Program areas at Defiance Development and Visitors Bureau
The organization's primary exempt purpose is to develop projects to enhance, educate, and promote business in the Defiance area. This includes organizing, supporting and overseeing the following committees: the design committee, whose purpose is to create an attractive, coordinated and quality image of the community by capitalizing on its unique assets and heritage; the promotion committee, whose primary responsibility is to market a unified, quality image of the business district as the center of activities, goods and services to retailers, residents, shoppers, investors and tourists; and the economic restructuring committee, works to develop a market strategy for the community that will result in an improved retail mix, a stronger tax base, increased investor confidence and a strong, stable role for the downtown area.
The organization sponsors the annual lilac festival. The festival features the most prolific artists of northwestern Ohio; arts, antiques & craft fair, garden market and farmers market. There are musicians performing thoughout the day with children's activities available, food vendors and much more.
The organization facilitates the collection of donations for the annual fireworks display for the Defiance area. The organization also plans and coordinates the fourth of july events and pays all expenses out of the fireworks fund.
Other programs that fall under the organization's exempt purpose include being the fiscal agent for the santa house and downtown christmas decorations. Each christmas season a small house is erected and decorated in the downtown area. A santa is hired and children from the area are invited down to visit santa with picture opportunities available. The organization is the fiscal agent for the Defiance christmas decorations committee. Funds are collected through donations and the christmas committee meets and decides how to appropriately utilize these funds to decorate during christmas season.