The Greater Manhattan Economic Partnership won a Silver Rank for its Biosecurity Marketing Campaign, a project in the category of Regionalism and Cross-Border Collaboration of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honor was presented yesterday at an awards ceremony during the IEDC Annual Conference, which is currently underway.
IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials and the year's most influential leaders. Twenty-five award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban and rural communities. Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers, following a nomination process held earlier this year. IEDC received over 500 submissions from 4 countries.
The Greater Manhattan Economic Partnership (GMEP) was founded in 2018 as a joint regional partnership between the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce and the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation. The goal of the campaign is to build local, national and international awareness of the Greater Manhattan region’s expertise in biosecurity, food production and infectious disease research — including a subspecialty in zoonotic diseases, especially where this expertise impacts prevention of future pandemics and protection of global food systems. Regional assets include the United States Department of Agriculture National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) and Kansas State University's Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI). GMEP used this campaign to tell its story and tap into international interest in topics related to the region's economic development assets.
The approach focused on written and visual storytelling to foster a more emotional connection than data points alone. The creativity and high quality of the content and cohesiveness of the campaign, which included advertising on social media and search, were key to its success.
“The winners of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the best of economic development and exemplify the leadership that our profession strives for every day,” said 2021 IEDC Board Chair and Invest Buffalo Niagara, President, and CEO Tom Kucharski. “We’re honored to recognize the more than 100 communities whose marketing submissions, projects, and partnerships have improved regional quality of life.”
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Learn more at iedconline.org.
