BE NKY Growth Partnership won three 2023 Excellence in Economic Development Awards from the International Economic Development Council.
Every year IEDC looks specifically for economic development organizations, government entities, initiatives, and programs that have demonstrated consistent, exemplary performance in the economic development profession, leading the execution of projects that have a significant impact on revitalizing communities, and playing a major role in shaping and improving the practice of economic development.
IEDC acknowledged and honored BE NKY at the IEDC 2023 Annual Conference during the inaugural Recognition Night event in Dallas, Texas, last month.
BE NKY’s website, rebranded and relaunched in March 2023, received a Gold Award in the category of “General Purpose Website,” which are those designed to promote city, state, or regional economic development organizations.
The website, designed by 5 Whys Marketing Partners, provides clients, businesses, site selectors, and community members with the most up-to-date information about the Northern Kentucky region.
BE NKY redesigned the website for a better user experience and to align it with its 2022 Target Industry Study, which identified four industry clusters integral to maintaining continued growth and prosperity in our region. The website puts pertinent information, and staff contact information, all in one accessible location for companies looking to relocate or expand in Northern Kentucky.
The Northern Kentucky Atlas, launched in late 2022, received a Silver Award in the “Special Purpose Website” category.
BE NKY developed the Atlas in collaboration with Chicago-based analytics company Metopio to be a “go-to” source for data pertinent to our region to help inform policy makers and arm community members with the information needed to affect change.
The Atlas is a data visualization tool that features close to 200 unique data variables on a wide-ranging set of topics for Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties. Since its launch, The Atlas has seen more than 1,400 users and nearly 10,000 data points have been downloaded.
BE NKY’s 2022 Annual Report received a Bronze Award in the “Annual Report” category. The report highlights BE NKY’s 2022 accomplishments and showcases the services offered in the region. In 2022, BE NKY won 19 projects, representing 2,356 new jobs and $292 million in capital investment.
It also features more information about BE NKY’s target industry clusters, 2022 ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings, and grand openings, and companies that announced new jobs and investment in the region.
“The awards recognizing our marketing and data initiatives demonstrate that our website, the Northern Kentucky Atlas, and our annual report are first class and key to our work attracting new companies and jobs to Northern Kentucky,” said BE NKY CEO Lee Crume. “The economic growth we are driving in Northern Kentucky is a result of the hard work of the entire BE NKY team.”
BE NKY won in each category for organizations serving a population between 200,000-500,000.
“BE NKY Growth Partnership has raised the bar for excellence in economic development with its projects. These awards are a testament to BE NKY’s dedication to its residents and serve as great examples of how economic development can help transform a community for the better,” said Nathan Ohle, IEDC President and CEO. “It is IEDC’s honor and privilege to present BE NKY with these awards and recognize its leadership and innovation in the field of economic development!”