COLLABORATION AWARDS

Experience Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., Grand Action 2.0, Grand Rapids Public Museum,  Grand Rapids WhiteWater,  IDEOLOGY Productions, Legends Global, Progressive Companies, and  RiverRestoration…

Dream Grand and Grow Video. Grand Rapids is

currently in the midst of one of the nation’s largest active river revitalization efforts, with more than $1.2 billion of investment set to transform the city’s downtown Grand River corridor over the next five years. The group devised a way to tell the river revitalization story through a combination of real-life and animated video footage. The team developed a concept that would invite viewers

along for a kayak ride down the Grand River to see the developments taking shape before them. The creative project was dubbed Dream Grand and Grow as

an extension of Experience Grand Rapids’ longstanding Dream Grand and Go umbrella marketing campaign. Animators spent more than 1,000 hours crafting

accurate, detailed representations of each project with no AI used in the process.

The Ann Arbor Sports Commission, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti Township, and Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest

 

Through a strategic partnership among these organizations, Ford Lake in Ypsilanti Township

was transformed into Michigan’s first and only Olympic-caliber, eight-lane, 2,000-meter rowing venue. Today, the course stands among a small number of championship-level rowing venues nationwide, capable of hosting major regional, national, and international

competitions.

 

This collaboration reached a defining milestone in July 2025 with the first-ever hosting of a national event: the US Rowing RowFest National Championships. As the largest rowing event ever hosted in Michigan and the second largest event conducted by US Rowing, the

10-day championship welcomed thousands of athletes, coaches, families, and spectators from across the United States and internationally. RowFest validated years of

collaborative planning and firmly established the Rowing Course at Ford Lake as a nationally competitive tourism experience capable of generating significant visitor

spending, expanding Michigan’s sports tourism portfolio, and positioning the state as a destination for championship rowing events.

The KISS Army is millions strong, and many fans remember the band’s legendary

visit to Cadillac High School in October 1975. Over three days, KISS created unforgettable moments with the community such as:

 

Leading the homecoming parade, receiving a key to the city, performing in the school gymnasium and departing by helicopter from the football field.

 

Just weeks later, KISS became “the hottest band in the land.” With the 50th anniversary of the album KISS Alive! in 2025, Cadillac seized a unique opportunity to re-create that history through an authentic, immersive experience—honoring die-hard fans, while engaging the local community and attracting new visitors.

 

With full support from KISS and their management—who asked for nothing in return—the community delivered an impressive lineup of events, including

museum exhibits, concerts, The KISS50 5K race, a KISS 50 golf outing, a KISS-themed drone show, and more.

 

Collaborators for Cadillac KISS 50 included: Cadillac Area Public Schools, Alumni & Athletics, Cadillac Area Festivals & Events, KISS (Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley), Pophouse Entertainment,

WKLT/Midwestern Broadcast Company, McGhee Entertainment, City of Cadillac, and Wexford County Historical Museum