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City of West Bend Communications Department Receives Best of the Midwest Media Fest 2021 Awards
March 24, 2021West Bend, Wis. (March 24, 2021): The City of West Bend is pleased to announce that the Communications Department – Community Television (CTV) has received top honors in the Best of the Midwest Media Fest 2021. CTV received one Best of Show honor, four Excellence Awards and one Achievement Award for professional-caliber videos produced in 2020 by Production Manager John Ehlke.
“This year, entries came from 25 Wisconsin PEG (public, education, and government) access centers, 3 low-power radio stations and 13 PEG media centers from Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and Minnesota,” said May Cardona, Executive Director of Wisconsin Community Media. “We were privileged to see how public, education, and government (PEG) access centers continued to serve communities by entertaining, discussing and covering the routine as well as the new normal.”
“I am incredibly proud of the work accomplished by our Communications Department this past year,” said Jay Shambeau, City Administrator. “These awards are a reflection of the team’s dedication and hard work during a time that greatly depended on virtual programming, live video streaming of public meetings and digital communications.”
The Communications Department received the following Best of the Midwest Media Fest:
Best in Show and Excellence Award: Business of the Month Series
Each month a West Best business is featured in a short video that highlights its story, services or products, and community involvement. Watch the full video series.
Excellence Award for Pandemic-related Public Service Announcement: Together West Bend
On March 19, 2020, the Communications Department filmed local businesses impacted by the abrupt onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic-related PSA, Together West Bend, features a dozen local businesses with the unified message of supporting one another and getting through this challenging time together. Watch the video.
Excellence Award for Local Events: Historic West Bend Theatre Opening
After nearly 10 years of vacancy and an extraordinary $4M renovation, the 1929 Vaudeville theatre, the Historic West Bend Theatre (a.k.a. The Bend) was restored to its original beauty. This video showcases The Bend’s grand opening celebration that took place on March 15, 2020, which was immediately followed by temporarily closing its doors the very next day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video.
Excellence Award for Paid Commercial/Sponsorship Spot: Date Night in Downtown West Bend
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) Board invested in a marketing campaign, administered by the Communications Department, designed to increase consumer awareness and drive business activity downtown. The campaign featured three :30 videos highlighting shops, service businesses, restaurants and cultural attractions. Watch the video.
Achievement Award for Short Form Documentary/Feature: The City – Lac Lawrann Conservancy
The City video series highlights various municipal departments and entities of the City of West Bend. This episode features Lac Lawrann Conservancy, a 145-acre public nature preserve. Watch the video.
Additional Best of the Midwest Media Fest awards will be announced in May and the virtual awards show will take place on Thursday, May 27 at 7 p.m. More information is available at https://wisconsincommunitymedia.com/fest-show-and-awards.
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About West Bend
West Bend is 30 minutes north of Milwaukee in Washington County—an industrial hub situated along the Milwaukee River in the heart of the Kettle Moraine. More than 32,000 people reside in the city and have access to numerous cultural and historical attractions, award-winning parks, quality healthcare, and exceptional educational opportunities. West Bend has a charming historic downtown with thriving businesses, shops, and restaurants, and several business and industrial parks poised for growth. For more information, visit www.ci.west-bend.wi.us.Contact:Jessica Wildes, Communications & Economic Development Directorwildesj@ci.west-bend.wi.us, (262) 335-5170