The Development Corporation of Clinton County NY (TDC) received two Excellence in Economic Development Awards for TDC News Online in the category of Newsletter/Newspaper and for TDC's 'We can make a difference' Clean Up Campaign at the North Country Business Expo in the category of Special Events for communities with populations of 25,000 – 200,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 during the IEDC Annual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. "We recognize the Development Corporation of Clinton County NY for providing successful strategies to promote new standards in economic development in this period of global recovery,” said Dennis Coleman, IEDC chair. “Our awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in communities. They are showing that they are at the forefront of the economic development profession and are using innovative and effective practices that can be replicated in other communities." TDC News Online is a digital publication created by TDC, and distributed each month to the local business community, prospecting businesses, real estate offices, site selectors, select media outlets, as well as state and local government officials. The e-newsletter includes articles relating to business expansion/retention, local success stories, community development, highlights from TDC’s Institute for Development and Economic Analysis (IDEA), local workforce/labor market updates and tables with links to available properties within TDC’s Industrial Parks and other select industrial properties as well. The e-newsletter positions TDC as the ‘go to’ source for information for economic development opportunity in the region. The available properties tables are interactive, as are all the feature articles, and some issues include links to multimedia components as well. A link to the e-newsletter is embedded in correspondence to prospects not yet in the database. TDC created a new theme and approach to their presence as an exhibitor at The North Country Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Business Expo – the largest business-to-business show in northern New York. Last year’s Expo featured over185 exhibitors. Prior to the Expo, TDC publically launched the "We can make a difference’ Clean-Up Campaign by distributing oxo-biodegradable plastic litter bags to its 42-member Board of Directors, and later gave the bags out instead of a premium at TDC’s booth at the Business Expo. The bags were printed with various messages such as “Pick of the Litter’, ‘Plattsburgh Proud’, ‘Instructions: Place Eyesores Here’, ‘You Can’t Count on the Wind’, and ‘How to Improve Your Commute’. All bags were imprinted with the same tagline, “I care – we can make a difference’.Like other exhibitors, TDC wanted to attract visitors to their booth, but also wanted to use the occasion of the Expo to launch a larger message into the community – the message that TDC is a community leader that understands the big picture and is here to help make a difference. The Excellence in Economic Awards Program annually recognizes the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. The program honors organizations and individuals in 28 categories for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities. ------------------------- About the International Economic Development Council The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is the premier membership organization dedicated to helping economic development professionals create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions. Serving more than 4,500 members, IEDC represents the largest network of economic development professionals in the world. IEDC provides a diverse range of services, including conferences, certification, professional development, publications, research, advisory services and legislative tracking.
