)
  • Downtown Summer Film Festival – Dinner & A Movie (DLI event)
  • Oktoberfest Lawrence (DLI event)
  • Zombie Walk
  • Mass Street Monster Mash Halloween Party (DLI event)
  • Halloween Painted Windows (DLI/LPRD event)
  • Halloween Trick-or-Treat—October 31 (DLI event)
  • Holiday Lighting Ceremony— (DLI/LPRD event)
  • Small Business Saturday shopping event – Saturday after Thanksgiving (DLI event)
  • Winter Wonder Weekend – 1st weekend in December (DLI/DLI partners event)
  • Lawrence Old Fashioned Christmas Parade—First Saturday in December
  • Final Fridays—monthly

Unified lobbying voice for members with City & County on Downtown issues including development, community events and parking; collaboration with City of Lawrence, Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lawrence Chamber, University of Kansas, Lawrence Arts Center, Watkins Museum of History, and many other community organizations

Free listing on 3 new merchant business directories: (non-member businesses must pay for inclusion)

  • Vermont St. Parking Garage map and directory (6.3’x11’)
  • Downtown Lawrence walking and downloadable map and business directory (advertising space available)
  • 9th & Mass. St. free standing kiosk (9’x5’x2’) includes map and directory (advertising space available)

Weekly e-blast with news, events and opportunities related to Downtown businesses (advertising space available)

Promotion of your business and special events to DLI’s 37,000 Facebook, 9500 Twitter and 9200 Instagram followers and to 3000 weekly e-newsletter subscribers

Promotion of your business and special events to our 3500+ Downtown Lawrence mobile app users

Promotion via $20,000+ annually of advertising and marketing materials

Opportunities to participate in promotional activities including retail, food, entertainment, and family events

Opportunities to participate in local and regional cooperative advertising and marketing activities

Inclusion in a dynamic website with 93,000 visitors and 215,000 page views per year featuring: Member Business Directory, Event listings, and Member profiles (advertising space available)

Member meetings, networking, referral and small group opportunities

Free business development classes on topics from Human Resources to Quick Books to Social Media/Marketing, etc.

Downtown Lawrence Gift Cards – nearly $200,000 worth sold annually; over $1 million worth sold to date

  • Ability to accept DLI Gift Cards and inclusion in DLI member business directory distributed with every gift card
  • Increased sales generated via this program

Inclusion in all permits, insurance and promotion of Annual Sidewalk Sale and DLI other events

Annual General Membership Breakfast and Annual Mixer

Membership discounts from select vendors

Belong to a group of local business owners all working together to keep Downtown vibrant and relevant!