Collaborative success: MSU, Starkville honored with Mississippi Main Street Association awards
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.āGreat things can happen when great minds work together, and Mississippi State and the City of Starkville are proving this concept rings true with their acceptance of two awards from the Mississippi Main Street Association.
During the associationās annual recognition program held virtually this week, MMSA presented its Outstanding Economic Impact Award to āOrientation Dine Around Downtown.ā The project is a collaboration between MSUās Office of Admissions and Scholarships and its Office of Orientation and Events, along with the Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Starkville Main Street Association.
Developed and implemented as part of MSUās summer 2018 orientation program, āOrientation Dine Around Downtownā introduces thousands of incoming freshmen and transfer students and their families to local dine-in restaurants in the Starkville community.
Paige Watson, an Ļć½¶Ö±²„alumna serving as GSDPās special events and projects coordinator, said the 2018 and 2019 events saw a 40 percent increase in the two-percent food and beverage tax with over $45,000 going back into the local restaurants. Sales tax also increased during this event, she said.
āA large majority (86%) of Orientation attendees and their families also redeemed vouchers at local restaurants that went back into the local economy. āOrientation Dine Around Downtownā provides the first taste of culinary experiences in Starkville and has proven to be very successful,ā Watson said.
John Dickerson, Ļć½¶Ö±²„assistant vice president for enrollment, said the event is āa great opportunity for our incoming students and their parents to experience the Starkville community and learn more about their new home and the opportunities it provides.ā
āHelping students make the transition to the university and Starkville community is the goal of Orientation,ā Dickerson said, āand we feel Dine Around Downtown is a successful part of our Orientation program.ā
The event also received the in 2018.
āDirector Kylie Forrester and her team in Ļć½¶Ö±²„Orientation and Events spent a lot of time working on this program with the Partnership staff and the City of Starkville. They were tremendous partners in making this happen,ā Dickerson said. āHopefully, we will be able to have this as a part of our 2021 Orientation program.ā
Additionally, MMSAās Outstanding Entrepreneurial Endeavor Award went to the , a 2,000-square-foot downtown makerspace and retail storefront that opened in March 2019.
Part of the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, the Idea Shop was made possible through private support and the USDA Rural Business Development Program. In addition to the Ļć½¶Ö±²„Retail Product Accelerator, the innovative space features the Turner A. Wingo Maker Studio that provides a comprehensive assortment of design workstations, 3D printers, electronics, workbenches and advanced woodworking tools. The Idea Shop is operated by MSUās College of Business and the School of Human Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Makerspace membership is available to the public, and the shop hosts workshops to encourage newcomers to join the āmaker movement.ā Watson said the shop, which received the Starkville Main Street Associationās Partner of the Year Award in 2019, recently joined efforts to design uniformed sidewalk signs for Chamber businesses.
āThe Idea Shop is a shining example of an innovative business that is helping to create an everlasting entrepreneurial spirit in Mississippiās College Town,ā she said.
Sharon Oswald, dean of MSUās College of Business and professor of management, said the Idea Shop enhances the universityās community presence by providing students and others with a welcoming place for creative exploration.
āItās exciting to see the Starkville and Ļć½¶Ö±²„community embracing the limitless potential of the Idea Shop, and the recognition it has received this year makes me extremely proud,ā she said.
For more on the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, visit ; Mississippi Main Street Association, .
Ļć½¶Ö±²„is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .