SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN – Showcasing the region to the world was one of two goals the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA) had when it launched its “The Saskatoon I Know” video last March. On Oct. 2, that goal was achieved when the organization accepted a Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) at its annual conference in Atlanta, GA.
The IEDC is the world’s largest professional organization serving the economic development profession. The awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials and the year’s most influential leaders.
SREDA’s video flashes through scenes from around the city, while spoken word artist Isaac Bond recites a poem entitled “The Saskatoon I Know,” which was written by SREDA President and CEO Alex Fallon. SREDA’s marketing team decided to turn it into a promotional video to showcase the real Saskatoon.
Fallon said while SREDA was hoping the video would spread beyond Saskatoon’s borders, he didn’t anticipate it would receive an international award from a prestigious organization like the IEDC.
“When we launched “The Saskatoon I Know”, our goal was to create a sense of pride among Saskatoonians for the city they call home and also to present Saskatoon on the international stage,” Fallon said. “We were blown away by the response and award — Within six months of the video being launched, we not only had our video viewed in more than 50 countries, but we also won an international award for our marketing efforts from the IEDC. In order to grow, we need more people to know about the Saskatoon Region and if the video helps that, that is a great thing. We’re passionate about the Saskatoon Region and wanted to create a modern piece that reflected that.”
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said it’s a win for economic development in the region when an international organization like the IEDC recognizes Saskatoon and the work SREDA has done.
“One of City Council’s strategic priorities is to position Saskatoon so it will continue to thrive in a changing global economy. Whenever we get the opportunity to share our story with the world, that opens the door for more people and businesses to learn about Saskatoon and paves the way for more international investment and trade,” Clark said. “The City would like to congratulate SREDA on winning this prestigious award for the work they do to promote the Saskatoon Region – not just across Canada, but internationally.”
The video – which can be found online at www.thesaskatooniknow.com – was released on March 8 at the SREDA Forum 2018. This is the second award “The Saskatoon I Know” has won, as SREDA accepted the 2018 Marketing Innovation Award from the Saskatchewan Economic Development Alliance (SEDA) in May. In March, SREDA also won the 2018 Team Building Award from the North Saskatoon Business Association (NSBA).
