1. Consider corridors where there already is some foot traffic, and where the consumer experience might be improved and extended by window displays.
2. Choose one corridor to focus initial efforts. Storefronts that are concentrated together will magnify impact.

Approach the property owners of the spaces on your shortlist. Discuss with the landlord or property managers that you would enter a simple, short-term use agreement for the window activations. The agreement should include the key elements listed in the Agreement Considerations section below.

Identify vendors, artists or businesses. Once the BID has access to the space, identify a vendor or artist to develop the installation. Local printers found via Google search can design, print and install window clings in the interior of the window. Alternatively, local artists or art students can be employed to paint windows. Finally, a vacant window might also be used as a window display opportunity by a local business.

1. Basic demographic information and trends for dominant and/or targeted consumer segments,
2. Information about available incentives or resources available for new tenants (including any technical assistance you might be able to offer to help expedite permitting and regulatory approval),
3. Testimonials from existing business owners, quotes of media coverage, and if possible, sales figures for the district.

1. Distribute these reports via email to subscribers of the BID’s newsletters and local brokers’ networks
2. Publish the report on a dedicated webpage hosted on the BID’s website.
3. Continue to build your real estate and property owner mailing list; this list should be distinct from the email list that announces events and activities.

1. Coordinate with local brokers and property owners who have extensive knowledge of the spaces available for lease.
2. The best time for these events is on weekdays during business hours, this allows business owners and entrepreneurs to visualize their merchandise and brands in a physical space while getting a preview of typical foot traffic and the popularity of co-tenants in the area.
3. Such events are particularly successful when tours for large groups of interested entrepreneurs are organized, forcing participants to put in more competitive offers for available spaces.
4. Engage vendors and financial intermediaries who can make themselves available to interested tenants.
5. Use the opportunity to collect emails and build your real estate mailing list to build your network for future announcements

Develop a clear mission statement for the competition. Is there a desired retail category or specific neighborhood amenity niche the BID wants to fill? Consider prioritizing those categories in your selection criteria.

Connect with your local property owner network to understand the spaces available that would be viable options for competition winners. This is especially important if the BID elects to host a pop-up competition. Choose available spaces through careful consideration of size, visibility, quality, and cost.

Source the community. To limit the cost of the program on the BID, other local property owners, businesses, and local business schools (if applicable), should be invited to sponsor services provided in the winning package.

Find local partners that can help provide business training and resources to your participants and/or competition finalists. Training may include business planning, accounting, HR, supply chain/inventory management, store design, branding, or marketing.

Judge contestants on their ability to meet established selection criteria. These should be defined in Step 1 and can encourage things like improving the overall BID’s district retail mix, level of experience and investment, or impact on diversity and quantity of employees, among others.

Create consolation prizes aside from the winning package, for finalists of the program in the form of technical support through business mentorship and permitting/licensing coaching sessions.

Find willing property owners – conduct outreach to property owners with vacant spaces and determine their interest in accommodating a low to no cost temporary use. Keep in mind that pop-up rents will likely generate less revenue than a traditional lease. The most suitable spaces will be those where there is little or no space modifications are necessary.

Helpful Tip: Pop-ups work best in ​“white box” environments, where they don’t have to spend money. Even better is when the space comes with flexible fixtures. It is difficult/impossible to get tenants to spend money when they have only a short amount of time to amortize those costs.

Define available incentives, if any – determine whether the BID will contribute incentives or support with minor tenant improvements, rent, marketing, signage, etc. This can help make the opportunity more interesting to potential pop-up tenants

Helpful Tip: Pop-up space typically exists because of the unpredictability of sales revenue form a given space, which is why rents are typically based on a percentage of sales. 10% is a nice round number for non-F&B retail (most common), but in the rare case of F&B (must be a space that is move-in read), 6% to 8% for a café or sit-down restaurant or 14% to 16% for a food hall/food court.

Identify partners – this might include local arts, culture institutions, borough chambers of commerce, etc. who can help inform program guidelines, requirements, priority types of activations (e.g., visual art installations, performance art events, digital art installations), length of activation, etc.

Identify potential tenants through outreach – announce the program with fanfare through email, social media or other communication channels. Issue a press release announcing the program and work closely with local media, newspapers and online forums to spread the word. Speak with local brokers and your existing businesses to see if they know of any entrepreneurs looking for space. Partner with local organizations like your Borough Chamber of Commerce to find potential tenants and announce the program. Increasingly there are web platforms for pop-up retail space that might also serve as resources for identifying potential tenants.

Helpful Tip: Pop-ups have a romance to them because vacant spaces are everywhere and far exceeding the number of businesses in need of such low commitment space. Even with free rent and a move-in ready space, a tenant is not a sure thing. They must be able to generate enough sales to make it worth their while compared to other opportunities to spend resources. One of the most common misconceptions in retail is that free space guarantees you a tenant.

Develop your agreement – establish short-term lease rates/discounts, develop sample agreements and determine compensations, etc. (See sidebar)

Helpful Tip: Unless it is a marquee project, where a term might be 1-year, emerging districts pop-up programs are typically month-to-month. In either case, the tenant typically has the right to terminate with 1 months’ notice without penalty

Know the rules and regs associated with the kinds of uses under consideration – Work closely with SBS to determine what regulations apply to the type of businesses you are considering. For example, food service businesses must comply with health regulations and they are more heavily regulated. The costs and processes associated with food & beverage businesses often preclude them from being suitable for pop-up spaces. As a result, most pop-ups are soft goods in nature

Support the effort with robust marketing and public relation – Consider creating a hashtag of the pop-up event to engage shoppers. Make sure the space is visible with signage and wayfinding, such as A-Frame Sandwich Boards (where allowed) and creative, high-quality chalk wayfinding on sidewalks. Consider ways to enliven the space with ambient entertainment, this might include engaging musicians or sketch artists.