Guelph, Ont., October 6, 2021—The City of Guelph has claimed two awards from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).
The following awards were virtually presented to City staff last night during the IEDC’s annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee:
- Silver, Excellence in Economic Development Award for Guelph Shops – Shop Local Paid Advertising Campaign (paid advertising campaign)
- Bronze, Excellence in Economic Development Award for the Guelph Community Profile (general purpose print promotion)
“It’s exciting and validating to have our economic development efforts recognized on an international scale,” says Kurtis Wells, marketing and events coordinator for Economic Development and Tourism at the City of Guelph. “We launched Guelph Shops early on during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage our community to shop local and support Guelph businesses, while our Community Profile is aimed at attracting more businesses to set up in Guelph.”
Since its launch, the Guelph Shops website has had more than 40,000 views and currently lists more than 500 local businesses. The Guelph Community Profile, meanwhile, has led to interest from businesses looking for places to invest and set up operations by sharing Guelph’s welcoming, exciting and innovative spirit.
“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,” says 2021 IEDC Board Chair Tom Kucharski. “We’re honored to recognize the communities whose marketing submissions, projects, and partnerships support businesses and people in their communities.”
About the award-winning programs
Guelph Shops – Shop Local was created in 2020 in partnership with the Guelph Chamber of Commerce and University of Guelph to encourage residents to support local business instead of shopping online or out of town. Launched in July 2020, Guelph Shops features a local business directory and business profiles, with more shops, restaurants and services being added every month. The City is enhancing the program with videos, a holiday shopping campaign, a new Instagram channel, and more.
The Guelph Community Profile provides an overview of Guelph including key data, growth sectors, municipal costs, incentives and business supports, and testimonials from businesses who have recently set themselves up in Guelph.
About the International Economic Development Council
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. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IEDC’s members engage in the full range of economic development experiences. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in various settings, including local, state, provincial, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and a variety of other institutions. When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions.
Learn more at iedconline.org.
About Invest in Guelph
Invest in Guelph makes it easy to do business in Guelph. Our expert team is ready to help, whether it’s making business connections, growing your business, choosing a site, or finding new markets. We provide a suite of programs and services to support business expansion and re-location, and are your resource for property development, business promotions, and partnerships. We support people making Guelph their home, their place of business, their resilient community.
Resources
For more information
Kurtis Wells, Marketing and Events Coordinator
Economic Development and Tourism
City of Guelph
519-822-1260 extension 2079
Kurtis.wells@guelph.ca
