FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IABC/Detroit Recognizes Susan Sherer as 2006 Communicator of the Year
Detroit, Mich., - June 27, 2006 - IABC/Detroit recently awarded Susan Sherer, Executive Director, Super Bowl XL Host Committee, as the Communicator of the Year during ceremonies at the organization's 25th annual Renaissance Awards banquet. The Communicator of the Year Award recognizes an organizational leader, whose achievements and contributions advance the profession.
"Susan Sherer was the driving force behind the success of Super Bowl XL", said Trevor Loe, 2006-2007 IABC/Detroit President. "Her outstanding communications skills brought together government, business, and community leaders and showed the world a new Detroit."
During her acceptance speech, Sherer acknowledged that while this is an individual award, the success of Super Bowl XL was the result of a magnificent group of talented and dedicated individuals all working together for a common goal.
Sherer spent 12 years working on promoting Detroit as a destination for corporate and convention events. After serving in nearly every capacity of the hotel business, she moved to the Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2000, she was assigned to lead the convention and sales effort but quickly shifted to special projects and as Tourism and Economic Development Advisor; she crafted the winning bid and presentation for Super Bowl XL in Detroit. In May 2001, she was appointed Executive Director of the Super Bowl Host Committee.
With an $18 million budget, she led a staff of 30 spanning operations, transportation, communication, event management and finance.
During the planning of Super Bowl XL, Sherer:
- Persuaded the cynics and rallied divergent agendas around a common purpose
- Shifted the negative conversations about Detroit into positive ones on both the national and local level.
- Formed a work group of civic and corporate leaders, which later launched the Lower Woodward Improvement Program. The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation took the plans and executed a large-scale revitalization program, which invigorated the central business district. This became part of the Super Bowl agenda.
- Created, funded and lobbied to create a large-scale event (Motown Winter Blast) as the backdrop for the Super Bowl.
- Expanded the reach of the message about Detroit, designed programs and trips for the media, funded an exhibit of previous Super Bowl host cities and designed a partnership that was a superlative model for future Super Bowls.
- Created a lasting legacy by presenting a new Detroit, that stood shoulder to shoulder for the world to see.
Event sponsors for the 25th Anniversary Renaissance Awards, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan are Comerica, DENSO International America, Inc., Domino's Pizza, Inc., MichiganToday.net, PR Newswire, The Creative Group, Video Monitoring Services and Wayne State University.
In-Kind donations have been provided by: Eclipse Creative, Fred Ferris Associates, JCI Design, Mirus Graphic Solutions, Neenah Paper, Palmer Printing, Pine State Enterprises, and Skidmore Inc. IABC/Detroit is one of the largest chapters of the 13,000 member International Association of Business Communicators, connecting more than 250 professional communicators to the people, resources and knowledge necessary to advance their communication careers. The chapter, which includes members in Michigan, Ohio and Canada, holds monthly professional development programs; sponsors workshops; offers job referral services, informative publications, award programs, accreditation programs, and the opportunity to meet and network with other communicators. For more information visit www.iabc.com or contact Nancy Skidmore at 248.546.5490.
IABC/Detroit: Where Communicators Connect