Participants Hub

We are so excited to have you as a part of The Block!

Your business is what makes this neighborhood so special, and we are proud to support you drive some new engagement and help create a stronger sense of community.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Carla & Anthony at hello@exploretheblock.com.

IMPORTANT DATES

LAUNCH PARTY & MARKETING KIT PICKUP

Friday, August 28th from 6-8 pm @Junction Food & Drink

COMMUNITY DELIVERY

Passports will be distributed to homes west of Holly St the first week of September

We've already had some businesses reaching out about being a part of the Spring/Summer 2027 edition of The Block and we are proud to announce it will be happening. We've learned a lot during this inaugural launch, so this fall we will announce what the process will look like to get involved.

PASSPORT VALIDITY DATES

SPRING/SUMMER 2027 EDITION & RENEWALs

All offers in the passport have valid dates from 9/1/26 to 2/28/27,

PARTICIPANT Frequently asked questions

How will The Block be promoted?

The launch of the passport is just the beginning. Throughout the season, we'll continue promoting The Block and our participating businesses through social media and community engagement.

Our marketing efforts will include:

Featuring participating businesses on our social media channels.
Reposting content from participating businesses whenever appropriate.
Highlighting new products, events, seasonal promotions, and special announcements.
Visiting businesses for photos, videos, and behind-the-scenes content.
Organizing pop-ups, mixers, giveaways, and other community events throughout the season.

We're building this community together, so if you have something exciting happening, let us know—we'd love to help share it!

I'm out of passports. Can I order more?

Absolutely!

Additional passports can be ordered in batches of 50. Because these are smaller print runs than our initial production, pricing will be higher than our original bulk printing costs. Visit this page to order additional passports for your customers or team. If you need to order a replacement passport cancellation stamp, visit this page.

I have an idea for improving The Block.

We'd love to hear it!

This is our inaugural edition, and we'll continue refining and improving the experience with feedback from participating businesses. If you have suggestions, ideas, or opportunities for collaboration, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Can I promote my participation in The Block?

Please do!

The more businesses talk about The Block, the stronger the program becomes. We'll provide logos, social media graphics, website banners, and other marketing resources to make it easy to share.

Don't forget to tag @ExploreTheBlock on Instagram so we can share your posts, too.

I have an event, sale, or special promotion. Can The Block help promote it?

Yes!

One of the benefits of participating is ongoing exposure throughout the season. If you have an event, new product, anniversary, community initiative, or something exciting to share, send it our way. While we can't guarantee every submission will be featured, we'll do our best to incorporate participating businesses into our ongoing content.

CAN I CHANGE WHERE MY QR CODE IS DIRECTED?

Absolutely!

The QR codes printed in The Block are dynamic, so the URL they point to can be changed. If you need a chance, reach out to hello@exploretheblock.com, and we will be happy to get this taken care of for you.

What if a customer forgets their passport?

Each business can decide how they'd like to handle those situations.

Some participants may choose to honor the offer anyway, while others may require the physical passport. Either approach is perfectly acceptable.

Can I change my offer after the passports have been printed?

Generally, no.

Because the passports are printed, we ask businesses to honor the offer that appears in the current edition. If you'd like to be more generous than what's printed, you're certainly welcome to do so.

Talking About The Block

You don't need to "sell" The Block—just be enthusiastic about it. Here are a few easy ways to introduce it during conversations with customers:

"Have you heard about The Block? We're excited to be one of the participating businesses this season."
"The Block is a neighborhood passport that encourages people to discover and support local businesses throughout Virginia Village."
"If you're using The Block, be sure to check out the other participating businesses too. There are some great spots in the neighborhood."
"We love being part of something that's bringing more people into Virginia Village and helping support our local business community."

A Few Tips

Don't feel like you need to know every detail about The Block.

Don't guess if you're unsure of an answer—refer customers to ExploreTheBlock.com.
Encourage customers to explore other participating businesses. A rising tide lifts all boats.
Most importantly, have fun with it! Your excitement is what customers will remember.