2024 Awards for Communications Excellence Winners Announced

ACCE is pleased to announce the 12 winners of this year's Awards for Communications Excellence competition. 

The program is designed to showcase the top communications and marketing work of chambers of commerce and similar organizations. These entries highlight some of the freshest and most innovative marketing and communications work coming from ACCE member organizations of all types and sizes.

ACCE extends its gratitude to the 16 judges—marketing and communications leaders from chambers of commerce in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington—who carefully reviewed all the submissions.  

Entries were organized by category — based on the chamber’s annual revenue — and entry type: audio/videos, campaigns, print and electronic publications and websites. 

Three of these 12 winning entries will be revealed as Best in Show within their total annual revenue range category at the July 17 awards show, sponsored by Comcast Business, during ACCE's annual convention in Dallas.

2024 Award of Excellence Winners

CATEGORY 1

Audio/Videos
Forward Opelika - Economic Growth Initiative Video | Opelika Chamber of Commerce (Ala.)

The Forward Opelika Video was created to serve as a dynamic and informative promotional tool to engage Opelika's community, promote the chamber and spotlight the Forward Opelika Economic Growth Initiative. This 3-minute video was produced by a professional video production company for targeted meeting, website and event use to deliver a comprehensive overview of the chamber's ambitious five-year, $3.5 million strategic community and economic development plan. It offers viewers a deeper understanding of the Forward Opelika Initiative's goals and communicates the urgency and significance of this initiative. Among its results, the video contributed to heightened awareness of the Forward Opelika Initiative, increased fundraising efforts by $700,000 and added approximately 20 new investors to the initiative.

Campaigns
Chamber Member Ribbon Cutting Promotional Campaign | Etowah Chamber (Ala.)

Every member of the Etowah Chamber that celebrates a ribbon cutting, groundbreaking, anniversary or a similar achievement receives a free promotional video with photography produced in-house by chamber staff along with additional media exposure. The goal of the chamber's strategy is to provide an extensive media campaign package for the chamber's members while informing the community and growing the member's and chamber's online reach. After filming the event and editing, the chamber broadcasts the member's big day on all social media platforms. Members are given permission to use any photos and videos from their event (including drone footage). The campaign has increased the number of ribbon cuttings from 26 in 2021 (before starting ribbon cutting promotionals) to 46 in 2023. Furthermore, the chamber gained 2,000+ followers on Facebook/Instagram in 2023 and enjoyed a total social media reach of over 560,000.

Print & Electronic Publications
Gallatin Spirit: 2024 Gallatin City Guide & Business Directory | Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce (Tenn.)

Each year, an internal chamber team of about five individuals work to develop a publication that tells the story of the city's unique features and rich history, all while showcasing its dynamic business scene. All articles are written in-house, by community partners and/or local writers. All graphic design is done by a member. Beginning in February of each year, a theme is set for the project and then content, that fits with the theme is developed February-December. The book is printed by a member in December and is in circulation for a full calendar year and is shared with businesses, newcomers, tourists, prospects and others. In the front, it's a lifestyle publication; in the back, it's a business by category directory listing. 7,000 copies of the 2024 guide were printed, bringing exposure to 750+ local businesses and organizations and generating $135,000+ in revenue for the chamber.

Websites 
Small City: Big Website | Atascadero Chamber of Commerce (Calif.)

In 2023, the chamber team undertook a comprehensive effort to modernize its website, prioritizing the programs and resources most frequently accessed by members. This initiative involved a strategic reorganization of the site architecture, adding consistency, integrating visually appealing elements, and incorporating engaging video content. To ensure effectiveness, the team conducted thorough research by studying other chamber websites for inspiration while infusing their own local vibe, showcasing their unique programs. A feature of the site are the added translation toggle buttons for easy translation from English into Spanish, further enhancing accessibility and facilitating engagement across language barriers. In 2023, over 38,000 visitors engaged with the website, marking a significant increase of over 15% as compared to 2022. 

CATEGORY 2

Audio/Videos
Winston-Salem Momentum | Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. (N.C.)

In 2023, Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. sought an updated community and industry video that would showcase the lifestyle and advantages of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. They worked with a local video production company to film Winston-Salem Momentum – a video that describes the community’s innovation, business assets, educational opportunities and quality of life, all told through the diverse perspectives of local community members. The video is a multi-purpose brand asset for the chamber and premiered at its 2023 Annual Meeting to 500+ guests. It is featured on the chamber's website (received 42,000 views in 2023), in community presentations and in site selection pitches to convey Winston-Salem’s appeal. In organic traffic alone, with no paid advertising, the video has reached 4,100 LinkedIn viewers, over 2,500 Instagram Reels views, and 1,700+ on YouTube. It has a reach of over 2,300 on Facebook with 100+ likes and 41 shares.

Campaigns
ACCESS 2023: Economic Growth Conference | Greater Manchester Chamber (N.H.)

In the early planning stages of ACCESS 2023, the Greater Manchester Chamber’s new, annual economic growth conference, the team emphasized creating a strong brand and marketing campaign reflective of Manchester's diverse history and innovative future. As they aimed to establish ACCESS as a premier annual event for professional development and idea generation throughout New Hampshire and beyond, they ensured the brand represented the entire state, not just Manchester. They brought in design and printing partners from within their membership and promotion was facilitated through partnerships with New Hampshire Business Review and New Hampshire Public Radio. They integrated the WHOVA App for event organization and promotion. The event's achieved results include: 147+ attendees, $45,500 in sponsorship revenue and $9,815 in attendee revenue.

Print & Electronic Publications
Fox Cities Chamber Sponsorship Booklet | Fox Cities Chamber (Wis.)

The Fox Cities Chamber sought better ways to organize and sell its event and program sponsorships, and in Q4 of 2023 they were launched a sponsorship booklet that has generated great results. The booklet, available both digitally and printed, outlines the chamber's marquis events and programs, summarizing what they are and the impact they have. Then a matrix outlines the various sponsorship levels available and benefits received. The booklet was written and designed in-house, allowing the chamber to easily update it when needed. According to the chamber, this booklet has been a huge boon to their sponsorship solicitation efforts. They cited that just before the chamber's Christmas holiday break, they had already reached over 50% of their 2024 sponsorship goal, adding that in the six years of their CEO's time at the chamber, this was a record for selling so many sponsorships that early.

Websites 
Frisco Chamber of Commerce Website | Frisco Chamber of Commerce (Texas)

The Frisco Chamber's goal in redesigning the website was to update its look and transform it into the central hub for its business community. Designed entirely in-house, their strategy was centered on enhancing user experience and engagement. They integrated features allowing easy interaction and participation via an easy-to-find navigation menu for their blog, membership portal, community calendar, online event registration and job board. Most significantly, the chamber's team developed from the ground up a directory of local nonprofits and added an Intern/Mentor database. With the redesign, the chamber has seen a 20.5% increase in users, with a 19.4% rise in new users; 42% growth in online membership applications and renewals; online registrations for chamber events have surged by 54%; and the nonprofit and intern/mentorship databases have attracted almost 300 unique visits each month.

CATEGORY 3

Audio/Videos
The Raleigh Chamber Pharma Commercial | Raleigh Chamber (N.C.)

For the Raleigh Chamber's 135th annual meeting in 2023, the chamber's marketing and communications team produced Late Afternoon with the Raleigh Chamber, using a late-night talk show theme to present this event. The Raleigh Chamber Pharma Ad was one of the fun ads shown. The team wrote the script and developed a storyboard for the production of the spot. They partnered with a local media company (and chamber member) for filming and editing. After the video's premiere at the event, the ad was shared across all the chamber's social media accounts. To mirror the commercial, fun and fresh messaging was used in the posts to encourage engagement, and the posts highlighted a link to the chamber's membership recruitment website page. The commercial garnered more than 1,275 views. Additionally, 174 companies have become Raleigh Chamber members since viewing the commercial at the annual meeting.

Campaigns
Chamber Effect Marketing Campaign | Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce (Tenn.)

The Chamber Effect Marketing Campaign emerged as a storytelling initiative designed to illustrate the profound impact of chamber membership on Middle Tennessee's business landscape. Through a curated blend of print and digital media, alongside professionally produced short interview-style testimonials from a diverse array of business leaders—from the manager of the Green Hills Mall to an urban farmer championing local agriculture—the chamber painted a vivid picture of the 'Chamber Effect.' In order to more fine-tune the chamber's reach, the marketing campaign also targeted businesses formed within the last 2-5 years to ensure emerging leaders were exposed to how chamber membership could accelerate their growth and impact. Highlights of the campaign's results include: 10.5k+ landing page views; 70k+ YouTube views, which equaled more than 1,100 watch hours; 1.4M+ social media impressions and 15k+ link clicks.

Print & Electronic Publications
Momentum The Raleigh Chamber 2022/2023 Impact Report | Raleigh Chamber (N.C.)

The Raleigh Chamber Impact Report, themed around the concept of "momentum," demonstrates the chamber's work and accomplishments during the 2022/2023 fiscal year. From the initial design discussions, the Raleigh Chamber's marketing and communications team felt that it was critical to tell the chamber's story using graphics and photos instead of just text and numbers. The in-house designed report launched in December of 2023, with an email and social media campaign to promote it. The release date (during the holiday break when many offices were closed) was deliberately chosen to maximize the open rates during a time that would encourage a leisurely view of the report. Results from the brief time frame include: 18,764 emails sent; 26% email open rate; 43% email clickthrough rate; 28,328 social media impressions; 5.71% social engagement rate; and a significant increase in membership and sponsorship inquiries.

Websites
Portland Metro Chamber Website | Portland Metro Chamber (Ore.)

In 2023, the Portland Business Alliance renamed itself as the Portland Metro Chamber and got to work on a new website. Working with a member branding and website developer, the chamber developed a website with a clean, approachable design, built around the needs of current and prospective members and represented the new brand. The entire project was completed in less than 10-months and on budget. The number of new, unsolicited members (organizations joining through the website without any other recorded touchpoints) has gone up 35% since the website launched. Additionally, the chamber has had 32,500 views of the homepage and 7,181 views of the events calendar. This reflects an increase over the same period on the old website from the year prior.