From left, Chamber Director Ryn Herrmann, Enterprise Bank LA Region President Liddie Martinez and Los Alamos MainStreet Director Lauren McDaniel hold up the Bronze Award from the International Economic Development Council for their Small Business Saturday Blue Bucks Raffle Promotion. Courtesy/LACDC
LACDC News:
Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation (LACDC) recently won a Bronze Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for its Small Business Saturday Blue Bucks Raffle Promotion.
The program, sponsored by Enterprise Bank & Trust, was recognized in the “Innovative Programs and Initiatives” category during an Oct. 15 virtual awards ceremony of the IEDC Annual Conference.
“It is such a privilege to work with the Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation, partnering to create innovative programs for the benefit of our local small businesses,” said Liddie Martinez, president of the Los Alamos Region & Director of Community Engagement at Enterprise. “At a time when local economies are struggling, this type of clever collaboration becomes critical. We look forward to continued economic success with our special Blue Bucks Initiative.”
The Blue Bucks Raffle Promotion has taken place for the past two years in Los Alamos and White Rock, and incentivizes local shopping. Customers are awarded “blue bucks” tickets in exchange for local purchases, which are then entered into a cash prize raffle drawing at the conclusion of the promotional period.
In 2019, more than 9,500 raffle tickets were submitted, representing approximately $238,500 spent locally over the eight days of the promotion, and equivalent to a 16.5 percent per day increase in spending over the inaugural 13-day program period in 2018. 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. Thirty-five award categories honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Awards are judged by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world, following a nomination process held earlier this year. IEDC received over 500 submissions from four countries.
“The winners of IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development awards represent the very best of economic development and exemplify the ingenuity, integrity, and leadership that our profession strives for each and every day,” said 2020 IEDC Board Chair and One Columbus CEO Kenny McDonald. “We’re honored to recognize the more than 100 communities whose marketing campaigns, projects and partnerships have measurably improved regional quality of life.”
Enterprise Bank & Trust will again sponsor the award-winning Blue Bucks Raffle program Nov. 15 – Dec. 15, as part of Los Alamos Small Business Saturday. The 2020 program will run longer to spread out the shopping and incentivize early, local shopping. New this year, purchases made in-person or online on the actual Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, will be worth double tickets.
There will again be cash prizes and gift bags with merchandise purchased from participating businesses, and the business that gives out the $1,000 winning ticket will receive $1,000.
For more information or to register, visit https://losalamoschamber.com/small-business-saturday/.
Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation (LACDC) Los Alamos MainStreet and the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce are programs of Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corporation, a private, not-for-profit economic and community development organization. LACDC serves as the umbrella organization for the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, Los Alamos MainStreet, Discover Los Alamos, Los Alamos Small Business Center, projectY cowork Los Alamos and the Los Alamos Research Park.
International Economic Development Council The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization serving economic developers.
With more than 5,000 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban and local to international, IEDC’s members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions.
When we succeed, our members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities, and improve the quality of life in their regions. Learn more at iedconline.org.
