Initiative wins innovation award
Effort recognized by Pennsylvania Economic Development Association
The Montgomery County Commerce department and the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board have received the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association’s Economic Development Marketing Innovation Award for the county’s MontcoForward initiative.
The award was presented Nov. 5 during the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association’s virtual conference. The association represents economic development professionals in Pennsylvania.
The Marketing Innovation Award was one of four presented by the association, recognizing “outstanding accomplishments” in economic development, according to a Pennsylvania Eco
nomic Development Association announcement about the awards.
In May 2019, the Montgomery County commerce department and the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board collaborated to enhance the county’s existing MontcoForward economic development project for anyone looking to start or grow a business, or find new opportunities in Montgomery County. The enhancements include: web-based data about the county’s business climate, industry trends, customer demograph
ics, competition and transportation, and a promotional video.
The video was a first-time collaboration between the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board and the commerce department, and its purpose was to help promote Montgomery County nationally.
“I’m honored that we have received this recognition from the economic development community in Pennsylvania. There’s no greater validation that we’re on the right path than this honor from our professional peers. The partnership with the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board was instrumental in bringing the MontcoForward vision into reality, and I cannot thank Mike Bowman and his team enough,” David Zellers Jr., director of commerce, said in a press release.
Zellers added that the initiative has had support from all levels of county government, as well as leaders in business, education and healthcare.
“This achievement is shared with everyone committed to the collaboration that will continue to make Montgomery County the place to live, work, learn, and invest,” he said.
According to the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, the award recognizes the initiative’s “unique and trend-setting use of economic development tools and concepts, overall creativity and branding effectiveness, clear and targeted messaging and presentation of information and data quality.”
“The Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board was proud to partner with the Montgomery County Commerce Department on the MontcoForward initiative,” Mike Bowman, president and CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, said in the release. “Through promotion of the County’s 80 hotels, over 30 craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries, 50 golf courses, close to 100 miles of trails, over 200 arts attractions, more than 1,600 restaurants, and premier meeting and convention facilities, tourism is an integral part of what makes Montco the perfect place to live, work, learn, invest, and visit.”
According to the tourism board, MontcoForward initial achievements ensure the county is a “more vocal and engaged stakeholder in the region and Commonwealth for future economic, workforce, and community development, but also begins to elevate Montco’s status to one of the premiere counties in the nation, and a focal point for prosperity and innovation.”
Pennsylvania Economic Development Association Board President Michael Grigalonis and Awards Committee Chair James Becker congratulated the award recipients, whose recognition, the agency said, “shines a bright light on the meaningful work being done across Pennsylvania by economic development professionals.” Grigalonis is also chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Chester County Economic Development Council. He was named Pennsylvania Economic Development Association board president in March 2020.
For more information about MontcoForward visit www. Mont co Forward. org. Download the MontcoForward video by visiting: https://www.dropbox. com/s/hk242yz4vq16ee0/ Mont co Forward. mp4?dl =0.