Street Fight Announces Research, More Events

Taking the podium on the second morning of the Street Fight Summit 2011 in New York City, Street Fight co-founder David Hirschman said that Hyperlocal Industries, which publishes the Street Fight website, would soon launch a research division, as well as host more events like the Summit in 2012.

“In the coming months we’re hoping to serve this community through other means as well — with original research and other tools to help promote sustainable business models in hyperlocal,” Hirschman told the audience of media, marketing and technology executives.

The first such report will examine the total community of hyperlocal news sites throughout country, ranging from single-community indie publishers to major corporate efforts. Hirschman said the forthcoming report will be followed by a more in-depth paper that looks into the minds and motivations of small and medium sized business owners.

Hirschman also announced that the company plans to roll out a directory to catalog businesses across the hyperlocal landscape. The directory, which is slated to launch within a few months, aims to be an essential resource for businesses to find customers and partners.

In addition to larger events like the Street Fight Summit, the company also plans to host smaller, regional and vertical events targeting for communities within the hyperlocal sector. The first Summit saw 289 registrants, had six sponsors, and opened with a long line out the door on the first morning.

“We started the company in April because we saw a lot of interest bubbling up in the local space,” said Hirschman. “We were greeted with a very enthusiastic response — and we will continue to support and expand that relationship in ways that serve our audience base.”