Catch Des Moines was awarded two 2017 Iowa Tourism Awards for Outstanding Social Media Execution and Outstanding Niche Market Initiative. The awards were presented to both a rural and metro city and received in Sioux City last night at the annual Iowa Tourism Conference.
“It’s an honor for our work to be recognized by industry peers,” said Greg Edwards, President and CEO of Catch Des Moines. “Our team strives to identify and execute new ways that get people thinking about and booking events and trips in Greater Des Moines. Receiving these awards reflect the success of those efforts.”
Outstanding Social Media Execution honors a destination for excellence in their social media strategy. Over the past fiscal year, Catch Des Moines saw a 49% growth in social media followers and an 86.5% increase in engagement as the result of a redefined social media strategy.
Outstanding Niche Market Initiative honors a tourism effort targeted to a niche audience. The Catch Des Moines Summer Giveaway Campaign was awarded for increasing awareness of summer events in Greater Des Moines and growing engagement with prospective visitors. The initiative resulted in more than one million impressions and a 15% increase in visitor newsletter subscriptions.
The Iowa Tourism Conference brought together nearly 300 industry representatives for educational sessions and networking this week. The Iowa Tourism Awards are the highest honor given for tourism in Iowa and voted on by tourism professionals across the state. A full list of Iowa Tourism award winners is posted at traveliowa.com. For photos of the awards ceremony, please contact Addison Bratvold at addison@catchdesmoines.com.