The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (BID), as a part of its new rebranding effort complete with a new logo and color scheme, will now be called Downtown Boston Alliance (DBA).

Michael Nichols, president of the DBA, said that the rebranding comes as a way for the BID to better reflect the work that the organization does today and the direction of the work they will do going forward. The organization unveiled the rebrand during its annual members meeting on Wednesday.

“BIDs are not that well known in a lot of places and the term BID seems very much like an insider baseball term where people in government or the press or real estate know what it is, but no one else really does,” said Nichols. “Of the 25 or 30 largest BIDs in America, our BID, the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, is one of the last really like three, that still use BID in our name.”

The Times Square Alliance in New York City, Downtown Denver Partnership in Denver, Colorado and Central Houston Incorporated are all examples Nichols gave of BIDs that do not employ the acronym in their name.

Nichols added that the previous name was seen as somewhat of an impediment to artists, musicians, programming partners and retail businesses in understanding what it is that the organization does.

Downtown visitors will notice the changes with newly designed uniforms for the organization’s team of street ambassadors, revised designs of signage, pushcarts, support vehicles and trashcans.

The organization’s objective is to make Downtown Boston cleaner, safer and more vibrant with its work ranging from engaging the public to making sure vacant spaces in the downtown area are filled.

With a team of 40 ambassadors, DBA works to clean the 34 blocks around Downtown Crossing and the Financial District of graffiti and garbage “seven days a

week, nearly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” Nichols said.

They also provide support services to those suffering from homelessness and other social challenges, hand out maps and brochures to tourists, programs art and music performances and hosted or produced virtually all 400 events that took place in downtown Boston over the last year.

“We serve as an advocate for the area, weighing in on government process as it relates to the residents and office workers of downtown,” Nichols said. “We work on behalf of the property owners of downtown to try and fill vacant retail storefronts and increasingly vacant office spaces.”

DBA also announced in a press release the expansion of its 2024-2025 winter programing, starting with “Holiday Kingdom”.

In addition to the neighborhood’s annual wreath, lighting and streetscape decorations, Washington and Summer Streets will display twelve “larger than life” decorations expected to inspire childlike awe.

In January, the alliance will bring back “WINTERACTIVE,” a curated art experience that saw more than 650,000 visitors last year. This year, approximately 20 pieces will be spread across downtown including several pieces that have never been seen in America.

A new pop-up community events space on Winter Street will also be coming in 2025 as a part of the organization’s “Third Space” initiative, according to the release, providing a space for arts events, performances, community markets and more.