LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2013) – Commerce Lexington Inc. recently received a Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award in the special event category for communities with populations of 200,000 to 500,000 from the International Economic Development Council during the annual IEDC Conference held Oct. 6-9 in Philadelphia.
The award recognized Commerce Lexington’s special event in late 2012 titled Art of the Deal: Why Bingham McCutchen Chose Lexington, Ky. for its Global Services Center. This unique event gave many key community leaders and Commerce Lexington Inc. top investors an inside look at the process of how Lexington recruited such a well-known international law firm and landed its new Global Services Center in the region. Over 100 people were involved in Bingham’s recruitment process, including the Commerce Lexington Inc. economic development group, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, University of Kentucky President Dr. Eli Capilouto and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.
After a press conference in September 2012 with Bingham’s Chair Jay Zimmerman and COO L. Tracee Whitley, alongside Beshear, Gray and Commerce Lexington President and CEO Bob Quick, staff recognized that the board of directors, investors, councilmembers and other stakeholders heard the praise and great reasons why Bingham chose Lexington, but the press conference didn’t elaborate on the details of how Lexington was chosen. Many details and facts about the project didn’t surface during the press conference. The “Art of the Deal” event was planned to share the behind-the-scenes story of how Lexington was chosen out of 350 cities.
“We’re always looking for ways to better tell our story and highlight how the economic development process works,” Quick said. “The recruitment of Bingham was unique in that so many community leaders were involved in the process, and company representatives made multiple visits to Lexington before our staff even knew their names. The synergy between Bingham leaders and the people of Lexington was extraordinary, and that relationship has only become stronger.”
IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards annually recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. These awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.
The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind.
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