Invest Barrie was recognized by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) with five awards during the IEDC Annual Conference held September 17-20 in Dallas, Texas. IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world's best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year's most influential leaders. These awards honour organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Invest Barrie’s awards included:
- Gold in the Partnerships with Educational Institutions category for the Rapid Skills Micro-Credentials project
- Gold in the Paid Advertising Campaign category for the Invest Barrie Entrepreneurship Campaign
- Silver in the Talent Development & Retention category for the Rapid Skills Micro-Credentials project
- Silver in the Multimedia/Video Promotion category for the Rapid Skills Micro-Credentials project
- Silver in the Special Event category for the Simcoe Muskoka Craft Beverage Forum event
“I’m thrilled to congratulate the City’s Invest Barrie team and our community partners on being recognized internationally for their collaborative efforts to address skills development in the manufacturing sector, growth of Barrie’s entrepreneur community and support for the region’s growing craft beverage industry,” said Mayor Alex Nuttall. “In Barrie, we're fortunate to have a network of community partners and businesses dedicated to strengthening our local economy."
The big winner of the event for Invest Barrie was the RapidSkills Micro-Credentials project that was offered in partnership with Georgian College, which captured three awards, including a Gold and two Silvers. Through the Skills Development Fund (SDF), supported in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario, to address skills development and labour shortages within the manufacturing sector, Invest Barrie and program partners were successful in securing over $1 million in funding for their Rapid Skills Micro-Credentials Program. Working with Georgian College, the County of Simcoe and Simcoe Muskoka Skillforce, the project addressed industry demands for increasing the future manufacturing workforce and enabling current and new employees to access skills training, including upskilling currently employed workers.
The second Gold Award winner was the Entrepreneurship Campaign in the Paid Advertising category. In June 2022, Invest Barrie worked with Access Barrie to launch the campaign with the purpose of positioning Barrie as the perfect place for entrepreneurs to start, grow or scale their business. The campaign included the introduction of a dedicated webpage for entrepreneurs and startups on the Invest Barrie website, a sponsored article in the National Post, a local business support guide in both hard-copy handout and interactive digital formats, digital ads with Village Media, and a social media campaign. Each tactic of the campaign was supported by photos featuring leaders from Barrie’s business support network and two Barrie-based entrepreneurs. Partner organizations included Invest Barrie, Georgian College’s Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department, the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, and the Sandbox Centre. Entrepreneurs featured in the campaign included Marcia Woods, founder of Fresh Spoke and Dan Saso of Beaver Rock Coffee.
Rounding out the awards haul was the 2022 Simcoe Muskoka Craft Beverage Forum in the Special Events category. The Forum featured speakers, panels, and interactive sessions led by business support service ecosystem partners and industry leaders. Over 60 beverage entrepreneurs learned how they, with support from their economic development colleagues, can chart their own paths for growth moving forward. Key speakers from leading beverage producers shared their stories, while others focused on the zero-waste movement, supply chain challenges, ensuring product quality, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and adaptations to the changing workforce. Through this collaboration with the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, Georgian College’s Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre, the County of Simcoe, Tourism Muskoka and the Sandbox Centre, beverage producers gained valuable insight into industry specific developments and opportunities.
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.
Invest Barrie is honoured to have their 2022 projects recognized by IEDC and thank all of our partners for their hard work and collaborative efforts to make these projects a success.