Experience Grand Rapids recognized with three awards

Experience Grand Rapids has won two Diamond Awards for Excellence and a Gold Honorable Mention for its innovative work in public relations, marketing and collaboration from the Michigan Society of Association Executives.

The awards were presented Sept. 18 at the MSAE 12th Annual Diamond Awards Banquet in Rochester, Mich.

“I was so very proud to wear the GR colors and accept the award on behalf of our staff, organization and community,” said Doug Small, Experience Grand Rapids president. “We are very fortunate to have a destination with world-class facilities and attractions to promote and market to the world.”

Experience Grand Rapids won a Diamond Award for its monthly e-newsletter, The Travel Link, designed to inform potential visitors about Grand Rapids. The reformatted newsletter’s use of bright colors, engaging photographs, timely focus on upcoming events and compelling features doubled reader participation and clicks to links for more information.

The organization also received a Diamond Award in the PR Campaign category for its Meeting & Convention Awareness Campaign, which uses public relations and video tactics to highlight meetings and conventions in Grand Rapids. The campaign brings awareness to the public about what is happening in the convention center and acknowledges the “Bring It to Grand Rapids” program, which recognizes individuals who have helped bring outside conventions or meetings to Grand Rapids as “Hometown Champions.”

The Gold Honorable Mention for Innovative Collaboration was awarded for the “Cool Brews. Hot Eats” promotion, the city’s first-ever winter food and beer event. The event saw nearly 60 local restaurants and breweries participate, pairing local beers with beer-themed menu offerings. Participating restaurants reported an increase of 20 to 60 percent in sales that week.

The promotion was designed following a series of local accolades, including recognition as Beer City USA, HopCat Restaurant being named No. 1 brew pub in the U.S. and Founders Brewing Co. being named third best brewery in the world, as well as the growing farm-to-fork culinary scene.