With the phenomenal success of ArtPrize's first year as a proven winner for making Grand Rapids a travel destination, the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau has begun planning next year's targeted marketing plan to raise the city's profile as edgy and progressive.
According to excerpts from the story:
Doug Small likely wasn't alone in how he reacted to the initial pitch for ArtPrize, and he's certainly not alone in thinking the contest went well beyond expectations. Small, president of the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he and his staff had a hard time "getting our arms around" Rick DeVos' concept for the world's largest art competition. The mission for DeVos' "experiment" – to create a conversation about the arts–wasn't the easiest to grasp for the downtown marketing agency, let alone have them devise a way to craft it to potential visitors.
"We just sort of let it happen," Small told M&C. "We said we will do what we do best – market the location –and oh, by the way, we now have the world's biggest art prize." The CVB helped encourage downtown hotels to extend their summer rate packages, but the organization decided early on that it would take a hands-off approach to the event. They wanted to figure out exactly what the experiment was and to see if it would prove to be a success, he said.
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