Congratulations to the Buffalo Grove Park District who received top honors as Best Overall Communicator (population less than 100,000) in the National Park and Recreation Association’s 2006 Kudos Marketing and Communication Awards. The Kudos award program recognizes agencies or departments that best market or communicate the value of recreation to the public. The following is a description of the district’s Are You In? program:

By simply asking the question: Are you in? Buffalo Grove employs this short but simple slogan to encourage participation and inclusion, and to get people thinking about what they enjoy doing with their free time.

Buffalo Grove’s park district is the epicenter for most of what goes on in the community – participation of residents continues to increase across the board, and financial participation from businesses in the area is at an all time high. To date, the message has successfully helped generate over $50,000 in cash sponsorships in the past year, and well over $100,000 in in-kind donations.

Buffalo Grove employs a three-part system known as Triangle Marketing to reach every resident at least once. The first touch is usually through direct mail, signage, fliers, etc.; the second angle occurs through external media vehicles such as newspaper, radio and television; the third, and arguably the most important angle, is word-of-mouth. By encouraging advocates to spread use of the slogan, the results are more beneficial than anything Buffalo Grove could have anticipated. The agency feels so strongly about this third angle that is has been included in their staff training.

Don’t forget that the deadline for IPRA’s Awards & Recognition Program is October 31. Recognize deserving individuals and agencies for their hard work and dedication to the field. IPRA’s Agency Showcase Competition is also just around the corner so start thinking about the creative work you’ve done this past year.