DHBC promotes the Downtown area as a place to work, shop, dine, play, and live. Our campaigns not only promote Downtown Halifax as a destination, but we showcase existing businesses and highlight the advantages of being Downtown that make it an attractive place to invest in and open a business. With the goal of putting "feet on the street", we also work with event organizers and community partners, including our event sponsorship program, to attract and promote Downtown events. 

DHBC Social Media 

DHBC has a sizable social media presence, with over 54k followers on Instagram, over 21k on Facebook, and 56k on Twitter. We use our social platforms to the benefit of our members, so be sure to follow and tag @downtownhalifax / #downtownhalifax in your posts so we can share.

DHBC Marketing and Campaigns 

DHBC runs several promotions and campaigns throughout the year. Recent initiatives include: DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN, Buy Local Again, Patio Season in Downtown Halifax, Valentine's Day, March Break Downtown, Pups on Patios, and more. With some of these promotions, DHBC develops materials such as: social graphics, posters, window decals, prize packages, and more. With certain campaigns, there can be opportunities for members to take part. Stay connected through our socials, website, and/or the bi-weekly member update for all upcoming promotions and campaigns and how to get involved.

Partner Campaigns 

DHBC partners with a variety of industry stakeholders to help promote Downtown Halifax and our members. Partner campaigns include: Buy Local Again with 10 BIDs from around Nova Scotia, 'Discover Downtowns' campaign with Bell Media with the Urban BIDs (DDBC, NEBA, QRMDA, and SGABA), a Maritime BIDs' ‘Discover Downtowns’ campaign with CTV, Hidden Gems with Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Shopping Under the Stars with Spring Garden Area Business Association (SGBA), Free Ferry for March Break with Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission (DDBC). We also work closely with our partners at Discover Halifax and Build Nova Scotia on various campaigns and promotions. 

Print and Digital Ads

DHBC runs print and digital ads that promote the Downtown Halifax area in various local publications such as: Curated Magazine and Guide, Sea Nova Scotia, Neptune Theatre, My East Coast Experience, Family Fun Halifax, Eastlink, SaltWire/The Chronicle Herald, Discover Halifax's annual Kids and Visitor Guides, discoverhalifaxns.ca, thecoast.ca, and more.

Event Sponsorship Program

DHBC offers a limited number of sponsorships for events that contribute to our strategic goals. DHBC’s Marketing Action Team, comprised of members, reviews and evaluates all sponsorship opportunities against specific criteria including event attendance, impact of DHBC’s sponsorship on the event, impact on the Downtown community, and more. Events must be taking place within the Downtown Halifax Business Commission district to be eligible to apply. Learn more about the program and download the Event Sponsorship application and Guidelines here. For more information on the Event Sponsorship Program, contact allana@downtownhalifax.ca.

Member Business Promotion 

Do you have a special event or activity that your business or organization is hosting? Or maybe you have a special promotion, a new product or something else that you would like us to share? Tag us on social, @downtownhalifax / #downtownhalifax or contact raf@downtownhalifax.ca. 

OR you can login to your member account and upload your event(s) and promotion(s) to our popular events calendar. Our events calendar automatically pulls through to our twice-weekly public newsletter, ‘What’s Happening This Week’ and ‘What’s Happening This Weekend’ which gets shared publicly to over 3,300 people. You can subscribe to DHBC’s events newsletter at www.downtownhalifax.ca.

DHBC Events

DHBC organizes a limited number of events in a year with the goal of attracting more people into the Downtown area. Depending on the event, member businesses are welcome to participate by offering a special or promotion, activating an event in their establishment, selling their food or products onsite, etc. Upcoming DHBC organized events will be shared in our bi-weekly members update along with information about how to get involved. For more information on events in Downtown Halifax, email allana@downtownhalifax.ca. 

DHBC Grant Programs 

DHBC offers various grant programs for members. Recent grant opportunities have included: the 2023 ECMA Partner Stage Program, Get Ready for Summer, Beautify your Business, Deck the Downtown, Online Marketing Assistance, etc. For more information on upcoming grant opportunities, please reach out to allana@downtownhalifax.ca.

Parking Initiatives

To help mitigate the perception of parking problems in Downtown, DHBC focuses on easy enhancements that benefit both our members and the public. DHBC sometimes offers free parking for special events, either through the HotSpot mobile app or the on-street parking stations. We also maintain an extensive, up-to-date parking page, which outlines where to park, the costs, and other tips for easy parking Downtown. If you have questions or concerns about parking in Downtown Halifax, please call 311.

For more information about our Marketing programs and campaigns, or if you have an idea that would help support the Downtown area and businesses, contact allana@downtownhalifax.ca or raf@downtownhalifax.ca.