Case Study: Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau reinforces community identity with GrahamSpencer

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau wins lasting support for "All People Are Welcome" with GrahamSpencer after a 2025 City Council debate

The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (RACVB) faced the challenge of creating a new, bold welcoming message for a key gateway sculpture garden as part of its Forest City Beautiful initiative. They engaged the vendor GrahamSpencer, which utilized its proprietary GSearch research process to craft a powerful statement.

GrahamSpencer developed the simple, powerful message "All People Are Welcome," informed by their concurrent research showing that inclusivity is key to attracting talent. Years later, the message's impact was powerfully affirmed when it sparked a community-wide debate that resulted in strong public and official support, including from the mayor. The resonance and endurance of the message led to GrahamSpencer being chosen to lead another major subsequent economic development campaign for the region.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau